Elena Cabatu, Hilo Medical Center Director of Marketing and Public & Legislative Affairs, reports no new hospitalizations with COVID-19 as of this morning, and no new deaths from COVID-19. There are 15 patients hospitalized, with 4 in the ICU, 10 in the COVID-19 Unit, and 1 in the Extended Care Facility–all isolated from other patients. The Extended Care patient appears to have been exposed to COVID-19 while receiving dialysis at Liberty Dialysis.
Three of the patients are from the Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home. The Veterans Home also has 17 residents with COVID-19 being cared for at the Veterans Home.
**As a note, as of Saturday afternoon, Judy Donovan of Kona Community Hospital said they had 2 in the hospital with COVID-19 –one on a ventilator, and Lynn Scully said North Hawaii Community Hospital had no COVID-19 patients.
The Hilo Medical Center and Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home updates:
HILO MEDICAL CENTER UPDATE (as of 11:00 am on Sunday, September 27, 2020)
- 15 total COVID-positive patients are hospitalized: 4 in ICU, 10 in COVID Unit, 1 in Extended Care Facility
- COVID testing for Extended Care Facility staff and residents conducted on Thursday, September 24 have returned negative with a handful of results still pending.
- Admissions to our Extended Care Facility remain paused until the situation is resolved.
- Hilo Medical Center is optimistic in managing COVID in the hospital and its long term care facility.
- 2 total deaths, unrelated to the veterans home, have occurred in the hospital on September 8 and 18.
YUKIO OKUTSU STATE VETERANS HOME UPDATE (as of 11:00 am on Sunday, September 27, 2020, reported by Avalon Healthcare, the veterans home’s managing company)
- A total of 71 residents and 35 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 in this outbreak
- 49 residents are currently at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home
- 17 residents are receiving care in the home’s COVID designated area
- 3 residents are hospitalized at Hilo Medical Center
- 26 total resident deaths related to COVID-19 have occurred. We offer our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones.
o No deaths related to COVID-19 to report today.
- 25 residents and 29 employees have recovered
- For additional information, go to: https://ahcupdates.info/hilo-covid19-update
Summary:
- Hilo Medical Center: Patients hospitalized with COVID-19: 15
- 28 total deaths related to COVID-19 have occurred – 26 from the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home and 2 unrelated to the veterans home.
Hilo Medical Center CEO Dan Brinkman has been conducting virtual town halls to explain hospital response and preparation relative to COVID-19. They are available on the Hilo Medical Center YouTube Channel.
For more information the East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation’s COVID readiness, go to the East Hawaii Region Fact Sheet for information on testing, beds, ventilators, and PPE resources (as of Friday, September 25)
Photo is Hawaii Health Systems Corporation CEO Dan Brinkman.