The hospital emergency room isn't always the most appropriate place to go when you’re sick or injured. Sometimes an urgent care center will provide needed services.
The state Department of Health, City and County of Honolulu Emergency Services Department and Hawaiʻi Pacific Health are starting a new program providing this option for patients in Kapolei. Alternative care sites can alleviate overcrowding at hospital emergency rooms — and help EMS with shorter transport times.
The program was authorized by Act 140 of the 2019 Hawai‘i State Legislature. The first alternative site is the Straub Kapolei Clinic and Urgent Care Center at Ka Makana Aliʻi. It will operate Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
When responding to 911 calls, city EMS personnel will assess the situation and determine if the patient can go to an alternate site. If they qualify, the patient will be given the option to decide.
“Hospital-based emergency care may not be the most appropriate level of care required to treat a patient. Alternative care options allow us to work collaboratively to determine how to best manage emergency care resources in our communities,” Dr. Alvin Bronstein, who serves as chief of the health department’s Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch, said in a statement.
“The program seeks to provide the appropriate care that meets the needs of the individual based on agreement between the healthcare experts and the patient," Bronstein said.
There are plans to expand the program across the state. Alternative sites are currently being identified and may be ready by the end of the year.
