May 10, 2012
Rest Comfortably - New Beds to Aid Hospital Healing Process

By Chelsea Jensen - - - West Hawaii Today - - - cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com

Patients spending time within Kona Community Hospital’s medical and surgical unit will rest a little more comfortably with the addition of 30 state-of-the-art beds this summer.
Twenty-four of the beds, estimated to cost $7,800 a piece, come as part of the nonprofit Kona Hospital Foundation’s “Buy-a-Bed” project aimed at helping to modernize the hospital’s medical and surgical unit, said Jim Higgins, the foundation’s chairman. Six additional beds will be purchased by the hospital as part of the bulk order, he added.
The new Hill-Rom Advanta 2 patient-care beds will improve the medical staff’s efficiency and ability to deliver health care to the community, Higgins said.
The Advanta 2 features bedside controls, scale, digital head of bed angle display, dual locking brakes and battery backup. It also makes for less patient repositioning, according to the foundation.
“The (current) beds are falling apart throughout the hospital and most of the beds left are ancient by today’s standards,” Higgins said Wednesday. “These new beds will have all the electronics and technology that is needed in the year 2012.”
The foundation, since undertaking the project in November, raised approximately $200,000 through fundraising events, donations and grants to purchase the beds, Higgins said.
Kona Community Hospital Chief Executive Officer Jay Kreuzer said the order for the new beds is being processed. He added the hospital is trying to negotiate with the supplier for a lower price.
Kreuzer estimated on Wednesday the beds would arrive within six weeks and be installed within the rooms by this summer.
“These beds have all the bells and whistles. We are really excited because we don’t get new beds really that often,” he said. “We have a wonderful foundation, and we are very fortunate for a hospital of our size to have a foundation like this to help meet our needs.”
The Kona Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit aimed at providing funding to benefit Kona Community Hospital and the community it serves.
Since being established in 1984, the foundation has contributed between $8 million and $10 million to the hospital for improvements in medical technology, services and facilities, Higgins said in late March. Each year, the foundation contributes to the hospital about $300,000 derived from fundraisers, donations and grants, he said.
According to its 2010 Internal Revenue Service Form 990 filing, which is required for tax-exempt organizations, the foundation contributed more than $283,000 to the hospital.
For more information on the foundation, and to keep current on its hospital projects, visit khfhawaii.org. The foundation, which operates an office at the hospital from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, can also be reached at 322-4587.

We would like to say a big Mahalo to all of our donors that bought a
Hill Rom Advanta 2 bed in our recent Buy-A-Bed Project!!

Irene Croft, Jr.
Kuki’o
Hokuli’a
Amazing Journeys
Anonymous
Various Donors to Fund An Item at our 2011 Gala & Golf Fundraiser
Dr. Kent & Judi Nakamaru
A & B Foundation
First Hawaiian Bank