The future for health care in West Hawaii’s bright as we head into 2025. Many of the changes in our West Hawaii Region hospitals will be visible to anyone walking through our doors. Important milestones and big announcements last year laid the groundwork for a productive and exciting year ahead.
KONA COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
At Kona Community Hospital, infrastructure improvements are well underway. The release of previously approved state funds allowed for upgrades to KCH’s oncology services and equipment as well as the expansion of the hospital pharmacy. This pharmacy will include a clean room suite that allows pharmacists to prepare and store IV medications.
Construction is set to begin on our new ultrasound suite this year. The new and improved suite will help streamline the process for patients and providers to ensure people are seen and their needs met in a timely and efficient manner. We expect to begin construction on our wastewater treatment plant later this year, and the parking lot at KCH is also getting a much-needed makeover.
In June of 2024, we released our Strategic Analysis and Relocation/Replacement Plan Recommendations in a report funded by the Legislature. Our goal was to identify the health care needs of West Hawaii and how to best serve them. The challenge of rural health care is very real. This report provided key information, including areas of specialties needed, and spurred new interest in providing those services. Since the report was released, we have new providers working at our hospital to help meet those needs.
KOHALA HOSPITAL
Kohala Hospital has made significant strides towards bolstering the way it cares for North Hawaii. Over the past year, we purchased a 1.16-acre parcel for $990,000. The site, located next to the hospital facility, will allow the hospital to grow its service offerings and expand access to health care for the remote community.
We are also in the process of creating space to add a CT scan machine to our list of state-of-the-art services. The technology helps providers diagnosis diseases, plan treatment, and check for other internal issues, enhancing the way physicians are able to care for patients close to their community.
Aside from our goals to expand quality care, Kohala Hospital has added a new electric vehicle (EV) charging station, which the public may pay to use. Drivers may charge their EV for a certain period of time. This investment allows patients to charge their EV while receiving care at our facility.
All these investments are possible because of the support of our Hawaii Island lawmakers, their colleagues at the state capitol, philanthropists and our community.
The new year also brings a new, dynamic, unifying brand for the West Hawaii Region, one that cements our place in this community and epitomizes our commitment to ensuring each patient, each ‘ohana, our community receive the tailored and quality care and support they need, when they need it.
Kona Community Hospital and Kohala Hospital are united in mission, purpose, drive and commitment and rooted in the spirit of aloha, authenticity, togetherness, compassion, acceptance and respect. Together, we are the West Hawaii Region.
Clayton McGhan is regional CEO for the West Hawaii Region. This editorial is brought to you by Community First Hawaii, a nonprofit serving as a convener and catalyst for solutions to improve health and access to health care. For more information, please visit our website at www.communityfirsthawaii.org or Facebook and Instagram pages at @communityfirsthawaii.