First wave of cuts hits state-owned hospitals in East Hawaii (Honolulu: 2014, insurance)

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by stan4

GI guys aren't necessarily liver specialists.

Our GI guys (at a major hospital here) send the complicated liver stuff to another hospital where these super-liver-specialty dudes work.

There's regular liver stuff and there's liver specialists.

Point taken - then our GI folks should be able to do the same - send the complicated liver stuff to the mainland.

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by stan4

GI guys aren't necessarily liver specialists.

Our GI guys (at a major hospital here) send the complicated liver stuff to another hospital where these super-liver-specialty dudes work.

There's regular liver stuff and there's liver specialists.

This. My gastro was the one sending me to the specialist.

Viper: you can look that up too, but this happened about 5 years ago or there abouts

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

This. My gastro was the one sending me to the specialist.

For discussion sake - let's say there are only 2 liver specialists located on Oahu. How many would you expect there to be? After all - this is the most remote set of islands in the world, I'm sure there are fields where we have no specialists whatsoever.

Poor compensation is only one factor keeping specialists from Hawaii - it just isn't everyone's cup of tea despite most people thinking everyone wants to trip all over themselves to move here.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

For discussion sake - let's say there are only 2 liver specialists located on Oahu. How many would you expect there to be? After all - this is the most remote set of islands in the world, I'm sure there are fields where we have no specialists whatsoever.

Poor compensation is only one factor keeping specialists from Hawaii - it just isn't everyone's cup of tea despite most people thinking everyone wants to trip all over themselves to move here.

TERRIBLE compensation, poor malpractice environment, and lack of support are the ONLY reason many folks I know haven't moved there.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by stan4

TERRIBLE compensation

Although in the keeping it real department - the median for a Gastroenterologist in Honolulu according to salary.com is $368,000 and I suppose the "2" specialists make a lot more.

Physician - Gastroenterology Salaries in Honolulu, HI | Salary.com

[stan4]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Although in the keeping it real department - the median for a Gastroenterologist in Honolulu according to salary.com is $368,000 and I suppose the "2" specialists make a lot more.

Physician - Gastroenterology Salaries in Honolulu, HI | Salary.com

Specialists do ok, but primary care is really in the toilet.
And be wary of those salary sites. I haven't found them to be really accurate for other areas.
Plus there's the whole "dollar don't go as far" effect living over there.
In many other places (though certainly not everywhere), you are compensated more for the cost of living.
Not to mention like when I put in Oahu vs Maui for like my job, the disparity is huge from what I actually know is being paid.
We actually have guys flying over HERE to moonlight who live on Oahu.

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

For discussion sake - let's say there are only 2 liver specialists located on Oahu. How many would you expect there to be? After all - this is the most remote set of islands in the world, I'm sure there are fields where we have no specialists whatsoever.

Poor compensation is only one factor keeping specialists from Hawaii - it just isn't everyone's cup of tea despite most people thinking everyone wants to trip all over themselves to move here.

How about enough to make the wait less than 4 months?

We have an aging population and we are lacking in some critical areas.

In general though I have always received very good medical services here, and I've used them enough.

Feeling cranky tonight Vipe?

[stan4]

Honestly, I wouldn't even care that my dollar doesn't go as far.
But dollar not go far PLUS 60% paycut PLUS being hung out to dry support-wise doesn't go together well.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

How about enough to make the wait less than 4 months?

We have an aging population and we are lacking in some critical areas.

Hmmm, I think you are missing my point. You don't have the right expectations. You live on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific ocean. It isn't a reasonable expectation - aging population or not - to expect care and medical services that one has access to on the mainland - it just isn't realistic. That there are 2 specialists on Oahu that you need in my mind is a bonus for you. I believe if you have serious medical issues you need a mindset of not living in Hawaii or getting care on the mainland.

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Hmmm, I think you are missing my point. You don't have the right expectations. You live on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific ocean. It isn't a reasonable expectation - aging population or not - to expect care and medical services that one has access to on the mainland - it just isn't realistic. That there are 2 specialists on Oahu that you need in my mind is a bonus for you. I believe if you have serious medical issues you need a mindset of not living in Hawaii or getting care on the mainland.

LOL. There were more here, but they moved. The medical community felt that we were short specialists in certain fields too. So it's not really me your arguing with. I know they were actively recruiting.

Liver specialist is not really something unique, it's not like needing to go to the Mayo Clinic or anything. It was a biopsy that took like an hour, and is an out patient procedure. Pretty run of the mill. It's not like I was looking for cutting edge cancer treatment or treatment for some rare disease.