Page 20 - MidWeek - July 28, 2021

20 MIDWEEK JULY 28, 2021
A primary care physi- cian who takes care of patients across all ages and genders in the out- patient setting, Dr. Fernando Liquido was born in Hilo and moved to O‘ahu around the age
DR. FERNANDO LIQUIDO, Hawai‘i Pacific Health Medical Group family medicine physician located at Straub Medical Center – Hawai‘i Kai Clinic Interviewed by Don Robbins
Fully Devoted To Family Medicine
of 8 years old.
“Growing up in Hawai‘i,
Here, Liquido shares more about his career that focuses on preventive and comprehensive care, and explains additional details of his background.
there is a great emphasis on respect and mindfulness. Liv- ing on the mainland for 10 years helped me realize how important those values are to the strength of Hawai‘i’s com- munity. It is something that I love about living in Hawai‘i and want to ensure our future generations continue to em- body,” Liquido shares.
What is the importance of preventive and comprehen- sive care?
A key component to pre- venting and treating many health conditions is through lifestyle changes. This can be done through nutrition, exer- cise, as well as other practices that help foster our spiritual and mental health. Our habits can have long-lasting effects on our quality of life and being mindful of them is a key com- ponent of medicine. However, making big changes can some- times feel daunting or frustrat- ing. I suggest to my patients making small changes that can be consistently practiced and then slowly adding to it over time. Support systems can be a
Dr. Fernando Liquido meets with a patient in his clinic.
PHOTOS COURTESY HAWAI‘I PACIFIC HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP
“I love being able to not only connect with Hawai‘i’s broad community, but also be in a position and have the tools to support it,” he adds.
In what ways do you coordi- nate with other medical pro- fessionals to help patients?
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, most of whom live on O‘ahu.
As a primary care physician, one of my roles is to help coor- dinate care for my patients with other specialists to ensure their comprehensive health needs are being met. Initially, refer- ral orders are placed to help establish care with other spe-
What inspired you to pursue a medical degree?
What made you choose fam- ily medicine?
“I love to stay active with my friends and family in a variety of ways — surfing and
Growing up, I think the im- portant question I asked myself
I wanted to choose a special-
bodyboarding, shell diving, rock climbing, hiking, basket- ball or soccer,” he declares.
was “What type of person do I want to be?” Although I had a sense of what that would mean growing up, I didn’t fully real- ize the answer to that question until I participated in Hawai‘i Pacific Health’s Summer Stu- dent Research Program. As a college student, I had an op- portunity to not only shadow physicians in different health care fields, but also see the inner workings of the entire health care team that supports our community. I witnessed so much empathy, selflessness, compassion and patience within a highly stressful envi- ronment. I was amazed by the connections health care profes- sionals made with their patients and the powerful impact it had. I was inspired by the practice of medicine and how it could foster these vital human traits through the altruistic care for others.
ty where I was in a position to help promote the comprehen- sive health of not only the in- dividual but also their commu- nities. I loved how the specialty of family medicine helps sup- port that interconnectedness between a patient’s individu- al health and the community around them. The broad scope of family practice with the ability to develop long-lasting relationships with patients and their families really drew me to the field.
While attending the Univer- sity of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine for medi- cal school and the University of California, San Diego for my family medicine residen- cy, I met so many amazing attending physicians, mentors and colleagues. Their joy and dedication to the practice of medicine helped inspire me to commit myself to the fullest during my training.
great resource to keep us going, whether it is a family member, friend, partner or even a com- munity group.
cialists. Afterward, I communi- cate with them through various means — telephone calls, clin- ic notes or MyChart messag- es, which is our online patient portal. In addition to myself, our patients are supported by a team of care providers who also help to facilitate timely care, including a medical assis- tant, social workers and others.
How has your medical school education helped you?
Why choose a Primary Care Physician who’s on our team?

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