The East Hawaii Regional Board of Hawaii Health Systems Corp. will discuss the future of Hilo Medical Center’s Extended Care Department at its next meeting. Meanwhile, ECD employees are being encouraged to apply for other jobs with the hospital.
The hospital began on Jan. 1 actively seeking to place extended care patients with alternative private providers. The policy was in response to an anticipated budget shortfall of between $6 million and $7 million. Administrators say that high costs associated with providing extended care combine with low reimbursement rates from Medicare and Medicaid to be a major drain on hospital resources.
Lacking additional support in the form of state subsidies, board members of the East Hawaii region of Hawaii Health Systems Corp., which manages HMC, opted last year to cut staffing in its extended care facilities to maintain a total of 70 beds, down from 90.
Last Monday, the hospital posted a human resources notice advising employees about a number of open nursing and clerk positions within the hospital for which they would be considered first during a period of seven days before outside applications would be accepted. The notice cited the ongoing loss of patients within the Extended Care Department as a reason for employees to “be self-directed in terms of applying for other positions that they may qualify for.”
“Hilo Medical Center’s Extended Care Department census continues to decrease, which in turn reduces demand for staffing,” the notice reads. “ECD is licensed by the Department of Health to operate a 112-bed facility. Our current census in ECD is at 51. This trend should be expected to continue and may accelerate.”
HHSC East Hawaii Regional CEO Dan Brinkman wrote Monday in an emailed response to questions that the hospital is attempting to keep its current total of extended care patients to 51 by only referring new patients to other private providers.
“We are no longer working to place long-term (extended care) residents at private facilities,” he said.
Hilo Medical Center spokeswoman Elena Cabatu said Monday the human resources notice was an effort to be “proactive by informing our employees of job openings within our organization in light of the facility being staffed for 70 patients while currently caring for 51 patients.”
On whether that means the hospital plans to close its extended care facilities, the answer is an unequivocal “No,” she said.
“… we are not actively trying to empty the facility,” she wrote in an emailed response to questions. “As stated in our January 22 press release, our board is reviewing our long-term care facilities and services and no decision has been made. The reduction in patients is a result of the admissions policy and early on placing some patients in private facilities that wanted to go to nicer and more modern accommodations. We must maintain our safety net mission of caring for everyone who comes to us regardless of their ability to pay. We will always have a place for our kupuna in the region.”
The regional board will review an assessment of employees, finances and community impact of changes at the extended care facility at its Feb. 16, meeting in the hospital’s Learning Center. Board members will determine “the appropriate next steps in regards to the operations of the ECF,” Brinkman wrote.
“There is no magic census number as to when community input or legislative actions are triggered for substantial reductions in service,” he said. “However, I know our board cares deeply about the community and welcomes its input.”
Last month, state Rep. Richard Onishi, D-Hilo, took the hospital to task during a legislative briefing for its movement of patients to far-flung extended care facilities in Honokaa and Ka‘u. He said constituents had complained to him that such relocations placed an undue burden on families who must drive long distances to visit loved ones.
Brinkman has defended the policy, calling it one of the least disruptive choices administrators considered when discussing potential budget cuts.
HHSC’s East Hawaii Region will host its annual public meeting and forum on community needs on Feb. 20, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Hale Hoola Hamakua Conference Room in Honokaa.
Info: Contact regional board secretary Terry Larson at 932-3103.
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.