Kaiser opens ambulatory surgery center

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii held a Hawaiian blessing ceremony Tuesday for a 9,444-square-foot ambulatory surgery center for same-day surgical procedures at Mapunapuna Medical Office.

The center includes an operating room, a procedure room, five endoscopy suites and 16 pre-op/recovery bays for outpatient eye surgeries and gastroenterology procedures. Patient appointments are set to begin May 1.

Kaiser doctors will be able to perform cataract surgery, corneal transplants and other specialty eye surgeries, as well as upper endoscopies, colonoscopies and other same-day procedures at the facility.

A team of 13 physicians and approximately 30 staff members will provide same-day surgical care to an estimated 7,000 patients per year.

Hawaiian offers lie-flat seats on China route

Hawaiian Airlines began sales Tuesday of lie-flat seats in its Airbus A330 premium cabin for travel starting May 31 between Beijing and Honolulu.

The airline’s premium cabin debuted in the summer and is available on all flights between Honolulu and Auckland, New Zealand; Beijing; Brisbane, Australia; Sydney; Tokyo (Narita); and Osaka, Japan. The premium cabin will be introduced in additional markets throughout this year.

Tax increase yields $4.6M for Vegas stadium

LAS VEGAS >> Taxpayers contributed more than $4.6 million for an NFL stadium in Las Vegas in the first month that a new increase on area hotel taxes went into effect — ahead of projections for the state’s share of the project.

The preliminary tax collection figures from March for the stadium that the Oakland Raiders want to call home were released Tuesday. The bulk of the money came from resorts and other lodging facilities in and around the Las Vegas Strip, where tourists are paying about $1.50 more per night on their hotel bill for an average-priced room.

“I think it validates the model in terms of what’s necessary to service the debt for the stadium,” said Steve Sisolak, commission chairman in Clark County, where the stadium is to be located. “It’s nice to see money actually collected and start to put some money in the bank for the stadium.”

The Nevada Legislature approved the tax hike last year to cover $750 million of the $1.9 billion project.

The board overseeing the proposed 65,000-seat domed stadium expects the tax hike to bring in $14.8 million by the end of June. That’s $3.7 million a month. Next fiscal year, officials expect to bring in $49.9 million.

The NFL approved the Raiders’ relocation to Las Vegas last month.

ON THE MOVE

The La Pietra-Hawaii School for Girls board of trustees has announced that Joshua C. Watson will lead the 53-year-old independent college preparatory school, beginning July 1. He is currently assistant principal for student life at Mid-Pacific Institute. Before that he was assistant head of school as well as dean of students at the Academy of the Pacific, both in Honolulu.

Girl Scouts of Hawaii has named Kelly Ikeda Ellis chief operating officer. Her responsibilities include overseeing the daily operations of the council membership and program serv-ices staff islandwide as well as leading implementation of the organization’s strategic plan. Ellis previously served as a director of communications and development for Easter Seals Hawaii.

Dr. Prabhat Bhama has joined the departments of otolaryngology as well as head and neck surgery at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center. Prior to coming to Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Bhama was a head and neck surgeon at Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska, and a clinical instructor of otolaryngology at University of Washington School of Medicine.