Urgent Care in the Aloha State

The founder of an urgent care medical clinic in Kahala says clinics like his are a national trend and you can expect to see more across Hawaii.

Robert Ruggieri spent seven years as an attending physician in the emergency room of The Queen's Medical Center before founding Kahala Urgent across the highway mauka of Kahala Mall.

"I could see there were a lot of patients waiting for long periods of time that could be seen sooner in a clinic such as this," said Ruggieri.

National statistics say people who come to ERs with nonemergency conditions can expect to wait for three to four hours while people with more serious or time-sensitive issues are taken first.
"Many common bumps, bruises, sprains, lacerations that need suturing or stitches can be best served in an urgent care clinic than in an ER," Ruggieri said. "Since I opened May I've seen a lot of people with sinusitis and common colds."

He's also handled more urgent cases at his seven-day clinic, and even referred some to the hospital. But most walk-ins can be handled by him and his five full-time staff members.

Ruggieri says there already are half a dozen clinics in Waikiki, though they cater mainly to visitors, but he expects more urgent care clinics to open in the islands, as is also the case on the Mainland.