Physiatrist here on Kauai

09/04/05

SUBJECT:

When you have a problem with body aches and pains, surgery is one option, but here on Kauai, people have another option: see a physiatrist. Heather Hopkins, MD, is a board certified physiatrist at Kauai Medical Clinic, and the only physiatrist based on Kauai. She is on the team of the Bone and Joint Center at Kauai Medical Clinic in Lihue, and provides patients with non-surgical care for orthopedic problems. With her background in rehabilitative medicine, she has a lot to offer patients who are seeking non-surgical alternatives to optimizing their well-being.

Dr. Hopkins has been practicing with Kauai Medical Clinic for the past two years. Prior to being on the medical staff at Wilcox Memorial Hospital, she worked at Wilcox Memorial Hospital as a physical therapist in 1991-92. It was her work in physical therapy that inspired her to expand her education and become a doctor who specializes in rehabilitative medicine. She returned to Dallas, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas in 1999. She completed her Internship in Internal Medicine at Parkland Hospital, and her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center emphasizing musculoskeletal medicine and serving as chief resident her final year. When she moved back to Kauai in 2003, she joined the Kauai Medical Clinic. “I couldn’t wait to come back to Kauai and be a part of the orthopedic team at the Bone and Joint Center at Kauai Medical Clinic,” said Dr. Hopkins. In addition to seeing patients at the clinic, she serves as Medical Director for the Rehab Department at Wilcox Memorial Hospital, consulting with staff on physical therapy care for patients.

What is Physiatry?

Physiatry (pronounced "fiz-eye-a-tree") is a modern medical specialty comprising the related disciplines of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation Medicine, and Electrodiagnosis. Doctors like Dr. Hopkins treat a wide range of impairments, from sore shoulders to paralysis, and provide preventive care, diagnosis, and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis, tendonitis, acute and chronic pain, low back pain, muscle pain and sports-related injuries. Dr. Hopkins treats all age groups, from children to senior adults, and has a special interest in sports medicine and preventing injuries.

Dr. Hopkins will be one of several Kauai Medical Clinic physicians at the Kauai County Fair on August 26th and 27th starting at 5:00 pm at the Arthritis Foundation booth, and available for “talk story” with anyone wanting to know more about her field of medicine and how she might be of help. She is also chair of the Arthritis Walk on Kauai, slated for April 1, 2006, which is sponsored in part by the Bone and Joint Center of Kauai Medical Clinic. Questions about the walk can be directed to Debi at 245-1005.

For more information about physiatry, log on to www.physiatry.org.