Question: Is the Wahiawa hospital accepting emergency room patients?
Answer: “Yes, The Queen’s Medical Center-Wahiawa is accepting emergency room patients. Because it is the nearest emergency department for the residents of Wahiawa, Central O‘ahu and the North Shore, this is a priority for us. We are committed to providing quality health care that best serves the needs of the people in the community,” Cedric Yamanaka, a Queen’s spokesperson, said in an email.
Problems with the HVAC system had closed the ER in mid-March, when the facility had a different owner and was called Wahiawa General Hospital. It remained closed until the end of May, nearly two months after Queen’s finalized its purchase and unveiled upgrades, according to news reports at the time. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
You asked about the hospital under its old name, so we edited your question to avoid confusion. Queen’s has updated information about the Wahiawa site on its website, which says that emergency care is available but inpatient care is not. The facility at 128 Lehua St. focuses on Emergency Department services, imaging and lab services. Read more at 808ne.ws/4fVNnBn.
Q: I received a check in the mail that I’m sure is a scam. I am not going to try to cash it. But it looks real. What would happen if I deposited the check and ignored the letter’s instructions to return a payment for taxes and fees?
A: You’d eventually be out any money you withdrew from the check deposit, any penalty your bank charges for a bad check and, if you followed the letter’s instructions, any fees you paid. This is according to Publishers Clearing House, which warns people not to fall for the “fake check” scam, in which thieves impersonate this company and others.
PCH says scammers send an official-looking letter claiming to award you a sweepstakes prize or some other windfall, illegally using the name of a well-known company or using a sound-alike name. “The letter encloses a real-looking check that may appear legitimate. Even your bank may be fooled. What’s the catch? Even though the check is bogus, if you deposit the check, the money may be available to you for a short time. Under federal law, banks make the funds you deposit available quickly — usually within one to five days, depending on the type of check. But just because you can withdraw the money doesn’t mean the check is good. It can take weeks for the forgery to be discovered and the check to bounce. And that’s what the scam artists are counting on. They hope that if you believe the check is real you’ll be willing to send them money back. The scammers may tell you that you were given ‘an advance on a sweepstakes prize’ and that some ‘fee, tax or additional payment’ is necessary. You may be told you are being paid the ‘first installment’ on millions and that ‘you will receive more after wiring a portion back.’ Whatever the set-up in the scam offers, the results are the same. If you send money back you’ll be out twice. YOU are responsible for checks or monies deposited into your account. When a check or money order bounces YOU will owe the bank the money you withdrew and the scammer will have the additional money sent in his/her pocket!”
Mahalo
On a recent Tuesday morning, my husband and I had breakfast at Liliha Bakery at Pearl Highlands. When we were ready to pay our bill, our waitress told us it had already been taken care of. We were totally surprised to be the recipient of this kind and thoughtful act from a total stranger and would like to thank that person and let them know that we will definitely pass this forward. Hopefully, he or she will see this and know it made our day. — Grateful readers
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
