Medical spa offers high-tech screening
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer
Kailua carpenter Jack Ethridge decided to get a heart scan because of a family history of heart trouble. But instead of asking his doctor to order tests, Ethridge took the do-it-yourself route — paying $395 out of his pocket for a high-tech scan at Holistica Hawaii, a private diagnostic facility in Waikiki.
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He said his doctor's first reaction was, "Why'd you go and do this silly thing for?"
Dr. Roger White speaks to Sharon Nelms of Kapolei about her test results at the Holistica Hawaii at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The medical spa industry has seen revenues increase 143 percent since 1997.
But the scan showed some calcium blockage in his heart. Ethridge, 54, said waiting until the blockage was far enough along to show up in more conventional tests could have meant surgery. Detected now, his condition can be treated with diet and exercise.
"I think it was the best investment I made," he said.
Opened three years ago as a tourist-oriented medical spa at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Holistica Hawaii has evolved and found its niche as a "preventive medicine center" that gets the bulk of its business from local residents.
Holistica medical director Dr. Roger White said the business originally was envisioned as a place where wealthy visitors would spend $10,000 a week for a combination of cutting-edge medical screening and spa pampering.
"It was expensive, and it wasn't what people wanted," White said.
Now, White said, 75 percent to 80 percent of its business is from Hawai'i residents and the average client spends $400 to $1,000. "We're really seeing the average person here in Hawai'i," he said. He said half of its patients are referred by doctors.
Nationwide, the medical spa industry has seen revenues grow 143 percent since 1997, according to the International SPA Association. There were about 225 facilities in the United States in 2002, with average annual revenues of $205 million.
Holistica uses an electron beam tomography scanner, or EBT, to conduct a variety of tests such as heart blockage, bone density, brain scans to detect tumors or injury, and an intestinal scan called virtual colonography. Patients may have results sent to their doctor.
White said he has heard the criticism that the scans are expensive and unnecessary and he's been scolded by physicians for "wasting patients' money." But he said he's convinced some doctors that the scans can provide useful information.
The most common problem that the scans have found is hardening of the arteries in the heart, White said. Most often the scans turn up no problems, but sometimes they provide early warning of undetected disease, he said.
Costs range from $395 for a heart scan to $1,895 for a noninvasive coronary angiogram. Because the tests are elective, medical insurance doesn't usually cover the expense. But White said some insurance companies have reimbursed some patients for procedures when doctors referred them for tests related to existing medical conditions.
White had been chief of cardiology at Straub Clinic and Hospital before joining Holistica the week of the Sept. 11 attacks. After mold was discovered in the Hilton's Kalia Tower, Holistica closed for three months and moved to its current smaller location in the Ali'i Tower in March.
The company reduced the number of employees from 20 to five; lowered overall prices on the scans they offered to increase the number of clients; and forged relationships with local doctors and hospitals who refer patients.
Shifting focus has worked, White said, and the center sees about 10 to 12 patients a day, at least triple what it had been with the old focus. The company has performed about 20,000 scans for 4,000 clients.
Sharon Nelms of Kapolei had her heart scanned last week. She was in overall good health but was referred through her doctor at Tripler Army Medical Center because of her concern about rising cholesterol. Doctors had discussed starting medication as a precaution.
Nelms said her parents suffered some side effects from that medication. Without any other evidence of problems, she was reluctant to begin taking the drug.
After her Holistica scan showed no sign of heart disease, she felt that rejecting the medication was a good choice, and that peace of mind was worth the price of the heart scan.
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
