CITY COUNCILMEMBERS CALL ON EMERGENCY SERVICE RESPONDERS TO ADDRESS LACK OF EMERGENCY ROOMS
Emergency Services Briefing Tomorrow Will Address Hospital Leaders’ and Emergency Services’ Efforts to Address Lack of Emergency Rooms in Region Since 2011 Closure
News Release from Office of Councilmember Kymberly Pine April 15, 2013
HONOLULU – Concerned that Oahu residents are still without an Ewa emergency room or a hospital since the closure of Hawaii Medical Center-West (HMC-West) in 2011, two City Councilmembers will host a briefing with hospital officials and emergency responders, who will report the availability of emergency rooms in the Ewa region. The Oahu Emergency Services Briefing will be held tomorrow, April 16 at 10:00 a.m. in Honolulu Hale’s second floor Committee Room.
“While we welcome the news that Queens Medical Center will reopen the closed Hawaii Medical Center-West in 2013, it will be more than two years that my community has been without a hospital or an emergency room,” said Honolulu City Councilmember and Co-Host Kymberly Marcos Pine (Waiana, Nanakuli, Honokai Hale, Kapolei, Makakilo, Kalaeloa, Ewa Villages and Ewa Beach).
“Many of my Ewa Beach and Kapolei residents continue to worry about their emergency health needs and the availability of these essential emergency services. We need to make sure everything is being done to ensure that lives are being saved now.”
Prior to the December 2011 closing, the HMC-West Emergency Room was the second busiest emergency room on the island, said Pine.
Councilmember Ron Menor (Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia, Mililani Town, West Loch, Iroquois Point, and portions of Ewa Villages and Ewa Beach will co-host the briefing. His communities of Ewa, Ewa Beach, Waipahu and Waipio are also negatively affected by the closure
HMC-West’s closure has left a devastating and lasting impact on the lives of many Leeward and Central Oahu residents, and has had the disproportionate impact of straining services in other nearby communities. In addition, many residents are still reeling from the loss of their jobs, their homes, their savings and their self-esteem.
Medical leaders in attendance will be:
§ State Department of Health - Dr. David Sakamoto, Deputy Director for Health Resources
§ Department of Emergency Services - Director Mark Rigg, City and County of Honolulu
§ Pearl City Urgent Care - Dr. Keith Stephenson, Medical Director, Donna Schmidt, Medical CEO, Melissa Bojorquez, Community Outreach Liaison
§ Pali Momi Medical Center - Jen Chahanovich, Chief Executive Officer, Brigitte McKale, VP Operations & Chief Nurse Executive, Liz Chun, Director of Philanthropy
§ Pacific Regional Medical Command and Tripler Army Medical Center - Navy Capt. Andrew Findley, Deputy Commander for Clinical Services , Lt. Col Kurt Edwards, Chief Trauma/Surgical Critical Care, TAMC, Mr. Stephen Cole, Human Resources Division, TAMC
§ HMC Doctors Practicing in Former HMC-West Physicians Building– Dr. Scott McCaffrey, Secretary for Honolulu County Medical Society
§ Queens Health Systems - Susan Murray, SVP & Chief Operating Officer (West Oahu Region), Paula Yoshioka, SVP Corporate Development, Cedric Yamanaka, Director of Corporate Communications, Malia Espinda, Legislative Analyst, Corporate Development
§ Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center - Dr. Stephen Bradley, Chief Medical Officer
Following HMC-West’s closure in late 2011, Councilmember Pine held an emergency Town Hall on February 9, 2012 to discuss the impact of the hospital closure with State and City officials, Oahu’s emergency service providers, and the public. She later hosted a leeward job fair in April 2012, providing over 1,200 job opportunities to leeward residents to help mitigate the loss of over 500 jobs when HMC-West closed.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend the briefing tomorrow. For more information contact Jean Jeremiah, Office of Councilmember Kymberly Pine, (808) 768-5001 or email tjeremiah@honolulu.gov . The Oahu Emergency Services Briefing will be held on April 16, 2013 (Tuesday) at 10:00 a.m. at the Honolulu Hale, 2nd Floor Committee Room.