Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, January 26, 2018
UH Hyperbaric Treatment Center reopens
By News Release @ 5:55 PM :: 5630 Views :: Health Care, Higher Education

Hyperbaric Treatment Center reopens

From UH News, Jan 26, 2018

The Hyperbaric Treatment Center (HTC) has reopened and is once again providing 24/7 treatment for civilian divers suffering from decompression sickness. Nine physicians have been recruited to provide service at HTC since the facility closed on October 19, 2017, because of a physician coverage shortage. The physicians have been trained in hyperbaric techniques. HTC reopened on January 15, 2018.

“We have reopened HTC with a crew of dedicated physicians, nurses and technicians,” said Susan Steinemann, hired in November 2017 as the center’s interim medical director. “We understand the essential role the center plays for our local dive community and are diligently working to a complete re-establishment of services.”

“Resuming this critical service was a top priority for the University of Hawaiʻi and the John A. Burns School of Medicine,” said Jerris Hedges, dean of the medical school. “There is still much to be done, but we are very pleased that we can once again provide this high-quality, very specialized care to the people of Hawaiʻi.”

The center has also resumed non-emergency hyperbaric medical care for certain types of wounds and tissue damage caused by radiation therapy.

A consultant is developing a business plan to guide the financial operation of HTC. Providing year-round, 24/7, emergency hyperbaric oxygen treatment is expensive. Only about 1 in 10 hyperbaric centers on the continental U.S. offers 24/7 emergency service.

“We are actively investigating ways to maintain funding for HTC operations, as current emergency operations are not financially sustainable,” said Steinemann. “Community support is essential if we are to maintain our current level of emergency services, and we thank state lawmakers for their ongoing support.”

A $1.5 million upgrade to HTC, funded by the state Legislature, is scheduled to begin in 2018 and includes renovation of the 40-year-old chamber and supporting systems. HTC has also recently purchased new equipment to improve medical care including a ventilator, intravenous pumps and monitors.

HTC has treated civilian divers for decompression sickness or “the bends” in Hawaiʻi since 1983. Anyone suffering from a decompression injury is advised to first go to the nearest emergency department for immediate treatment. 

---30---

CB: UH Reopens Center That Treats Sick Scuba Divers

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT