Hawaii Pacific Health employees and supporters broke previous donation records last year, raising money to put into the state’s largest hospital system.

The parent company of Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Pali Momi Medical Center, Straub Clinic & Hospital and Wilcox Memorial Hospital on Kauai said 3,793 workers donated more than $660,000 in an employee giving campaign last year, and community donations jumped 51 percent to $10.8 million for the fiscal year ended in June.

"We believe that we hit the bottom of the recession and we’re coming back out," said HPH spokes­woman Aubrey Hawk. "People are now starting to see the nonprofit health care segment as the charity of choice."

The $10.8 million will go toward facility improvements, including a current capital campaign to rebuild Kapiolani Medical Center, as well as specialty programs throughout the hospital system, which has about 5,000 workers. Employee contributions will help subsidize unreimbursed services at each of the nonprofit facilities. The money also will be used to cover patient co-payments for life-sustaining drugs, expenses related to emergency travel and lengthy stays away from home, as well as crutches or walkers while in rehabilitation regardless of ability to pay, the company said. Some of the money will be donated to other nonprofit agencies through Aloha United Way.

"The cost of the quality care delivered at our nonprofit affiliate hospitals consistently exceeds reimbursements, so we depend on philanthropy to help provide the people of Hawaii with the best health care possible," said Michael Robinson, executive director of the Foundations of Hawaii Pacific Health.