Gov. David Ige on Wednesday signed into law House Bill 1075, which authorizes the Maui Region of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to enter into negotiations for a public-private operational and management agreement. ADVERTISING Gov. David Ige on Wednesday signed
Gov. David Ige on Wednesday signed into law House Bill 1075, which authorizes the Maui Region of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to enter into negotiations for a public-private operational and management agreement.
The agreement would, however, be subject to approval by the governor, the HHSC and the Maui Region Board of Directors.
The governor said the state will work collaboratively with the Maui Region Board and the HHSC to select a private partner and finalize the terms and conditions of this partnership by the end of the year so that implementation can begin in 2016.
“We are committed to working with our dedicated public employees who are key to the successful implementation of this policy and central to a smooth transition that is focused on patient care and quality service to the people of Hawaii,” Ige said in a prepared statement.
House Speaker Joseph M. Souki called the action “absolutely essential for the people of Maui.” He added that it will “open the doors for a vital public-private partnership to keep Maui’s hospitals open.”
HHSC CEO Linda Rosen, MD, said the organization looks “forward to eventually reducing the amount of taxpayer moneys subsidizing healthcare delivery in Hawaii.”
Maui Memorial Medical Center is Maui’s only full-service, acute medical care facility and is the only hospital outside of Oahu that provides a full range of cardiac services, including open-heart surgery and angioplasty.
The Maui region of HHSC serves more than 11,000 inpatients and 45,000 emergency room patients per year. It employs more than 1,500 people.
