Representatives and residents urged the Maui County Budget Committee in Lahaina on April 10 to support funding and planning for a West Maui hospital, describing the project as essential to emergency response and long‑term community well‑being.

Joanne Johnson Weiner, identified as president of the West Maui Hospital Foundation, said the foundation is pursuing private financing after being told Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) funds were not available for the West Maui hospital.

"...we will continue to seek private financing," Joanne Johnson Weiner said, and she said updated architectural and engineering plans are needed, with estimated costs around $750,000.

Michelle Sandania, a West Maui resident who identified herself as a volunteer board member of the West Maui Hospital Foundation and a real‑estate broker, said delays in local access to care have had life‑threatening consequences and called the hospital "not just about convenience" but about preparedness.

"Building the West Maui Hospital is not just about convenience. Preparedness, and protecting lives in the face of future emergencies," Sandania said.

Speakers asked the committee to preserve a West Maui hospital line item in the mayor's proposed budget. Testimony identified options hospital planners are exploring to reduce construction costs, including modular forms and fire‑retardant blocks, and noted an existing $20 million state special‑purpose revenue bond remains available though timing is not ideal for issuing bonds.

The testimony centered on funding, updated plans, and continued county support rather than on a finalized project design or construction schedule. No formal county action or vote on the hospital was recorded during the public‑testimony portion of the meeting.