Governor persuaded to release $500,000 for Hale Makua

Change of mind will bring some relief to hospital-bed environment on Valley Isle

The Maui News
Tuesday, July 23, 2002

KAHULUI — Gov. Ben Cayetano has changed his mind to some extent, releasing $500,000 of a $900,000 state appropriation for Hale Makua.

The money will go toward building a 16-bed rehabilitation unit at the Kahului facility. This will ease the pressure on acute-care beds at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

State Rep. Bob Nakasone, a member of the House Finance Committee, said he understands that the remaining $400,000 of the appropriation is “still alive” as long as at least a portion of the $900,000 set aside for the project has been encumbered.

Nakasone said he’d work with other lawmakers to try to find out why Cayetano didn’t release the full amount.

Hale Makua Chief Executive Tony Krieg said Maui lawmakers rallied around the facility’s appropriation after Cayetano said in April that he would recommend that the money, first appropriated in the 2001 Legislature, be allowed to lapse. The governor said it was a meritorious project, but he said that because of falling state revenue since Sept. 11, the state could not afford all good projects.

Krieg said Nakasone and Maui lawyer Tony Takitani arranged a meeting with Cayetano to urge him to reconsider.

State Sens. J. Kalani English (who introduced the bill two years ago), Avery Chumbley and Jan Yagi Buen also urged a reprieve, as did Mayor James “Kimo” Apana.

Maui Memorial Medical Center and Hawaii Health Systems Corp. also argued the urgency of going forward.

“Hale Makua is extremely grateful that Gov. Cayetano has released these funds,” Krieg said Monday.

The project is expected to cost $2 million. Hale Makua will raise additional money from grants and donations.

The hospital, owned by the state but operated by Hawaii Health Systems, has been at and over its capacity of 196 beds this year.

The 16-bed building at Hale Makua will allow specialized, inpatient care for patients needing rehabilitation from such illnesses and injuries as strokes and hip fractures.

The project on the 7-acre Kahului site will expand the Day Health program, which has a waiting list, expand the rehab gymnasium and add a dining room. It also will add 33 parking spaces, an area where Hale Makua is overstrained.

According to Hale Makua directors, Hawaii is far behind national averages in providing medical care for people more than 65 years old. The national average is 64 beds per 1,000 seniors. Hawaii’s average is 24 beds.

As a result, hospitals have to hold patients who are ready for release until beds open up at nursing homes like Hale Makua.

Maui has two long-term care facilities, Hale Makua and Kula Hospital.

Maui Memorial Medical Center typically has 15 to 20 patients waiting for long-term beds elsewhere.

It costs the hospital $1,000 to $3,000 per day to keep such patients, according to Hale Makua, although reimbursement averages only $500 to $800 per day.

This contributes to the operating deficit at the hospitals managed by Hawaii Health Systems.

Because support services already exist at Kahului, Hale Makua says the only staff it will have to add to operate the 16 new beds will be nurses.

“This plan is just the beginning of a plan to address the challenge to provide a variety of long-term care services to the rapidly aging population of Maui,” Krieg says.

Hale Makua has 238 beds in Kahului, 124 in Wailuku and 28 beds in foster family homes.

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