MEDIA RELEASE

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has announced the release of more than $3.7 million for capital improvement projects (CIPs) at Hilo Medical Center, the largest facility in Hawaii’s public hospital system and one of the largest employers in Hilo.

“These CIPs funds represent an investment in Hilo Medical Center as an essential part of our public hospital system,” Abercrombie said. “As elements of the Affordable Care Act come online, we must continue to invest in our healthcare infrastructure to ensure that facilities are ready to provide access to quality healthcare for all the people of Hawaii.”

“On behalf of the Board of HHSC’s East Hawaii Region, I want to express my appreciation for the Governor’s release of funds that will enable Hilo Medical Center to address critically needed repairs,” said Howard Ainsley, HHSC East Hawaii Regional CEO. “Our facility is more than 25 years old and aspects of the its infrastructure and equipment are in need of upgrades to be operational.”

Ainsley notes that in addition to the cumulative years of insufficient CIP funding, numerous infrastructure improvement projects have become more urgent.

For example, replacing the air handling system’s 25-year old chiller pipes will prevent a loss of air conditioning for the hospital should the aged pipes fail.

Similarly, the hospital will benefit from replacement of a non-operational washing machine that can no longer generate sufficiently high temperatures to sanitize laundry.

“The fact that medical equipment used for diagnosis and treatment has advanced dramatically in the last quarter century cannot be overlooked from a CIP planning standpoint. Today’s technologies place ever greater demand on the hospital’s electrical infrastructure. This is just one factor in the need to continually invest in the infrastructure of our public hospitals,” Ainsley said.

Since the start of 2012, the Abercrombie administration has released more than $889.5 million for CIPs, including these newly released funds, as a part of an economic strategy to address priority work while stimulating the economy and generating jobs.

Allotment of funds for the following projects at Hilo Medical Center were identified by the state Legislature and approved by the governor:

* $1,052,000 – Construction and required works of art to renovate the acute care hospital at Hilo Medical Center, including renovations to bathrooms with leaky fixtures and cracked shower tiles, replacement of inoperable and corroded facility doors, soundmasking to reduce noise, and other repairs as necessary

* $728,000 – Design and construction for the replacement of the medical center’s atrium walls and roof, which need to be repaired to address the water leakage causing damage to the hospital interior

* $650,000 – Planning, design and construction to repair leaking roofs of the West Wing, Hospital Cottage and acute hospital

* $350,000 – Design and construction to replace chiller pipes that are more than 25 years old to prevent loss of air conditioning for the hospital

* $235,000 – Parking lot improvements/renovations, such as re-designation of parking to accommodate patient and visitors’ needs, signage, fencing and lighting

* $233,000 – Materials abatement, relocation of utilities, and demolition of an old two-story building on the campus that has partially collapsed, resulting in a potential fire hazard and an obstacle to the helipad adjacent to this structure

* $200,000 – Construction to bring existing storage tanks into compliance with new EPA regulatory standards; project includes construction of a concrete footing, metal roof overhang, and installation of new chain link fences and gates

* $160,000 – Equipment to replace an existing washer, which is more than 25 years old and is no longer operable

* $134,000 – Design and construction to replace existing chain link fence with a higher masonry fence that will increase security for the behavioral health unit and additional privacy for patients