The union that represents Hawai‘i State Hospital employees has charged that both patients and staff will be endangered if a plan to close one of the hospital’s main buildings in the next month proceeds.
Hospital administrator Barbara Peterson said late yesterday that precautions will be taken to make sure neither patients nor staff are endangered as plans to close the Guensberg building continue.
"They’re moving patients and staff out of that building gradually, in the best interests of the patients and the staff, because the building is over 50 years old," said Janice Okubo, spokeswoman for the state Health Department which administers the hospital.
Concerns by the Hawai‘i Government Employees Union revolve around glass partitions that are not made of safety glass; patients assigned to bunk beds from which they could fall; and crowding on the remaining units which could stress all occupants.
Peterson replied that the glass windows and partitions have been treated with Mylar and would break outward; bunk beds have safety bars and may not need to be used anyway; and that space requirements do meet regulations except in a few instances where waivers might be needed.
"We have worked with the licensure to make sure we’re meeting all the existing codes and regulations," she said.
Peterson noted that union members have been part of the planning committees over the past month as the hospital prepared to close the building that has housed the 12-bed intake center as well as two other units, amounting to as many as 60 patients. The plan calls for moving 12 people by March 19, and the remainder a week later.
"The work groups have all been open and not limited in size," said Peterson. "We’ve indicated throughout the process that no one loses a job and, in fact, moving to four units will give us a better staffing ratio."
HGEA spokesman Randall T. Kusaka said, however, that while union members may have indicated to hospital administrators they were happy with suggested changes, they have raised concerns with union representatives.
The U.S. Department of Justice maintains oversight of the State Hospital. The federal agency has been monitoring its progress, including staffing ratios and patient treatment regimens, for nearly a decade after suing the state to force improvements.
Noting that the infrastructure of Guensberg has electrical and leakage problems, Peterson said the administration has tried to be "pro-active" in heading off potentially dangerous conditions.
The union questions why millions of dollars in repairs at state expense a few years ago were not adequate.
Peterson said most of the money went for encapsulating asbestos, installing a sprinkler system and putting in a "duress system" that is portable and will be moved to another location.
Guensberg has served as the intake center for new patients before they’re assigned to other units, but now intake will be done by each individual unit. The union questioned this practice.
"By directly admitting patients on all units, there will be significantly more stress on all occupants, which will decrease the effectiveness of the therapeutic milieu," said a letter from HGEA deputy executive director Randy P. Perreira.
Peterson responded that "most people will stabilize much more quickly.
"You meet a group of people who are going to treat you, you know who they are and what the rules and regulations are, and you adapt much more quickly."
Perreira told news media yesterday that his next step is to make a formal complaint to the Hawai‘i Labor Relations Board. It was unclear last night whether such a complaint would stall official closure of the building.
