Kahuku Hospital Files For Bankruptcy
15.11.2006 03:35 Insurance News
Officials at Kahuku Hospital announced on Tuesday that the facility will close by the end of the year.
The closure is a blow to the North Shore community. Kahuku Hospital is the only critical medical care facility from Kaneohe and Wahiawa.
The hospital said it is filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
There are not enough patients in there to cover costs, like salaries and malpractice insurance, hospital officials said.
The hospital is in debt, despite the state giving the hospital $1 million this year and last year in subsidies.
The closure has officials worried.
"Without emergency services here, all the patients that would be coming here for emergency treatment are going to seek treatment from one of the other facilities," Kahuku Hospital Chief Executive Officer Don Olden said.
"Healthcare is in a crisis. All hospitals are feeling (economic pressure), but small ones can't handle it," Department of Health director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said.
The hospital is trying to find jobs for its 70 full-time staff members.
"(We're) just hoping that someone is going to save us. It's just kind of sad," Kahuku Hospital nurse Julie Phipps said.
"Whenever you lose a medical facility it is a significant loss to a community," Fukino said.
The hospital is scheduled to move the patients out by the first week of December and close on Dec. 31.
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