$36.3 MILLION KAPIOLANI EXPANSION WOULD START IN 2013, BE COMPLETE BY 2016
By John Mugford
Rising demand for services prompted Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children earlier this year to propose a $36.3 million expansion of its neonatal and pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) in Honolulu.
Recently, the state of Hawaii agreed that the expansion is needed and granted the hospital a Certificate of Need (CON) to proceed with the first phase of the multi-phase project. Construction on that first phase is scheduled to begin in 2013 and be completed by 2016.
In a 12-page decision that was made public on May 1, Ronald Terry, administrator with the State Health Planning and Development Agency, wrote that there is a public need for the expansion and that the cost of the proposal was not unreasonable in light of the benefits it will provide and its impact on healthcare costs.
The project would increase the size of the neonatal ICU to 36,856 square feet from the current 7,749 square feet. It would also add 24 beds, bringing the total to 70, all in private rooms.
The size of the pediatric ICU would be tripled to 14,003 square feet from 4,267 square feet, and the 14 open-bay beds would be converted to private patient rooms. Another 12 obstetric beds also would be added.
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