Inspire 2017 SPRING

Kapiolani: The Future of Emergency Care at Kapiolani

When the decision was made to build a new emergency department for Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, the emergency team wanted to be involved in the process. Emergency physicians and hospital leaders started by creating a wish list, imagining the layout, sketching out the workflow, incorporating the latest technology and holding feedback discussions with staff. Their vision to help didn’t stop there.

“As physicians who know the emergency department inside and out, we wanted to contribute in a way that was impactful,” said Dr. Sid Lee, medical director of emergency medicine. “The medical center is committed to making this investment and by having every physician in our group donate, we hope to inspire others to step forward and help.”

U.S. Acute Care Solutions, the emergency physicians group, made a gift of $150,000. The donation will be recognized in the naming of the Emergency Department registration desk in the new facility scheduled to open in late 2017.

As a 24/7 service, the Emergency Department fills a fundamental role for both the pediatric and adult population with more than 45,000 visits annually. While the current space has not limited emergency care at Kapiolani, the planned relocation to the new Diamond Head Tower will increase the size of the department to 15,000 square feet. This will significantly expand and enhance the lifesaving capabilities of the emergency department in a more comfortable and private environment.

“I’ve been here for 10 years, and we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of adult patients during this period,” said Dr. Paul Eakin, associate director of emergency medicine.  “Having this new facility, this new emergency department, that’s twice as large as our existing space, will help greatly with handling patient volume, not just for our pediatric population, but our adult patients as well.”

Kapiolani is Hawaii’s only full-service specialty hospital for women and children, and the only medical center in the Pacific to be designated a Level III pediatric trauma center by the state of Hawaii. Kapiolani’s Emergency Department receives more than 125 visits every day. People of all ages seek treatment for everything from respiratory issues and broken bones to rare infections and pediatric trauma.

“We have local kids that play a lot of sports so we’ll see quite a few of those cases, whether that’s falling off a skateboard, fractures or concussions,” Dr. Eakin said. “We see a diverse range of injuries and illness, including a large number of respiratory-related issues. We see a high volume of asthma, fever and sport injury cases.”

When children are the patients, the comfort of family is especially important. The expansion will include private rooms so families can stay close from the moment they walk through hospital doors. Family-centered care is a key focus at Kapiolani, considering the critical role of loved ones during an emergency and for a person’s overall wellbeing.

"We are very thankful that our community comes to us for care and has been so generous in supporting our mission,” Dr. Lee said. “It’s essential that we have community support so we can continue providing the best emergency care for not just the Pacific region, but anyone from anywhere who finds themselves at Kapiolani.”

Kapiolani’s future Emergency Department will include:

• There will be larger patient treatment rooms. Every patient room will be private.
• This expansion will support Kapiolani's mission of delivering family-centered care by providing more space for families to stay close to their loved ones. 
• More square footage will optimize the room function and enhance the emergency team’s efficiency.
• The Emergency Department will also feature new trauma rooms, new triage rooms, a new and separate pediatric and adult waiting area and state-of-the-art equipment.