BY SEN. WILL ESPERO – It is my understanding a bankruptcy hearing was held recently regarding Hawaii Medical Center (HMC).
The prognosis does not appear good. HMC is struggling, and one possibility is that facilities could close down if new funds via a sale or investor are not injected into the organization.
This would certainly hurt the quality of healthcare in Ewa. The Liliha facility could also be in jeopardy but there are many hospitals that could possibly take up the slack due to the close proximity in the downtown area.
In either case, the quality of care for residents of Oahu diminishes.
Regarding HMC in West Oahu, do you have any thoughts or ideas that could help keep the facility open or keep the emergency room available to the public?
Is there any possibility of federal assistance or even the thought of having the Veterans’ Administration look at the site for usage?
Finally could the UH medical school have an interest in the facility?
It is my hope that the current operators can resolve their dilemma and continue operating their facilities. Contingency plans should be looked at immediately, however, in the event of a worst case scenario.
This area is the fastest growing region of the state, and the loss of its hospital would be a major setback. I look forward to the dialogue as this issue continues to play out.