It was great to get away last week for a little relaxation and also to see an old friend in Hawaii. Wayne Allen was the CFO at Mendocino Coast District Hospital when I started here in 2006. He had started just a few months before me. Wayne did a great job as CFO at our hospital and deserves most of the credit for our financial turnaround in the past few years. However in late 2008 Wayne decided that it was time for him to move on to a new challenge. Today he is CFO at the North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was very interesting for me to tour NHCH. It is a 14 year old hospital which was built from the very start to be a Healing Hospital. I was extremely happy to see that many of the elements of a Healing Hospital that we are using at Mendocino Coast District Hospital, are also important elements at NHCH. They include use of colors, quiet environment, natural sunlight, greenery and most important of all, a staff attitude that is dedicated to Healing and Wellness. That was evident by the way that the hospital incorporates healing themes into their artwork. The bottom line for me is that Mendocino Coast District Hospital is very similar to NHCH in many ways. It made me feel very good about our decision to create a Healing Hospital environment on the Mendocino Coast in California. Thank you for the tour Wayne and thank you for showing me what a Healing Hospital looks like in Hawaii!
