Hilo Medical Center

Hilo Medical Center is a Medicare and Medicaid certified skilled nursing facility located in Hilo, Hawaii. This facility has been serving the community for 59 years. A Medicare-certified skilled nursing facility provides 24-hour nursing care, rehabilitation services, and assistance with activities of daily living for patients who need skilled nursing or rehabilitation services on a daily basis.

This is a hospital-based skilled nursing facility, meaning it operates within or adjacent to a hospital. Hospital-based SNFs typically provide access to hospital services, specialists, and advanced diagnostic equipment, making them well-suited for patients with complex medical needs or those requiring close physician oversight during recovery.

This facility has 52 certified beds with a current occupancy rate of 99% (averaging 52 residents per day), which is very high. Skilled nursing facilities provide 24-hour nursing care for patients who need rehabilitation services after a hospital stay or ongoing care for chronic conditions. Services include skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and assistance with daily activities.

Staffing Levels: Based on CMS payroll data, this facility provides approximately 5.2 hours of total nursing care per resident per day (3.08 hours from CNAs, 0.73 hours from LPNs, 1.39 hours from RNs). This represents above-average staffing compared to national benchmarks.

Medicare Quality Ratings: According to CMS, Hilo Medical Center has an overall quality rating of 4 out of 5 stars, which is above average compared to other nursing homes nationwide. Individual category ratings are: health inspection: 3 stars, staffing: 5 stars, quality measures: 3 stars.

Medicare Coverage: Medicare covers skilled nursing facility care for up to 100 days following a qualifying hospital stay of at least 3 days. Days 1-20 are fully covered by Medicare, days 21-100 require a daily coinsurance payment. Many residents also use Medicaid, private insurance, or pay privately for long-term stays.

Questions to Ask: When visiting a nursing home, ask about: staff-to-resident ratios and RN coverage around the clock, how they handle medical emergencies, activities and therapy programs, how they communicate with families, their approach to falls prevention, and policies for managing resident complaints.

Visit Medicare Care Compare to view detailed ratings, inspection reports, staffing data, and compare this facility with others in the area.

Quality ratings and facility data are updated periodically by CMS. We recommend verifying current information at Medicare Care Compare.