Adventist Health Castle | Windward Health | Summer 2019

By Mele Pochereva IN SICKNESS OR IN HEALTH, regular visits to a primary care provider (PCP), such as an internist or a family practice doctor, can help you stay healthy as you age. Studies have shown that people with access to a PCP have better health outcomes and often have fewer emergency room and hospital visits, which results in lower health care costs. These medical professionals are not only trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of health issues, but they also provide preventive services such as immunizations and routine health screenings to detect illnesses and health risks when they are easier to treat. When a medical specialist is needed, your PCP can recommend and coordinate care with other physicians. Having a PCP is especially valuable for the continuity of care they offer over one’s lifetime. As a trusted health care partner who is familiar with your lifestyle, medical history and potential hereditary health risks, your provider can monitor and detect changes in existing health conditions, as well as uncover and treat medical conditions you may not have noticed. Primary priority at AH Castle As the Baby Boomer generation ages and more Americans live longer, health care needs have increased and the demand for primary care physicians has soared, leaving a shortage of PCPs in Hawai‘i and nationwide. Since 2015, Adventist Health Castle has established five new primary clinics in Kailua, Kaneohe and Laie, while actively recruiting new providers to better serve the need of our Windward O‘ahu community. “Our network of primary care providers is helping to keep pace with the growing demand for convenient, high-quality health care close to home,” notes Derek Dickard, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the clinics as director of the Castle Physician Network. “Many of these doctors are accepting new patients, and they usually can accommodate same-day appointments for those requiring urgent care that is not life-threatening.” When a medical issue requires a specialist, further diagnostic tests or interventions, patients have access to AH Castle’s 300-plus medical experts and the newest and most innovative treatments and technology. Primary care close to home A DOCTOR TO FIT YOUR NEEDS! Many of our clinicians are accepting new patients, and they usually can accommodate same-day appointments for those requiring urgent care. Turn the page to see a list of primary care clinics and providers.