October is breast cancer awareness month. Pacific Business News took the occasion to explore the scope and scale of the women’s healthcare industry in Hawaii. Here’s PBN’s editor in chief, A. Kam Napier, with more on what the paper found.
One of the striking points about the business of caring for women in Hawai‘i is how hospitals have invested in their facilities. More than ever, they’re offering amenities geared toward patient comfort and privacy.
Consider the hospitals in the Hawai‘i pacific health system. Over the past few years, the Kapi‘olani Women’s Center – with a staff of 62, spent $1.6-Million to make its facility more like a spa. Pali Momi Women’s Center underwent a similar – nearly $5-million renovation. HPH’s Wilcox Memorial Center received a nearly $2-million renovation.
The spending isn’t confined to comfort and aesthetics. Medical technologies are a big part of the investment. The Wilcox Center in Kailua, with a staff of 13 – boasts what is called a 320-slice computed tomography scanner. This $500,000 machine can more easily detect breast cancer, having five times the resolution of previous scanners.
The Queen’s Medical Center established it’s women’s health center a decade ago, where a staff of 40, including two physicians, see 100 patients a day. The care at all such centers is holistic. It ranges from programs to prevent disease – to complementary care for the symptoms of disease when it strikes.
Maternity care and child birthing is big business too – and moms to be will find a wide range of services and products. Kaiser Moanalua for example – has 24 mother-and-baby rooms, warm baths for comfort, even hip and back massages. To stay competitive with each other’s birthing facilities – Kaiser makes it possible to file birth certificates and get baby photos taken, all at the hospital.
