Best School District & Best Medical Care

[kani-lehua]

i'm thinking the north shore areas of o'ahu. maybe haleiwa. then there's waimanalo on the other side for, "the vibe of puna." with that in mind, it's still not as laid back as this island and the housing prices remain very high. oh, and don't forget the traffic woes on o'ahu. one of the most important reasons for us moving to the BI instead of relocating to some other locale on o'ahu was for the slower pace.

another major concern was the ease of transition for renee's mom from st. francis hospice to hospice of hilo. it went very smoothly. the care provided by kaiser was fair.

ditto to kathyh's post: you will have difficulty in finding a primary care physician that's accepting new patients. not the quality of his/her care. we do not have major health issues (high blood pressure and cholesterol for me) yet. therefore, kaiser is adequate for the time being. for an emergency, one goes to hilo hospital.





"a great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."

w. james

[csgray]

I teach at a Hilo charter school where new students seem to welcomed, but they almost all head back for the mainland as soon as they graduate. Many of our students are from Puna.

As someone who was uprooted during high school by my parents I can attest to how hard it can be on a kid. I really wish they had had the patience to just wait a few years to start that stage of their lives instead of ruining my high school experience and forcing me to try to integrate into a highly insular local culture very unlike the one I was raised in. That was really hard, but the differences were nothing compared to the differences between Hawaii and the Mainland.

Carol

[james weatherford]

About education, I can speak from experience and can strongly recommend Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA) in Waimea. It is expensive and, for a Puna family, it means the student will be boarding. Our youngest son attended there grades 10, 11, & 12, by his parents making huge sacrifices in our own lifestyle, as well as with help from his grandparents, and, most especially through the very generous financial aid at the school.
HPA has specifically sought to expand its student body to include more diversity by recruiting talented students in Puna and offering financial aid to make that happen.

Urgent/specialist medical care is not readily available in Puna or most rural areas anywhere -- the more rural, the less urgent/specialist care is available.

In Hawaii, the housing affordability issue is very much the big issue in comparing Oahu and Hawaii Island. Indeed, in comparing Kauai or Maui and Hawaii Island; or even in comparing Kona or Kohala side and Puna side of Hawaii Island.

If housing affordability is essential, then Puna or Ka'u (or even maybe Hamakua) will make all the difference.
North Shore Oahu (where I lived many years ago and still like to visit, though don't get to often) and Waimanalo are not at all like Honolulu, but are close enough to get better medical care and schools.



James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park

[missydog1]

HPA is great. If you bring a child here to attend HPA, you are giving him a fine opportunity. However, it's very costly. I don't know what scholarships are available. A friend of mine had two children there at once, and I think each was costing her $12-15K per year. Much of her income went to tuition, but it was worth it to her, because her children were not thriving in the regular school (Kona-side).

[Tolleys]

We moved to Puna in July 2007 with Kaiser Permanente health insurance. We had no trouble getting primary care Doctors. I think the Kaiser Hilo facility is as good or better then United Health care I got in Phoenix, AZ.

I have not had to use hospital facilities in Hilo except for two minor visits to the emergency room (broken finger and major cut). Both experiences were great - relatively quick in and out. I guess there is always good and bad no matter where you are - differnt Health providers, doctors, facilites and technical services.




Susan

[critterlover]

Monty Said: Thanks for your help. When you say "very poor health care availability (not to even discuss quality)"
Does that mean that even primary care physicians are no good or hard to get appointments with?
Me: I live in the Pahoa area. My primary [only] physician is in Hilo. I have no health insurance and pay as I go. I see him only for yearly check ups. He is an outstanding physician, Dr. Stefan Harmeling [www.alohanuifamilypractice.com]. For those of us who routinely do business in town having a doctor in town is practical. I would imagine as the population grows out here in makai Puna we will see more and more docs setting up their practice...even if only for seniors... :::::wink::::

Monty: Does one have to get "wait-listed" for primary care visits too?
Me: I did not. My original doctor, Jon Martell, was my family doc for 15 years until he closed his practice and went to work fulltime at the Hospital. Doc Harmeling is 3 doors down from Doc Martell's former office and they took me with no wait list.

