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Photography by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7
About 30-40 demonstrators took to the sidewalks in front of North Hawaii Community Hospital on March 19, 2012 to voice their support for the Midwife program at the hospital and to protest any plan to reduce those services.
Community members along with staff from midwife programs both on the Big Island and from Oahu participated in the demonstration.
The hospital delivered 660 babies in 2011 but with five rooms in the birthing unit the hospital was designed to handle 500-550 deliveries a year. Because medicare reimbursements don’t cover the full cost of the deliveries the hospital loses $1.5M a year according to Ken Wood, North Hawaii Community Hospital Chief Executive Officer.
Wood said he’d like to see a midwife program at Hilo and one in Kona to accomodate those who want access to a midwife program outside of their service area which extends from Kukio, through North Hawaii to Laupahoehoe. Wood said he hopes to make a decision by the end of April.
For more information visit:
North Hawaii Community Hospital: www.nhch.com
Hapai Hawaii: www.hapaihawaii.com
Midwives Alliance of Hawaii: midwiveshawaii.com