A health care survey from Kona Community Hospital found the need for more preventative care providers and the need to build a new facility.
CEO Clayton McGhan spoke to The Conversation about the survey findings. It has helped in the process of possibly creating a new facility. The community has been talking for years about whether to relocate or replace Kona Community Hospital.
Survey respondents said the communities' greatest needs are primary care, cardiology and psychiatric care.
"The biggest thing that we really have found is that we have to focus on providing care before it becomes an acute event," McGhan said. "So in this report, it really suggests that we need to build up that provider base to meet the demands."
A new facility could be costly. Current cost estimates are $163 million for the first phase and $490 million for the second.
"We haven't secured the funding, so there's going to be a lot of effort there. We're very excited about this opportunity, especially a big thanks and mahalo to our west side legislators that have really championed this effort and made it possible to even get to this step," McGhan said.
"For us, we are excited about the challenge to try to build a new hospital, and we hope to meet the needs of the community, not just for the last 100 years, but 100 more years," he said.
This interview aired on The Conversation on June 18, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
