Four women recently created and donated “hug me” pillows for the surgery unit at West Kaua‘i Medical Center at Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital. When a patient has surgery, especially in the abdominal area, coughing can be difficult and painful, hospital
Four women recently created and donated “hug me” pillows for the surgery unit at West Kaua‘i Medical Center at Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital.
When a patient has surgery, especially in the abdominal area, coughing can be difficult and painful, hospital spokeswoman Sandra McMaster said in a news release. One remedy to minimize the pain is to hug a pillow when you have to cough and clear your throat, she said.
McMaster said in an email that Linda Kawakami, Kikue Kato, Emi Schaefer and Yone Honjo created and decorated “hug me” pillows for the surgery unit.
“Their gift is truly the aloha spirit in action in our Kaua‘i community. The kindnesses in these pillows will bring comfort and soothing to the people dealing with the stress of surgery,” she said.
The hospital, dedicated in 1957, is a full service Critical Access Hospital named in honor of Kaua‘i veterans. It has 25 beds and a long-term care unit with 20 additional beds.
Hospital services include 24-hour emergency care, a family birth center, imaging, surgery, rehabilitation therapies and long-term, acute and intensive care nursing units.
Three primary care clinics are located in Kalaheo, Port Allen and Waimea with specialties including obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, orthopedics, sports medicine and surgery.
West Kaua‘i Medical Center is headquarters for the Kaua‘i Region of Hawai‘i Health Systems Corp. and employs 276 staff members, as well as 29 physicians and surgeons.
Hawai‘i Health Systems Corp. is a public benefit corporation of the state with a mission to provide affordable, accessible, quality healthcare. The corporation operates 12 facilities throughout the state.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
