$100,000 Grant Brings KCH Closer to New Telemetry System

Philips IntelliView Patient Monitor. Kona Community Foundation/Hospital courtesy photo.

A $100,000 grant was recently received by the Kona Hospital Foundation to assist in funding a new cardiac telemetry system at Kona Community Hospital.

A family-operated philanthropic organization donated the funds to the foundation. The organization has ties to the South Kona area, but has requested to remain anonymous.

KCH has been working on gaining the funds through grants and donations for the electronic patient monitoring system. The tool will provide hospital personnel with the ability to monitor heart rate, heart rhythm, breathing, and other vitals at a patient’s bedside, as well as remotely at a nurse’s station.

“We are so fortunate and thankful to have been chosen as a recipient for this generous grant. The contributions of philanthropic foundations such as this one are crucial to the support of our community hospital in their efforts to provide high quality health care,” said Foundation Chairman Jack Bunnell.

By June 2016, KCH will replace its current telemetry system with a Philips IntelliVue Cardiac System. The old system must be retired by the June deadline.

The system improves monitoring capabilities from 12 patients to 15 and will be used daily to monitor patients in the hospital’s Medical/Surgical Department, as well as the Intensive Care Unit.