“J.P. Schmidt Centered”
We have a serious problem in Hawaii. Our residents are not getting the medical services they need, particularly in rural areas and on the Neighbor Islands. In the past year, there have been instances on Maui and on the Big Island where patients have entered emergency rooms with a broken leg, and no orthopedic doctors were available. The patients had to be stabilized, put on an airplane and transported to Oahu for treatment. To further highlight the need for medical attention, there is just one OB/GYN from Kahuku to Kaneohe, and none on Molokai or in South Hawaii.
The number one problem for our doctors in these areas is medical malpractice insurance. For necessary specialties like OB/GYNs, orthopedists, and neurosurgeons, their insurance premiums can be $60,000 per year and in some cases as high as $100,000 per year. We only have a couple of non-profit doctors