New Dialysis Unit Opens at Maui Memorial Medical Center

Judy Kodama, Director of Nursing; Dr. L. Harrison Hassell, Nephrologist and Ruby Matsui, RN, Dialysis Nurse Manager. Photo courtesy MMMC.

By Maui Now Staff

The Maui Memorial Medical Center announced the blessing and opening of its new Dialysis Unit, which is expected to expand services for patients and the community.

Administrators say the hospital first began offering renal dialysis services in 2002.  Over the years, the unit expanded, offering services at different locations throughout the hospital due to size limitations.

The new dialysis center offers centralized services, and can now serve up to nine patients at a time all inside the same unit.

“Our new Dialysis Unit will make it much easer to keep up with our growing case load, while providing a more pleasant experience for both patients and staff,” said MMMC Nurse Manager Ruby Matsui in a hospital press release.

“We know that these patients must sit for long periods of time while receiving treatment, so these spacious new surroundings will be especially meaningful to them,” she said.

Judy Kodama; Juliet Arcibal, staff RN; Ruby Matsui, Wei Liu, Biomed Tech. Photo courtesy MMMC.

From a staffing perspective, hospital administrators say nurses will now be able to monitor and observe patients at the nursing station for more streamlined and efficient care.

“There are approximately 250 to 300 renal patients monthly in the County of Maui with an average of 25 to 30 patients admitted to the hospital,” said Matsui.  “At MMMC we perform anywhere from 150 to 200 treatments monthly so this new unit is greatly needed and will allow patients to receive timely treatment here when they need it the most.”

As part of the blessing and opening, there was an unveiling of artist Kirk Kurokawa’s portrait of Dr. Steven Moser, who has been a passionate advocate for Maui dialysis patients.

Hospital spokesperson Carol Clark said man consider Dr. Moser the “father of dialysis” on Maui.

Ruby Matsui and Nephrology Director, Dr. Elaine Williams. Photo courtesy MMMC.