As the number of newborns on Hawaii Island continues to grow, Hilo Medical Center is looking to spruce up its obstetrics and pediatric units with a new look and new equipment.
The Hilo Medical Center Foundation will kick off a new fundraising campaign Thursday that organizers hope will help cover about $407,000 in renovations. The campaign will go through the end of April, said the foundation’s executive director, Lisa Rantz.
“Hilo is growing, and we want people to have a good experience when they’re in the hospital,” she said Monday.
HMC is handling an average of about 100 newborns a month, she said, and by the end of the current fiscal year could possibly surpass 1,200 deliveries in a single year. And with that increased use of the facilities, the hospital wants to upgrade its patient experience.
“We have great nurses and great doctors taking care of our patients, but we want the look and the facility to reflect the great care they’re getting. We want the best equipment. We’ve been adding state-of-the-art equipment like CT scanners and MRI machines, and now we want to do this,” Rantz said.
She pointed out that newborns are an especially important part of the hospital’s business model, earning revenue to cover other services that are often operated at a loss.
“Babies are big business,” she said.
Meanwhile, it was simply time for a change, Rantz said, as the OB and pediatric units have not had a major overhaul since the hospital first opened its doors.
Throughout the years, staff have added various capabilities to the equipment in the obstetrics unit, said Christina Ranan, the OB nurse manager. But the addition of new equipment will ensure the hospital will be able to offer the “latest and greatest” care for years to come.
“They will have everything we need built in,” she said.
For instance, the unit’s nursery warmers are so old, many don’t have scales built in, which allow nurses to monitor the weight of newborns without disturbing them. Also, the labor beds currently in use are at least 20 years old, she said, and are extremely difficult to take apart to suit doctors’ and nurses’ needs.
“The beds are so heavy, it takes two of us to break them down. The newer ones will be much easier,” she said.
The Hilo Medical Center Foundation already has secured funding for some of the renovations, including $49,000 for a new operating table, through grants from the Atherton Family Foundation and the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation.
Meanwhile, the foundation committed $30,000 to cover upgrades to nursing stations.
Other anticipated costs include: $206,600 for eight infant warmers, $48,000 for 17 new sleeper chairs for family members, $40,000 for 20 new bassinets, and $42,000 for three cribs.
The foundation plans to end the fundraising campaign by June, wrapping up its active donation solicitation by April 30, Rantz said.
The campaign launches Thursday at a reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Those interested in attending the reception or getting involved in the campaign can email pbray@hhsc.org or call 932-3636 for more information.
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
