Officials with Hawaii Health Systems Corp.'s Maui Region seek $5.65 million to hire additional nurses and physicians as part of a contingency plan prior to Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente's takeover, according to The Maui News.
Kaiser is slated to take over operational control of Maui County's three public hospitals — Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital — July 1, 2017. The takeover was initially scheduled for July 1, 2016. However, it was pushed back due to a union lawsuit and other legal issues, according to the report.
Hospital officials are hopeful a new contingency plan will improve gaps in staffing and services until the takeover occurs.
"We're taking the attitude that we want to get back on track," Wes Lo, outgoing CEO of the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. Maui Region, said in the report. "It's time for a virtual transition now as opposed to waiting till July 1."
Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) recently signed a supplemental agreement with the Maui Region's largest union, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, which he said was needed to move toward the Kaiser transition., reports The Maui News. However, officials with the hospitals said many hurdles remain and the transition will likely still take place July 1, 2017. Therefore, hospitals are focusing on the coming months before the transfer.
The hospitals' contingency plan, outlined earlier this week during an informational meeting with nine Maui and Oahu legislators, would involve hiring 55 nurses and other staff at Maui Memorial, according to Barry Shitamoto, MD, the incoming CEO of the Maui Region.
Many experienced employees have retired or left due to the Kaiser transition, so less-experienced workers have been covering certain shifts, he said in the report. The Maui region's contingency plan would also involve enrolling junior nurses in training programs over the next six months so when the transition occurs, experienced staff will work across all shifts, Dr. Shitamoto said, according to The Maui News.
Additionally, the report states, the contingency plan would allow hospitals to contract with Kaiser to recruit physicians in key positions, along with advanced practice registered nurses to help staff the intensive care unit at all times.
The cost of 55 additional employees will not be greater than $2.65 million, and the rest of the requested $3 million is for the early hire physicians, Mr. Lo said in the report.
Legislators expressed support for the plan.
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