Ten years worth of lobbying on the part of West Maui residents may finally yield results as a state health panel unanimously recommended the approval of the proposed West Maui Hospital and Medical Center. Concerns that Maui’s medical care facilities could not accommodate everyone who needed medical attention in the case of a natural disaster have been consistently raised for many years. Fortunately, the peoples’ concern that current medical facilities are not adequate for Maui’s current population have been heard, and progrees toward the new hospital is being made.
Maui Memorial Hospital in Kahului will retain the millions of dollars it receives in Federal support that comes along with its sole provider status. As for the West Maui Hospital, the plan put forth by Newport Hospital Corp President Brian Hoyle is to spend $45 million on the project. This would be a critical access hospital and would include 25 acute-care beds and a 40-bed skilled nursing facility. The hospital would be located on 14.9 acres next to the Lahaina Civic Center.
Hoyle also plans to seek federal funding for the new hospital in the form of medical reimbursements for critical access hospitals. He has also expressed that if government support or private banking is not available, he will find other private sources and tap into his own resources to insure the success of the facility. Hoyle cites his thirty-some years of experience in building and financing about fifty hospitals in the past, not one of which has failed.
Governor Linda Lingle supports the project, and Rep. Angus McKelvey stated that the entire Maui legislative delegation supports it as well. The jobs that the hospital would provide on the island are a factor that is not being ignored, and which bolsters support accross party lines.
If you have been interested in looking for a home in Kaanapali, or alternatively, a home in Lahaina, but were concerned with proximity to health care, you may want to keep your eye on this promising project. Remember, if you have any questions not answered on our website, you can call (800) 367-5632 or email us at . We would love to assist you. Mahalo!
