Page 16 - MidWeek - Dec 28, 2022

16 MIDWEEK DECEMBER 28, 2022
A general practice phy- sician, Dr. James Bar- ahal began his medi- cal career in Hawai‘i making house calls around O‘ahu. About 40 years later, his depth of experience was invaluable in developing Straub’s Virtu- al Urgent Care with Hawai‘i Pacific Health (HPH). Anoth- er notable fact is that Barahal also serves as the president and CEO of the Honolulu Mara- thon, which marked its 50th anniversary earlier this month. In this article, he delves deeper into the topic of urgent care, including its virtual com-
ponent.
I started Doctors on Call in 1981 to treat people in their own homes, and in a year- and-a-half, I had made ap- proximately 8,000 house calls. We opened our first clinic in Waikīkī that, I believe, was the first urgent care clinic in Hawai‘i, and joined Straub Medical Center in 1992. The
DR. JAMES BARAHAL, physician at Straub Medical Center and director of Straub Virtual Urgent Care Interviewed by Don Robbins
Fulfilling An ‘Urgent’ Medical Need
basic concept today is the same — to treat medical needs that occur outside of regular appointments with a primary care physician but may not require emergency room care. The way that patients interact with urgent care doctors and the services they can provide, however, has changed dramat- ically with technology. Thou- sands now have increased access to the care they want when they want it through virtual visits or telemedicine. Because of that, patients who may not have gone to a doctor for a concern can easily do so.
ters, which is different from many national telemedicine companies.
What do people not know about urgent care?
How has urgent care changed over the years?
What types of services does urgent care provide, and why is this especially timely during the holiday season?
gap. We can treat a wide range of medical conditions and concerns. It is not a replace- ment for a visit with your pri- mary care physician, but can help bridge your care.
not an emergency but needs to be addressed right away: a sore throat, a rash, an ear- ache, a possible sprain or possible food poisoning. As part of HPH, Straub Urgent Care Clinics are fully inte- grated into the HPH network, which means that we have immediate access to your medical records and history. One more key point is that Straub Urgent Care Clinics accept the same insurance plans as HPH medical cen-
How does virtual urgent care differ from traditional telemedicine?
We tried to make it sim- ple for those who may not be very tech savvy. All you need to do is dial a phone number and click on a text message. In general, though, make sure your camera is on and you are not muted. The system will cue you if anything else is wrong.
During the holiday season, which is also flu season, your doctor may get busier. At the same time, people who get sick want treatment imme- diately — even after regular business hours — so they don’t need to postpone their plans. Urgent care fills that
Why should a person con- sider urgent care versus calling their primary care physician or going to the emergency department?
We designed our virtual urgent care to be comprehen- sive, integrated and easy for people to access and use. You do not need to download an app. You can call and speak with a real person here in Ha- wai‘i on the phone. To meet with the doctor, all you need to do is click on the secure link in the message or email.
In every way possible, HPH has created a unique urgent care support system that has been an incredible service for the people of Hawai‘i, and we’re proud to have been the ones to do that.
Dr. James Barahal participates in a Straub Virtual Urgent Care session.
PHOTOS COURTESY HAWAI‘I PACIFIC HEALTH
We see a mix of conditions including respiratory con- cerns (sore throats, coughs, some asthma), minor injuries and abdominal pain. Urgent care is excellent for minor traumas such as sprains since our urgent care facili- ties have full X-ray and other capabilities.
What are your tips for peo- ple who have not used virtu- al urgent care before?
A person should think about urgent care when something springs up that is
What patient injuries/ill- nesses do urgent care clinics typically see?
Some believe virtual urgent care is impersonal, which is not true. In many ways, HPH’s virtual urgent care is very similar to the house calls I made during the start of my career. We gather the infor- mation we need by talking with patients and others who live in their households.
Urgent care is here for YOU.
For minor injuries and illnesses, visit one of our urgent care clinics. No appointment is necessary.
HawaiiPacificHealth.org/UrgentCare