It's not the island air... (Hilo: rental, cost, retired)

[bigfoot62]

OR THE TROPICAL SEA.
IT'S NOT THE FERAL PIGS OR TWEEKY E E

IT'S THE SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS ON THE BIG ISLAND

Doctor shortage is worsening | Hawaii Tribune Herald

One Hilo resident said, "no problem, I am going to drop dead instantly, anyway."

Good luck with that one.

Seriously, it's not fun being under the care of a doctor but even a simple thing like high cloresterol needs a prescription from a doctor.

So, if you are an aging person and you don't plan to drop dead or believe you won't survive a plane ride to Oahu, in the event of a heart attack (at least 2 hours, by the time you go through TSA), I would not choose the big island as a place to retire.

[whtviper1]

I work with Physicians on all the islands - it is going to get worse in terms of doctor shortages.

They suffer the same issues the rest of us do:

Low pay and high costs.

[PaliPatty]

If you have serious ongoing health issues your best bet is to look towards Oahu. There are some very good health providers here.
Unfortunately, not so on the neighbor islands, especially when it comes to complex health problems.
You'll no doubt hear many anecdotal stories about how well people were treated in Wilcox/Hilo/Kona (as in "I stepped on a sea urchin when I was on Kauai and they were FABULOUS in the emergency room at Wilcox!!") but the bottom line is, if the kim chee hits the fan, you'll need to go to Oahu for treatment.

[bigfoot62]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

I work with Physicians on all the islands - it is going to get worse in terms of doctor shortages.

They suffer the same issues the rest of us do:

Low pay and high costs.

And I see these rental ads on Craigslist....

"such a deal! $1,200. a month all furnished....perfect if you're a traveling nurse and I keep thinking...wow...to be so cherished that if I were a nurse or medical professional (so cherished on the islands), it's also going to cost me an arm and a leg to be of service.

[justus978]

...retired, been here on the b. i. five years but i suscribe to the often heard adage, "if you're in pain, get on a plane"...lol...i go back to boston every year for a complete physical..sadly, medical is a joke here...