North Hawaii Community Hospital

North Hawaii Community Hospital is a 40-bed, full service hospital located in the town of Waimea on the Big Island of Hawaii. It opened in 1996 with the help of Earl Bakken and other members of the local community. The hospital takes a holistic bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach to health care. In the first hospital of its kind, the medical staff of the hospital practices blended medicine. So even though the hospital itself is very small, there is a full complement of physicians including a Diabetes Wellness Center, Cardiology, Pulmonology, Emergency Medicine, General and Orthopedic Surgery as well as OB/GYN and Pediatrics. What really makes the hospital unique is its commitment to complementary medical therapies. North Hawaii Community Hospital uses the best of high tech and high touch, those that have been proven effective. Along side the usual "western medicine," patients can request healing touch from a practitioner actually employed by the hospital. Naturopathy, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Massage Therapy and Clinical Psychology services are all available to help patients heal.

The design and layout of the hospital was carefully thought out. The physical plant is planned according to the principles of physics and in alignment with cultural wisdom.

Consultants were used from both spheres, the spiritual Kahuna and engineers, to create an environment of blended medicine. This environment is an integral part of their healing model. The cultural wisdom of the ancient Hawaiians teaches us that Lokahi is important in health and maintenance of health. Lokahi is the Hawaiian word for harmony and refers to the balance of mind, body, spirit, nature and community.

The Physical Characteristics of the Hospital
1) Wide hallways were built to prevent the “fight or flight” phenomenon. This reduces endogenous stress. 2) Windows and skylights all over the hospital keep the body in sync with the sun according to the principles of chronobiology. Even the operating rooms have natural lighting. 3) Fluorescent lights use the 30,000 cycle electronic ballasts way above the “flicker fusion” rates for people versus the 60-cycle lights that flicker 120 times per second and can make people sick. 4) Color of the light is also important so different shades are used throughout the hospital. 5) Power cables are buried deeper than the Code required reducing the harmful effects of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF’s). 6) Clean mountain air moves through the hospital as most of the rooms have a door that opens to the outside. This also encourages the Chi or energy from the five mountains (Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Kohala, Hualalai, and Haleakala) that surround the hospital to circulate. 7) HEPA filters circulate the air at night. 8) There is a specially designed water filtration system designed especially for the hospital that is likely the most pure water on the earth. 9) The body of the hospital is designed as a healing instrument (vs. many hospitals which are likened to warehouses for sick bodies rather than places to heal and be cared for). 10) Location, footprint, floorplan and spacial relationships are all important for movement of patients and operational efficiency as well as for future expansions. 11) Waimea is centrally located and accessible within the golden hour for all the people of North Hawaii. 12) Serene landscapes with rainbows hovering over lush green misty foothills, streams and waterfalls, animals grazing in pastures, and snow-capped mountains. 13) Waimea feels “like home” or “spiritual” 14) Makahikilua the land the hospital is on was a gathering place for ancient Hawaiians, as early as 700 A.D. Peace was celebrated there during the Makahiki season which is the time each year between October and January. 15) Alignment-the footprint of the hospital aligns the front of the building with Kohala Mountain and the back with Mauna Kea. 16) “Not just another hospital” was used as a tag line in the early advertising of the hospital. 17) Decisions are made based on the philosophy of patient centered care. 18) Patient respect and privacy come first, the rooms are designed so that a person walking by cannot see the patient’s face through the door as they lie in bed, but the patient can see the door. This is an important concept in Fung shui. 19) Windows to see the outdoors-the view is so important to the sick patient, it is important for the person to keep the connection with the aina (land) and the community. 20) Sleep chairs and extra beds are available for guests to stay overnight and there are no limits on the number or hours for visitors. 21) The primary nursing model was used for the design of the nurse’s station, lowered visual barriers and desks surrounded by 7 or 8 patient rooms.

Achievements, rankings and impact
November 2006- Received the American Heart Association's "Get With The Guidelines-Coronary Artery Disease" Annual Performance Achievement Award.

Mission Our mission is to improve the health status of the people of North Hawaii by improving high quality services at a reasonable cost.

Vision Our vision is to treat the whole individual-body, mind, and spirit- through a team approach to patient centered care and ultimately become the most healing hospital in the world.

Values As Ohana, we value an environment of Aloha which nurtures trust, respect, self-expression, open minds and hearts.

Partnerships to ensure quality of care in a rural setting The North Hawaii Community Hospital has partnered with the Hawaii Heart Brain Center which provide cutting-edge cardiac and stroke prevention and medical services to Hawaii island residents and visitors, thus overcoming the limitations of the island's remote location and rural environment. The Cleveland Clinic's Heart Brain Center helps in the mission of the hospital by providing services such as support for the cardiology and radiology departments. The hospital also has important relationships with the Queen's Medical Center for advanced cardiac care and Maui Memorial Hospital  for stroke services.

Working in Paradise For doctors and nurses this is a special place. The motto "not just another hospital" refers to the Geographical Advantages, Quality of Life, High Technology Infrastructure that the hospital boasts. Hawaii island is also relatively lower cost of living than the rest of the state. Hawaii residents enjoy the longest average life expectancy in the nation. The state ranks 50th in preventable deaths and those due to accidents, 49th in deaths by cancer and heart disease, 45th in per capita number of deaths due to strokes. The state of Hawaii has a progressive health care system, with workers healthcare coverage mandated for all workers employed over twenty hours per week. Hawaii's quality of life reflects the advantages of the state's climate, health, recreation and cultural opportunities. With the low stress active lifestyle that supports outdoor activities all year round Hawaii is consistently rated as one of the best states to live and retire.

North Hawaii Community Hospital