Hawaii’s physician workforce on life support with hundreds of doctors needed
By Kristen Consillio
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HONOLULU, Hawaii (KITV) — HONOLULU (Island News) — When they can’t find a doctor, neighbor island patients end up here on Oahu at hospitals like Straub.
That’s the case year after year as patients and providers call for help with the worsening doctor shortage.
“In the neighbor islands, it’s almost devastating,” said patient Jonathan Opey.
According to the latest Hawaii Physician Workforce Report, the state needs more than 830 doctors, up more than 20% from a shortage of 760 the year before.
The neighbor islands have it the worst with the Big Island and Maui short more than 40%. Even on Oahu, it can take at least 10 months to see a primary care physician for a routine physical exam.
“If you needed to see a specialist and you couldn’t get to the Oahu and they didn’t have one on your island, guess what? You go without,” he said. “That’s the fear.”
Dr. Esther Smith is a family physician in Kona. She knows firsthand the hardships in rural communities.
“Absolutely there isn’t a person who lives in Hawaii who doesn’t know somebody who can’t find a primary care provider,” Smith said. “When you have a primary care shortage, you have a shortage of everything.”
Without enough doctors, chronic diseases worsen and patients end up sicker, often costing the system more in emergency rooms and hospitals.
“Then people have late diagnoses of their cancers, and then we only have one oncologist who lives on Big Island at this time, it’s dire,” Smith said.
And with more and more physicians leaving the islands because the cost of living doesn’t match the pay, providers are hoping there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
They want a new rural health transformation program funded by the feds to help with scholarships and incentive payments for those who practice in underserved communities. Because it all comes down to keeping people healthy.
“Because health is everything,” she said. “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.”
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