The following items are on the agenda for the Hawaii County Public Works Department:
Kailua Bay Seawall Repair
Restoration of the Kailua Village Seawall along Aliʻi Drive, damaged by the 2011 tsunami, will begin April 23. The seawall will be restored by individuals who are knowledgeable in the construction of a Hawaiian rock wall. The $172,546.00 project, awarded to Isemoto Contracting, is scheduled for completion June 6, 2012. Work hours are Monday – Saturday, 7:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.
The Makalei Fire Station
Mākālei Fire Station
The 11,000-square-foot Mākālei Fire Station currently under construction in Kona is 94 percent completed. The contractors are currently constructing the 50-foot driveway, connecting it to Māmalahoa Highway, installing traffic signal beacons, and completing utility work. Completed projects include the 50 kilowatt photovoltaic system, radio communication room, an three-space apparatus bay, a hose tower, a generator building, maintenance storage, office, kitchen, training room, dormitory, shower, restroom facilities, exercise work rooms, laundry room, fuel tank, and parking areas for staff and guests. Construction cost is $6.184 million, of which $ 4,113,686.00 million is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The project started April 28, 2011 is scheduled for completion in August.
West Kawailani Street Improvements
Integrated Construction Inc., contractors for the roadwork along West Kawailani Street in South Hilo, will begin mobilizing at the site the first week in May with construction to follow. Alternate lane closures throughout most of the project will begin from Kanoelani Street to the ‘Āinaola Drive & Pōhakulani Street intersection weekdays 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Hawaiian Telcom and the Department of Public Works are relocating utilities in preparation of future work from Kanoelani to Kuhilani Street, and portions of ‘Āinaola. 80 percent of the $1 million project is funded by the Federal Highway Administration, and the remaining 20 percent by the County. Completion is scheduled for 2013.
Filed under: Announcements, Big Island, Community, Economy, Hawaii, Transportation | Tagged: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Federal Highway Administration, Kailua Village Seawall, Mākālei Fire Station, W. Kawailani St. | Leave a Comment »
Bay Clinic Rolls Out New Electronic System
Media Release:
As of January 1st, Bay Clinic will undergo a major transition in the way it manages its business. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly known as the Stimulus Package, provided Bay Clinic and other community health centers throughout the country with funding to help upgrade information technology systems. One of Bay Clinic’s four stimulus-funded programs targeted for overhaul is its Practice Management system. Currently, Bay Clinic manages all aspects of its business including patient scheduling and billing with a software program created in the early 1990’s. “Despite the fact that technology has advanced dramatically over the past few decades, we simply could not afford to update our software programs until now” stated Paul Strauss, Bay Clinic CEO.
The new software program which cost nearly $300,000 manages patient flow, including scheduling of appointments, accounts receivable, collections, registration, data reporting, and insurance managed care. It also helps track referrals to specialists. It is a NextGen product that can fully integrate with Bay Clinic’s Electronic Health Record system for improved efficiency and data collection. Once implemented, the new system is expected to improve patient service as well as support the vital business functions of the organization.
When asked how this will impact patients, Jason Ferreira, Bay Clinic’s Health Information Technology Director said “ultimately, we will have updated information on the 16,000 patients we serve which will improve patient registration and appointment scheduling, but any change of this magnitude will cause some delays at first. So, we’re asking for patience for the next 30 to 60 days as we complete the transition”.
“One way patients can help”, said Sarah Nae’ole, who is helping to coordinate the transition “is if patients can bring their I.D.’s and insurance cards to their appointments and if they are uninsured, then some form of income verification so that they can receive discounted services if they qualify.”
Bay Clinic is making new patient registration forms on their website at www.bayclinic.org to help expedite the process. People can print them out and bring them to their appointments.
Bay Clinic already has an Electronic Health Record system that was implemented in 2006 and is a member of the Hawaii County Beacon Community for Health Information Exchange. The new electronic practice management system nearly completes Bay Clinic’s electronic health information technology infrastructure. According to the Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sibelius, Health Information Technology has bipartisan support due to its ability to improve quality and ultimately lower costs. In early 2011, Bay Clinic will be implementing an Electronic Dental Record system, also funded by the Stimulus Act, to complete their transition to a fully electronic health care environment.
Founded as a grass roots women’s health clinic at Hilo Bay front, Bay Clinic has grown into one of the largest nonprofit providers of health care on the Island with a mission to provide high quality health care regardless of ability to pay. For more information, please email madams@bayclinic.org.
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Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Guest Commentator, Hawaii, Health, Something New?, Technology | Tagged: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Bay Clinic Hawaii, Electronic health record, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services | 1 Comment »