Maui Hospital Begins Universal Testing, Single Person on Maui with COVID-19 in Home Quarantine

Maui Now graphic.

By Wendy Osher

As yesterday, there are no COVID-19 cases at the Maui Memorial Medical Center, and there is currently only one person in home quarantine with the virus, according to new information provided today by Maui Mayor Michael Victorino.

Also, starting today, the Maui Memorial Medical Center begins universal testing for COVID-19 on all patients admitted through the Emergency Department and Obstetrics patients.

Universal testing will expand to include direct admissions on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, according to Dr. Michael Shea M.D., ICU Medical Director and Physician Lead.

According to Dr. Shea, Maui’s Kula Hospital is a long term care center, “And so in order to get into a long term care center in Hawaiʻi, you need to have two negative COVID-19 tests… Those tests would be done at whatever institute (usually Maui Memorial) that those individuals were at.  And if the two tests come back negative, then they can be admitted to Kula.”

MMMC now has rapid testing in place with results available within three hours, according to hospital administrators.  Patients will remain in the emergency department, awaiting results.

According to Dr. Shea, the hospital will continue to test employees as needed and the facility continues daily operations and preparedness activities for any COVID-19 surge or other emergency needs.

Over the weekend, Kula Hospital hosted a Kupuna Caravan in which family members of the 41 patients at the facility were able to pass by with greetings, signs and banners.

“Because Kula Hospital has not had any visitation since before March 18, it has been a very long time since these families had seen their loved ones.  Many were used to visiting them on a daily basis,” said Dr. Shea.

“There was not a dry eye. It was beautiful showing of love… really such a beautiful illustration of our community and the love we have for one another–a chance as a family to show up and still do it in a socially distant masked manner, but were still able to communicate the love they have for their family members,” said Dr. Shea.