KAILUA-KONA — Step into Kona Community Hospital’s new north Emergency Department and it’s a lot different than it was less than a year ago.
Not only are there more beds awaiting patients in need of care, but also there’s an all-new feel to the triage and admitting area, which was once sterile, drab and dated. Today, the area, which handles about 21,000 people annually, features a fresh, clean, well-lit and contemporary feel enhanced by island-inspired colors and photos by shorebreak wave photographer Clark Little.
“It’s a lot more welcoming than it was in the past,” said Jay Kreuzer, the hospital’s CEO. “It will help us with our growing volume we have in the emergency department.”
The emergency department served between 60 and 70 patients per day with its old 18-treatment area setup, said Joyce Fukumoto, emergency room nurse manager. Just a couple of years ago, the hospital saw about 50 patients per day in the ED.
The additional six beds, one of which is located in a private room, in the new north wing of the ED will add to the 18 treatment areas in the old “south” ED and help the hospital enhance its emergency services, including shortening patient wait times and improving efficiency in the triage area, said Dr. Richard McDowell, who is also the hospital’s medical director.
“We can always use more space for patient care,” he said. “Our volume has grown quite a bit since 2001, so we need the extra space and it’s good to have.
“And, it’s also nice to have a little bit of an upgrade in the way it looks like — more patient-friendly,” he added.
Planning for the $3 million state CIP-funded project got underway in October 2014 with the creation of a renovation committee that looked at all aspects of the project from ED operations and security to laundry and house keeping to ensure the project moved smoothly and did not result in any service shutdowns, said KCH spokeswoman Judy Donovan. It is the first expansion of the ED since about 1975.
“This construction project has been swirling around in people’s minds for a while — the wants were there, but the ability was not,” said Pat Kalua, the hospital’s chief nurse executive. “This whole project was a coordinated effort, and it worked because everyone made it work.”
Donovan also noted the importance of the facility being renovated to continue to meet the community’s needs until a new hospital is built in Kona.
“It needs it, the facility is aging and we have to upgrade because we don’t have money for the new hospital,” she said.
Construction began in July and work wrapped up just in the past days. The ED beds have yet to arrive, however, they should be installed prior to a hard opening tentatively scheduled for Thursday, said Kalua.
During construction, the old admitting department and emergency triage walk-in areas were closed and the ED entrance was temporarily moved. Now that work is complete, things will be returning to normal with the ED entrance back to its original spot across from administration. The hospital’s main entrance, which was located north of the ED entrance, is now positioned near the Radiation Oncology Center.
Signage will help visitors get around during the coming days, hospital officials said. There will also be extra security on duty to facilitate the transition.
Info: www.konacommunityhospital.com