Paul Fujioka (HELCO Customer Service manager), Lori Rogers (Executive Director HMCF), and Jay Ignacio (HELCO President)

MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) has awarded the Hilo Medical Center (HMC) Foundation a $10,000 grant to support the hospital’s lobby upgrade project.

“HELCO is very proud to be able to support such an important project that helps to meet the health care needs of our Hawaii Island families,” said HELCO President Jay Ignacio.

“I am very grateful for HELCO’s $10,000 gift to support the project to upgrade the lobby of our community hospital,” said Lori Rogers, Executive Director of Hilo Medical Center (HMC) Foundation. “The Foundation appreciates the support for this endeavor because the current condition of the lobby does not truly represent the quality healthcare that the hospital and staff deliver.”

Established in 1897, HMC has grown from a 10-bed hospital to the present facility of 275 licensed beds, consisting of 145-acute licensed and 22 skilled nursing beds, a 112-bed licensed extended care facility, and an accredited home care agency. The new facility was built in 1985 and is the largest employer in Hilo with over 950 employees.

Last year, HMC had 9,299 admissions, delivered over 1,200 babies, cared for nearly 37,000 people in the Emergency Department (second busiest in the State, after Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu), and performed over 4,900 surgical procedures.

The Hilo Medical Center Foundation is a community partner supporting the community healthcare needs and those of our hospital.