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One more reason we are leaving Maui....we just spent the entire night from midnight until 2 hours ago at Maui Memorial with our 6 year old. He had serious swelling in his groin area so we took him in. The doctors had no idea what to do so they called in a doctor who was off duty to come in. We waited 2 hours and when he finally showed they all determined it would require immediate attention and they prepared the OR (operating room) We freaked!! Called everyone we knew for prayer and then about 15 minutes later they came in and said it could wait.....?!?!?!?!?! Talk about confusing. The ultrasound they had taken apparently wasn't clear enough to make the decision to have such a surgery but one of the doctors said it was....Thank God the other doctor showed up. Then finally after they all determined surgery wasn't necessary the head doctor actually told us he wouldn't have been able to perform it anyway as he was not qualified to do so....we would have been forced to leave the island for this procedure. We still need to have this problem addressed and they all advised we have it looked at on the main land. Thank God most of you don't have anything serious happen here. -With 2 kids, this is just one of many reasons we have decided to part ways with Maui.
This is an important consideration that when people choose to move to the islands. The medical care is not nearly what people who live on the mainland are used to. Although you may just require basic medical care, you never know. My spouse, who has never been sick a day in his life, had a pain in his back and it turned out to be cancer. Luckily it wasn't the time of the year we usually spend on the islands.
Any remote place has issues with emergency medical care. When we were living in KS I was Med Evacuated to the Army hospital in Colorado and I can guarantee than it was more than the 40 minute trip by helicopter that it would take to get to Oahu!
For standard care there are many excellent Doctors (the facilities are NOT state of the art by any means), but many of my friends on the outer Islands have very serious medical concerns (various SCIs and all that they include). They DO have periodic follow up visits on Oahu and it IS a concern for people with chronic health issues (part of the reason we chose Oahu to Retiree).
ER visits ANYWHERE tend to take HOURS. Usually between 6-12 hours (and I am usually seen on a priority basis). My longest stay in the ER was 72 hours because they could not find a bed for me and refused to transfer me to another hospital. This was in Louisville, KY. I had been transferred from the Army Hospital at Ft. Knox to the one in Elizabethtown, who then transferred me to University Hospital in Louisville where I stayed in their ER for 72 hours. My roommates varied from infections to the seriously beaten ***** (her pimp stayed with her complaining about the money she was costing him!)- oh what a restful stay that was!
Any remote place has issues with emergency medical care. When we were living in KS I was Med Evacuated to the Army hospital in Colorado and I can guarantee than it was more than the 40 minute trip by helicopter that it would take to get to Oahu!
For standard care there are many excellent Doctors (the facilities are NOT state of the art by any means), but many of my friends on the outer Islands have very serious medical concerns (various SCIs and all that they include). They DO have periodic follow up visits on Oahu and it IS a concern for people with chronic health issues (part of the reason we chose Oahu to Retiree).
ER visits ANYWHERE tend to take HOURS. Usually between 6-12 hours (and I am usually seen on a priority basis). My longest stay in the ER was 72 hours because they could not find a bed for me and refused to transfer me to another hospital. This was in Louisville, KY. I had been transferred from the Army Hospital at Ft. Knox to the one in Elizabethtown, who then transferred me to University Hospital in Louisville where I stayed in their ER for 72 hours. My roommates varied from infections to the seriously beaten ***** (her pimp stayed with her complaining about the money she was costing him!)- oh what a restful stay that was!
Those of us that are used to excellent care in the northeast would have a difficult time dealing with the islands medical care. This was one reason, although not #1 we chose not to retire to HI. An extended visit once a year suffices.
Ellwood-
Absolutely one must decide what is right for them! It depends upon what your medical needs are; I have severe medical problems and have had no issues finding the necessary care on Oahu (it was the main reason we did not move to Maui since I need extensive care).
It also depends upon what type of medical insurance you use (I have Medicare and Tricare for Life) so my options are wide open (but I prefer to use Tripler since I am so accustomed to Military Medical Care and am frankly uncomfortable with Civilian hospitals!). Many people think that Military health care is a joke but I have found that these wonderful medical professionals have kept me alive much longer than the Civilian Doctor gave me (partly luck, partly due to fine care).
I know that many families struggle with medical insurance and it may severely impact their lives as well as dictate where they need to live. But there IS upstanding care available on Oahu but for many it is out of reach due to the high cost of health care and for the outer Islands it may be more difficult for other than routine care; many of my disabled friends on Maui do come to Oahu for more specialised appointments but they can afford the extra costs associated with these visits and I know that most people cannot afford this option. It is a shame.
For those that may not have spent a lot of time in Hawaii, when you say the "Culture" of Hawaii, it might not be exactly what you expect. Only about 9% of Oahu is Pacific Islanders/Native Hawaiians. About 17% are two or more races. Asians make up about 45% of the people on Hawaii, and whites make up about another 25%.
That is my STRONGEST pull. I am really attracted to the large Asian culture in particular.
However, I can't help but think if that is my main attraction, maybe I'm better off in California. BUT, having been to Hawaii, I love that cultural mix so much more than, say San Francisco, where I had the pleasure to live for awhile, but glad to have left. 33% Asian, and it didn't seem as prevalant as say Honolulu whatsoever, combined with the negatives of SF, just didn't make it worth it.
Having been here just over a month now, I am going to weigh in on the original subject. I can only speak for me personally, but I can only think of one thing that will ever take me away from here. The weather for me is absolutely exactly perfect on the Kona coast. Being on a rock in the middle of the ocean, has had no effect on me & I truly don't think will ever bother me. I have never had any medical situations or conditions & until those raise their ugly heads one day, I am not concerned about that. Money - I have some for now & I truly believe that when the time comes, if I apply myself with an open mind that I will find a way to make a living to stay here. However... the one thing that I already see being an issue is the distance from friends & family. I find this so wierd because I have always been a bit of a loaner & love going and doing things alone, without ever feeling lonely. But in just 5 weeks, I have already found myself daydreaming of what my loved ones are doing. I don't know how else to word it, I even talk & skype with them often. I am not going anywhere any time real soon, but if the day comes that I leave, I believe that would be the reason.
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Limited Medical Care
