Kaiser Permanente Postponing Elective Procedures and Surgeries on Maui Beginning Today

*Note: Kaiser Permanente is postponing elective procedures and surgeries on Maui. This is specifically for Kaiser and does not impact the Maui Memorial Medical Center or Maui Health.

Kaiser Permanente is making changes at Moanalua Medical Center and on Maui to ensure there are enough resources needed to take care of COVID-19 patients.

Kaiser Permanente announced that it will be initiating a “phased approach” of postponing non-urgent surgeries and procedures at Moanalua Medical Center. Due to the increasing pandemic surge, Kaiser Permanente on Maui is also postponing and rescheduling all non-essential or “elective” procedures and surgeries as well as some specialty and primary care appointments. Changes at both Moanalua and Maui take effect on Monday, Aug. 30. 

“As we continue to work through the most severe surge of the pandemic thus far, we’re taking steps to meet the health care needs of our patients and the community,” said Zamir Moen, MD, Chief of Medical Staff at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center in a press release. 

According to the health care provider, hospital leaders are monitoring the situation, and pending COVID-19 case counts and hospital admissions, they could postpone more non-emergency surgeries and procedures in the coming weeks.

According to Kaiser, patients with existing appointments, procedures or surgeries do not need to call or email their provider. Any patients affected by these changes will be contacted by the health care provider. 

Staff freed up by these changes will reportedly be “redeployed” to other areas to meet the critical COVID-19 care delivery needs as well as assist with testing, same-day and urgent care, and vaccinations. These changes are expected to remain in place for the next several weeks. 

“We’re at a critical stage,” said Dr. Moen. “We need to stop COVID-19 transmission in the community to prevent our entire health care system from becoming overwhelmed.”