Lawmakers tour progress of upgrades at Kona Community Hospital

Two West Hawai‘i state lawmakers on Wednesday were given a guided tour by hospital leaders of upgrades underway at Kona Community Hospital on the Big Island.

Hawai‘i Senate Majority Leader Dru Kanuha and state Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa, who represent the Kona district, got a firsthand look into the improvements being made in the hospital’s Pharmacy Drug Compounding Facility and upgrades to the hospital’s HVAC system, as well as facility updates from hospital officials.

The pharmacy drug compounding facility is expected to open in late 2024.

“To see just the changes, they’re quite dramatic of just what we’ve seen when we broke ground on the pharmacy … to now,” said Kahaloa. “Our community deserves all the upgrades that are coming, including more, and this is just a small step to see those improvements.”

The upgrades are possible because of $18.5 million funded this year in the state budget to improve Kona Community Hospital’s pharmacy and infrastructure.

“This hospital is for our community, and if we don’t have the services and the ongoing repair and maintenance of this hospital, we can’t help our community,” said Kanuha. “Our community is obviously growing and there’s a desire and there’s a need for expansion on all these different departments at Kona Community Hospital for this community.”

Once complete, these improvements will enable hospital employees to continue providing a full range of services to West Hawai‘i.

The visit highlights Kanuha’s and Kahaloa’s commitment to health care infrastructure. By actively engaging with Kona Community Hospital, they aim to ensure the needs of their constituents are met and the hospital continues to provide high-quality health care services.

“We are grateful for the support and interest shown by our community leaders,” said Kona Community Hospital CEO Clayton McGhan. “Their visit allows us to showcase the advancements we are making and the positive impact they have on patient care. This has truly been a kākou (we) effort, and we appreciate their dedication to our community’s health care.”