Monty: I do not mind the limited infrastructure as much. I am tired of living in cities.
Me: That is the sacrifice one must be ready to make. When my husband and I made the commitment to move here he was most concerned that we would be living in a rural area, not for himself, but for me. He was raised in a large city, Montreal, and I was raised in LA County. We raised our family in San Diego and moved here in 1991. I told him I was ready to live somewhere more obscure, less people, and when I needed a city fix we could fly to Oahu and play tourist like we did for many year before moving here. Once here, living in the rural world is a mixed bag. There is most definitely a trade off. The lack of multiple choice in eating establishments, for instance. But the positives far and away exceed the drawbacks. I truly love living somewhere you can actually make a difference and where people are just people. Keeping up with the Jones' here is hilarious...how many volunteer hats do you wear; what are you growing; what subdivision do you live in. The one thing we had a bit of getting used to was the incessant questions! And inappropriate ones too! We have been here for nearly 20 years now which has passed very quickly and we love it.

Monty: Right now, I am living in Atlanta, Georgia and i do not like it. But I like the "unconventional folks", which I assume Puna has in abundant quantities.
Me: I would say, Puna could be deemed the 'unconventional folks' capitol of the state! But you have no other place where you appreciate the freedoms as you do here. Freedom of self expression on so many levels is acceptable to so many people. After awhile people get to know you and you can't go to the store without a disguise if you want to just pop in buy and pop out...otherwise you wind up 'talking story' because you are sure to bump into someone you know. I believe you will love it here. There are a couple of Charter Schools on this side of the island. I am familiar with Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences [http://www.haaspcs.org/] located in Pahoa and Connections Charter School located in Hilo. The principle at HAAS, Steve Hirakami, is very involved in the community and is a wholly nice man. The principle at Connections, John Thatcher, is equally involved in his community and equally devoted to his students. Both Charter schools have great reputations.

On a final note about health care here: My father lived with us for a few years when we first moved here. He is a Vet and uses the Veteran's Administration for his healthcare. Then, it was not as invested in Hilo as it is now. Hilo Medical Center, the local Hospital, has a mixed bag reputation. I have personally NEVER had a problem with them and I have had several surgeries...but I have known others whose nightmarish problems are notable. My best friend in the world lives on Oahu and both she and her husband have been particularly cursed with serious health problems yet both of them have received outstanding care from Straub Medical Center. Obviously, the population center for the state being on that island will reap the better quality care. We do have a Wal-Mart here in town so the generics are still 4$.

This has been my experience. While you visit the Big Island I hope you are wowed by the inherent spirit and beauty of the land. It will surely grab your heart and soul and even if you decide not to relocate here it will be a special place and memory that will bring you joy upon every remembrance.

“A penny saved is a government oversight.”

[Daniel]

I pay cash too, no doctor problems. Always get the "Cash discount". He helps out with prescriptions sometimes by offering me free sample packs to get me started as well. Also there is only one School District in Hawaii, obviously the way to go!

Daniel R Diamond

[TomK]

Daniel - all I can say is that if no one else gets it, I did! That's the kind of humour I miss from the UK...

Tom

[HiloHaole]

Monty ---
I would not move here if I were you. The schools aren't very good for raising a kid and the medical systems are terrible. Most move over here after coming on vacation. Being on vacation here and living here are very, very different. Most move back within 2-3 years because of the medical care and schools. Medical workers many times aren't disciplined (really, in most companies) appropriately because of the shortage of workers. Many things are overlooked because of this worker shortage -- or, I should say, good-worker shortage. I'd STRONGLY advise not moving here.

[Monty]

Wow, All you people are so helpful.

I am soooooooooooooo confused! Let me absorb all this valuable advice and I will seek additional advice.

Thanks again!

Since my house burned down, I now own a better view of the rising moon.