Life Care Center of Kona earns company award
Life Care Centers of America presented Life Care Center of Kona with the Facility of the Year Award for its Mountain States Division.
The award was presented Aug. 26 during the company’s annual management meeting at its headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee. It recognized the facility as the premier location in the division, which includes 31 skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Hawaii.
Criteria for this award include excellent customer service, a strong activities department, an active volunteer program and involvement in the community.
Life Care Center of Kona, led by executive director Daisha Nguyen, was praised for its five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, positive annual state survey results, teamwork and support to the other three Life Care facilities in Hawaii. Associates go through customer service training, and the facility was called a leader in inventive ideas that improve customer service and care.
“We congratulate Daisha and her team of associates who, together, have developed such a strong facility,” said Beecher Hunter, Life Care president. “This staff sets the bar for excellence in performance among all nursing centers. The residents and rehab patients at Life Care Center of Kona are the real winners as they benefit from the works of love performed by the team every day.”
Life Care Center of Kona is located at 78-6957 Kamehameha III Road.
Founded in 1976, Life Care is a nationwide health care company. It manages more than 200 nursing, post-acute and Alzheimer’s centers in 28 states. For more information about Life Care, visit lcca.com.
U.S. EPA reaches settlements with Century 21 and Coldwell Banker
HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled with two real estate companies for violating the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by failing to provide proper lead-based paint disclosure to buyers and renters of homes built before 1978 in Maui and the Big Island, the department announced in a press release. Century 21 Homefinders of Hawaii in Hilo, and Coldwell Banker Island Properties of Kahului, Maui, are paying, collectively, a total of more than $26,000 in penalties.
“Reducing childhood lead exposure and addressing associated health impacts is a top priority for EPA,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “These settlements protect Hawaii communities by ensuring that lead paint rules and regulations are followed.”
The companies were cited under TSCA’s lead-based paint disclosure rule, which applies to housing built before the residential use of lead-based paint was banned in 1978.
The Disclosure Rule requires sellers and lessors of pre-1978 homes to provide prospective homebuyers and tenants with a federal brochure about lead-based paint, any information known about lead-based paint in the home, and a warning statement about the potential dangers of lead-based paint.
Buyers also have the option to inspect pre-1978 homes before becoming obligated to make a purchase. With this knowledge, potential homebuyers and tenants can make informed decisions about whether to buy or rent a specific residence.
Century 21 Homefinders of Hawaii has agreed to pay a $6,962 penalty to settle alleged disclosure violations. Coldwell Banker Island Properties paid a $19,344 penalty in an earlier settlement. Both real estate companies have certified that they are presently in compliance with the requirement to provide prospective buyers and lessees with lead-based paint hazard disclosure information.
SBA award nominations sought
The U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking nominations for the prestigious 2020 SBA Small Business Awards for the State of Hawaii.
The annual SBA program, honors small businesses, exporters, entrepreneurs and advocates. The SBA awards continue to be the most competitive, and visible awards presented to small businesses in the state and the nation. The deadline to complete and submit a nomination is Nov. 2019.
Categories for the Hawaii District include:
• SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year
• Entrepreneurial Success Award
• Family-Owned Small Business of the Year
• Small Business Exporter of the Year
• SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year
• SBA Small Business Advocates of the Year
Any individual or organization may submit a nomination for an SBA Small Business Award. Self-nominations are also accepted. Nomination criteria can be found at the Hawaii SBDC Network website at www.hisbdc.org or by contacting the Hawaii District Office. Completed forms should be submitted to the SBA District Office at 500 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 1-306, no later than Nov. 4.
Info: SBA at 541-2990 or hawaiisbaawards@sba.gov.
Kona Commons, Bikeshare kickoff event planned
Kona Commons, a shopping center owned by local partners The MacNaughton Group and Kobayashi Group, announced the Kona kick-off event for Bikeshare Hawaii from 9-11 a.m. Sept. 21.
The family-friendly celebration will feature a variety of activities, workshops and giveaways at Kona Commons.
“We are excited to share this significant milestone with the Kona Community,” said Patrick Kobayashi, partner/president and CEO of Kobayashi Group. “We want to support healthy lifestyles in Kona and Hawaii and we are proud to serve as a location for Bikeshare Hawaii Island and the community of Kona.”
Info: www.konacommons.com
Horvath named HRYF president
Geoff Horvath has been named the new Hawaii Rotary Youth Foundation president, the organization announced.
Founded by Maurice J. “Sully” Sullivan, HRYF was established in 1976 to help Hawaii’s high school graduates realize their potential through education. The vision of HRYF was that it would fill a need in the community and teach young people about America’s free enterprise system. That vision is continually carried out year after year by the many volunteers, Rotarians, and other community-minded persons.
Born in Honolulu and raised in Kailua, Horvath served in the Navy for 23 years and has been a Rotarian for 20 years. He previously served as a board member in different capacities and varying positions for Rotary.