Adventist Health Castle | Windward Health | Fall 2019

By Heather Fowler, RN I was “healthy.” I have never had any medical problems and very rarely went to a doctor. The last time I’d seen a doctor was for my last pregnancy. Last year, I had not been feeling well for months, but I kept making excuses about why—I just had a virus and I’m going to get better; I’m just not getting enough sleep and I’m tired. The unusual pain I felt was probably because I pulled a muscle and just needed time to heal. I finally realized that something was really wrong when my feet started swelling, and I felt extremely exhausted and short of breath. I went to my primary care physician, who told me to go home and rest and scheduled me for lab work a couple of weeks later on. If by that time I was still not feeling well, he told me I should come back and we’d take a look at my lab results. So I did that. I went home, took a couple days off work and rested. The next week, I went back to work and did the lab work my doctor ordered. When I got the results back and looked over them, I realized my labs showed that I had a kidney problem. I was somehow going into kidney failure, even though I’d never had any history of kidney problems. My kidneys should have been fine. ‘The smartest doctor I have ever met’ At that point, a friend of mine recommended that I make an appointment to see Dr. Changhua Wang, and I did. She was able to take me on short notice, and I brought my lab results to the appointment. She listened to me, she looked at my labs and, at that initial visit, she told me very clearly what my diagnosis was. With my specific condition, I now know that people can go undiagnosed for years, seeing many different doctors before finding any treatment plans. This makes me feel all the more blessed that I was to be able to see Dr. Wang, who was able to diagnose me in 20 minutes. And that was just the beginning. She sent me to the correct specialists the next day to make sure I got the treatment I needed right away. When I saw the nephrologist, Dr. David Naai (who, I think, is the best nephrologist in the world and saved me from dialysis), he told me even a one-week delay in treatment could have significantly impacted my long- term prognosis. If I had not seen Dr. Wang when I did, I could very well be on dialysis today, or worse. Instead, I’m back at work, I can do what I need to do at home, I’m spending time with my family and my loved ones, and I still have a full life ahead of me. Dr. Wang is the smartest doctor I have ever met, and I am so glad she’s my doctor. I trust her, and I tell everyone who needs a great doctor that they should go to Dr. Wang because she is extremely knowledgeable, she listens and she really cares about her patients. Dr. Wang saved my life! Changhua Wang, MD, is among Adventist Health Castle’s network of 13 primary care providers who serve the Windward O ‘ ahu community at five clinics in Kailua, Kaneohe and Laie. The clinics offer convenient access to comprehensive, high-quality health care services, including routine checkups, immunizations and health screenings, for those who do not already have a primary care physician. Many of the providers are accepting new patients. “Access to care, especially primary care, was identified as one of the most significant needs in the state, following the most recent Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by the Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i and its member hospitals,” notes Derek Dickard, director of the Castle Physician Network, “and it is a priority for Castle. With five primary care clinics and a growing network of providers, we are committed to meeting the health care needs of Windward families.” Primary care is an AH Castle priority back to Shanghai to take care of her father and help situate him in a memory care home. Then, in 2017, she was offered the opportunity to join Adventist Health Castle, which was seeking a bilingual doctor for its growing network of primary care providers. “I was attracted to Castle’s relaxed, friendly environment,” Dr. Wang says. And, of course, moving back to Hawai‘i also was appealing. ‘I like to solve mysteries’ Asked why internal medicine appeals to her, Dr. Wang responds: “I like to solve mysteries— complex medical problems. In this specialty, we look at the overall health of a patient.” Quality of care is a priority for Dr. Wang, and she spends a lot of time with her patients, explaining the nature of their illness and their treatment plan. It’s an important part of building trust with her patients. “The more my patients understand about their illness and what can happen if it progresses, the more compliant they are with their medications and other treatment, which leads to better outcomes,” she says. While routine wellness exams are always recommended for optimum health maintenance, especially for those over age 65, if a patient only comes in for an illness, Dr. Wang takes that opportunity to make sure recommended health screenings are up-to-date. ‘I ask a lot of questions’ Dr. Wang sees patients from age 18 and up, and she accepts most kinds of insurance. New patients can typically expect to spend about 40 minutes with her during their first appointment. “I ask a lot of questions,” she says. “I want to know about their past medical and family history, past surgeries, smoking habits and so forth. I ask them to bring in all of the medications they take and medical records, if available.” These details add up to having all the information she needs to ensure her patients receive the best care possible. Outside of her medical practice, Dr. Wang enjoys cooking—Chinese food is her specialty, not surprisingly—and she loves to travel. She has visited every country in Asia and most European countries and no doubt can share interesting stories about her travels. Have a chat at your next doctor visit! Info Need a doctor? Visit adventisthealthcastle.org to find a complete list of our more than 300 primary care physicians and other specialists.