Posted on: Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Hilo hospital to renovate emergency room

Associated Press

The state's second-busiest emergency room is planning a $1.2 million renovation to handle severe crowding.

The Hilo Medical Center expects to start work in July.

The hospital's emergency room is designed to handle 10,000 to 11,000 patients annually, but it treated about 27,000 people last year, according to hospital CEO Ronald Schurra.

The emergency room is so overwhelmed with patients that they're often examined in hallways.

"Too many people wait in the waiting room too long and can't get in and ultimately leave," said Dr. Steve Morrison, director of the Hilo emergency room.

The hospital's nonprofit Hilo Medical Center Foundation has raised about $756,000 toward the renovations.

Gov. Linda Lingle also has asked the Legislature to approve about $3 million for further expansions to the emergency medical facilities.

Only the emergency room at The Queen's Medical Center is busier than the one at Hilo Medical Center, hospital officials said.