Wahiawa General Hospital on Monday closed its emergency department due to problems with its HVAC system, with no clear timeline for its reopening.
The closure leaves a gap in emergency room services for Central Oahu and the North Shore, according to Dr. Jim Ireland, Honolulu Emergency Services director, at a time when all hospitals are stretched.
The most pressing concern, he said, is that people could still show up, not realizing Wahiawa General’s ER has closed, finding locked doors.
This happened overnight, he said, with the Wahiawa ER closing at 12:01 a.m. Monday and then someone trying to walk in a few minutes later. Fortunately, it was not a critical illness.
“People are going to show up as walk-ins and drive-ins and not realize it’s closed,” he said. “If that’s the case, they should just call 911 in the parking lot, and we will come.”
The closure adds strain
at a time when emergency rooms across the island are already busy.
Ireland estimates Wahiawa General gets about 40 walk-in patients and receives about 10 ambulances a day.
“So now those 50 patients, probably from parts of the North Shore, definitely Wahiawa, Mililani and Waipio, will have to go elsewhere,” he said. “Those patients will probably have to go to Pali Momi or Queen’s West about 10 miles away from Wahiawa.”
Ambulances responding to emergency calls in Mililani and Wahiawa will have to travel at least 10 miles farther, resulting in an additional 20 to 30 minutes, plus the extra time to drive back.
Honolulu EMS on Monday added an extra city ambulance to its pool to mitigate the closure, plus three from American Medical Response, bringing the total to 25.
“We’ll just evaluate day to day if we have to put more ambulances on, and we’ll do that,” he said.
EMS, Pali Momi and Queen’s are collaborating to bring in extra help needed to field additional patients — and will reach out to federal partners if needed.
“It’s all hands on deck,” he said. “We’re focused on making sure people in Central Oahu get the emergency care and response they they’re used to until this ER situation gets remedied.”
In addition to HVAC
issues, Wahiawa General has experienced a number of other challenges related to its aging facility that have led to the closure of the ICU, along with the recent, temporary closure of the inpatient unit.
The inpatient unit has since reopened, but now Wahiawa General says it must close the emergency department and additional areas of the first floor due to HVAC problems.
“Due to the nature and scope of the work that needs to be accomplished during this project,” the hospital said, “the most appropriate course of action is to vacate the ED space while performing the work.”
When the work will be completed remains unclear at this point, the hospital said, but the temporary closure “provides the best opportunity to complete the work in the shortest amount of time.”
All other departments at Wahiawa General, meanwhile, will remain open and continue with current operations and plans.
“We remain committed to providing the highest level of care and safety possible for those we serve,” said Brian Cunningham, CEO of Wahiawa General, in a statement. “And we are confident that through our collective efforts, Emergency Department services will soon be restored to the communities of Central Oahu and the North Shore.”
Wahiawa General Hospital, a nonprofit medical center offering acute care, an emergency department and outpatient services, is set to be acquired by The Queen’s Health System.
In 2022, Wahiawa General, facing financial woes, closed its 115-bed nursing and rehabilitation center.
The Queen’s Health System issued a statement saying it is monitoring the situation at Wahiawa General Hospital closely.
“Over the past several months, our teams have been in close communication, and we have offered our assistance to the Wahiawa ohana,” said Queen’s. “Queen’s is working closely with Honolulu EMS, WGH, and our community partners through (Healthcare Association of Hawaii) to ensure that patients in Wahiawa and Central Oahu are provided access to Emergency Care.”
Queen’s added that the emergency department at its Queen’s West and Punchbowl campuses are prepared for the expected increase in patients seeking acute care.
