UH Med school ready for summit after last-minute change in venue

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Last minute preparations are underway for the UH medical school’s annual Hawaii Health Workforce Summit.

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This year, it really was last minute. The event has been held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for the last ten years. But because of the hotel workers strike, school officials decided on Tuesday to move the conference to campus.

“The hotel workers don’t have a contract, we feel for them, as this is a health care conference, or health worker force conference, we’re trying to make our lives better in healthcare, they’re trying to make their lives better in their careers,” said Prof. Kelley Withy, MD, organizer of the summit.

This last minute change is costing the UH med school tens of thousands of dollars. First they lose out on the deposit on the Hilton. And second, there’s the added costs of all these tents, set up and food for tomorrow’s event.

Hilton Hawaiian village declined to comment on this story.

Now that the location is set, the summit can focus on the big issues. The biggest – how to attract and retain healthcare professionals here in Hawaii and fill the 4,000 worker shortage.

“That will make everybody able to see a doctor, less wait time, able to get all the procedures or labs, or whatever it is you need, get it done here at home,” said Withy. “Not have to go to the continent, and get it done easily and be healthier.”

What doesn’t help, the recent news between the nurses union and Kapiolani Medical Center.

“We’re also feeling for our nursing fellows and their strike too,” said Withy.

Despite the hurdles, the school wants to focus on making this summit the best it can be.

“Our goal is help figure out solutions to challenges that we face in healthcare,” said Withy. “And by doing that, we hope we can make it better for patients and everybody, because then, we’ll have more doctors. More nurses. More everybody.”

The school is expecting 500 attendees tomorrow, plus a couple hundred more virtually.