Hawaii governor to sign bill allowing Maui Region hospitals to enter public-private partnership

Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) will sign House Bill 1075 Wednesday, authorizing the Maui Region of Honolulu-based Hawaii Health Systems Corp. to enter into negotiations for a public-private operational and management agreement, subject to approval by the governor, the HHSC and the Maui region board of directors, according to an announcement from the governor’s office.

The region includes Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku, Lanai Community Hospital in Lanai City and Kula (Hawaii) Hospital.

Here are three things to know about a potential public-private agreement.

1. Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente announced last month that it was preparing to submit a letter of interest that would allow MMMC to consider it for a public-private partnership.

2. At the same time, MMMC is involved in discussions with Hawaii Pacific Health in Honolulu about a possible partnership.

3. The quest to find a suitable partner comes as HHSC officials reported that the state hospital system for Neighbor Island and rural Oahu facilities are facing a $50 million shortfall for next fiscal year, beginning July 1, and could cut as many as 300 jobs, according to The Maui News.

Hawaii governor to sign bill allowing Maui Region hospitals to enter public-private partnership

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