Media release from Hawaii Health Systems Corporation

HILO, Hawaii: The East Hawaii Regional Board of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation will hold its Annual Community Meeting at Hilo Medical Center (HMC) on October 16 at 5:30 p.m. The open meeting provides an opportunity for the Board to present an overview of enhancements to the Region’s health services, as well as to discuss issues raised by the community. The Region encompasses Hilo Medical Center , its nine outpatient clinics, behavioral health services, extended care facility, and the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, as well as the Critical Access Hospitals Hale Ho’ola Hamakua and Ka’u Hospital and Rural Health Clinic.

Visitors attending the meeting should park in the Guest Parking Lot, directly across Waianuenue Avenue from the hospital ( 1190 Waianuenue Ave. ) and enter HMC through the main lobby.

HMC has made significant advances in patient care and satisfaction in the last year. The time it takes to see a physician in the Emergency Room is less than 25-minutes from arrival. This, along with the expert care provided, has boosted HMC’s Emergency Room into top one-third of ERs in Hawaii and the Western U.S. in terms of patient satisfaction. For the second year in a row, HMC has been awarded the Hospital Quality Award by Mountain Pacific Quality Health.

About the HHSC East Hawaii Region

Hilo Medical Center
As the Big Island ’s leading provider of inpatient and outpatient care, Hilo Medical Center (HMC) delivers a full range of services and programs to more than 8,800 patients each year. The hospital, with nearly 1,200 employees and more than 250 physicians representing 33 specialties, is comprised of a 265-bed acute care hospital, Hale Ho’ola Behavior Health Center, a long-term care residential treatment center, and a network of nine outpatient clinics. The hospital’s Level III Trauma Center is the second busiest emergency room in the state, serving more than 41,000 patients annually. HMC was recognized by the insurer HMSA as Hawaii ’s leading hospital in improving quality and reducing the cost of providing care.

Ka’u Hospital
Located in Pahala, 21-bed Ka’u Hospital is a Critical Access Hospital . Its Emergency Room serves the community from for 50 miles in either direction, a geographic area the size of Oahu .

Hale Ho’ola Hamakua
Located in Honokaa, Hale Ho’ola Hamakua is a 77-bed Critical Access Hospital . Its Emergency Room serves the local area.

HMC is part of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, a public entity established in 1996 by the State of Hawaii to fulfill the promise to provide quality, hometown healthcare. For more information, go to: http://www.hmc.hhsc.org.