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Keith Ridley recently resigned as Kahuku's administrator, and two volunteer consultants have taken over. Only their expenses are paid. They are Gary Stay, acting chief executive officer, and Ferrin Harker, interim chief financial officer.
Stay ran a large Denver hospital for many years and retired six years ago from Intermountain Health Care, which manages nine rural hospitals. His last job was to make two small hospitals in rural Utah break even, he said.
He said every small hospital has similar problems. "The board and myself, we're committed to doing what it takes to get this job done."
He said the hospital board is "the workingest board I've ever seen in my life -- outstanding. It meets with us regularly. It gives us support. It takes on assignments. It interacts with the community. The other thing I think is amazing with the board, there are no secrets from the community. Everything that goes on here is shared with the community."
Stay said hospital morale is "very high" and it has outstanding leaders.
Ditto said Stay and Harker and the staff are doing a "superb job" in trying to make the hospital successful and ensure quality care.
He also commended House Health Committee Chairman Alex Santiago. "But for his support, I don't believe we would be in business today, him and the governor."
The hospital is seeking other revenue sources, talking to foundations, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other organizations, Ditto said.
It is also exploring a possible relationship with Castle Medical Center or Hawaii Health Systems, he said. "And we do have a very good relationship with Queen's Hospital. It has continued to be very helpful, but it is not looking to an affiliation."
In hooking up with a larger medical facility, however, a major question is whether it would maintain the hospital's inpatient services, Ditto said. Some people have suggested the hospital convert to outpatient services and keep long-term or urgent in-house patients, he said.
If services such as obstetrics were eliminated, it would save money, he said. But one of the bright spots is a new obstetrics practice by Dr. Michelle Shimizu, Ditto said. "She already has 20 patients (and delivered two babies). It is really quite phenomenal."
Stay said the board wants to do everything possible to maintain inpatient services because of the community's remoteness and vulnerability during a disaster. "We're as rural as any rural hospital can be," he said, with only a two-way highway and two ways out.
Ditto said hospital officials are talking to employers and community groups to tell them about the hospital and "that it can be viable if it is used.
"There are some incredible hurdles," Ditto said. "But xxx we've had some amazing miracles already, and I'm a believer in miracles because if I wasn't, I would never have tried to do this."
He said the hospital has failed over the years to market itself and ask residents what they want. "It's not just a one-way thing, but a two-way feedback. Because I live here, these are my friends and neighbors, and I want to make sure they are heard."
Laie woman tries to
‘scare up’ hospital help
By Helen Altonn
Star-Bulletin
The old Kahuku Sugar Mill will come alive with spooks Oct. 30-31.
When Molly Maxwell-Stribling, 35, of Laie, read about "make-a-difference day," she decided to design and build a "Spook Alley" to raise money for Kahuku Hospital.
She and three of her six children were born there, she said. "Whenever something goes wrong, we take them right there. It's five minutes away."
She said the community "needs to get involved in trying to do something. It is their hospital, So, I figured, what better way."
She enlisted help from her son's Pop Warner football team, which raised $40,000 last year to go to national playoffs (winning second place).
The Kahuku Red Raiders Varsity Team is in the state playoffs next Friday, but volunteered to help on the 31st, she said. Because a lot of people will be at the Raiders' game, she said, she's a little short of volunteers for that day.
She put signup sheets at Kahuku High, Brigham Young University and local businesses.
She went to a political forum at which all candidates appeared and passed around a signup sheet. But only about 50 people were there and only two signed, she said. "I wanted to cry."
Still, what started as a committee of two -- she and her husband David -- has grown to more than 100 volunteers, she said.
She'd still like to have another hundred.
She said a lot of businesses are helping, such as Hawaii Reserves and Ace Hardware.
She and her husband have been "scrapping for lumber and paints" and are appealing to construction firms for "whatever wood or paints are lying around."
They're also seeking donated food for the event.
"I'm so nervous," Maxwell-Stribling said. "I hope everything works out."
Daniel Ditto, Kahuku Hospital board chairman, said she "has done a marvelous job. I hope people will come from town to support it."
Spook Alley will be open from 6 p.m. to midnight next Friday and from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Oct. 31. The cost per person: $2.
A baby-sitting area will be available with people to watch kids for $1. Toys-R-Us donated a bouncing ball pit, and there will be other childrens' activities.
To volunteer or make a donation, call 293-7471.
About $180,000 a year is being saved through a new contract with the group providing hospital emergency doctors. The hospital also is putting a doctor into the rotation.