Kahuku Hospital Gets New Name

This is from the Pacific Business News

Kahuku Hospital will be renamed Kahuku Medical Center when it officially assimilates into the state's public hospital network Sept. 1.

The Hawaii Health Systems Corp., under facilitation by the state Department of Health, is working to complete Kahuku's bankruptcy proceedings by the end of the month. The 25-bed, private, nonprofit hospital projects that operating revenue over the next three years will not cover operating expenses. It expects to lose $1.4 million in fiscal 2008.

A new law allows the state's public safety-net hospital system to take over Kahuku, which was on the verge of closing last November. The Legislature this year appropriated $3.9 million for the transition and another $3 million was set aside to cover the hospital's expected deficits over the next two years.

Kahuku is the only hospital between Kailua and Wahiawa. First opened in 1929, it was set to close at the end of last year after racking up about $3.5 million in debt. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February and received emergency appropriations from the Legislature to stay open through July.