April 24, 2007

Micki Ly, M.D.
Maui dermatologist Micki Ly, M.D., and staff have announced that they are in their new and larger location at the Aloha Dermatology and Laser Center in Kahului.

The new, client-friendly floor plan is designed to provide space for comprehensive and specialized skin care services.

“Our vision was to provide our patients with a full-service skin care clinic and at the same time, through good design, create a setting that promotes a positive experience for our patients,” said Dr. Ly. “We’ve paid a lot of attention to patient comfort and privacy.”

With larger facilities, Dr. Ly has added space for more services, including expanded patient education, more products, more samples, and the implementation of a more efficient schedule management system, which results in less waiting time for appointments.

“Aloha was included in our name because it captures the spirit of care, compassion, hospitality, and respect we strive to convey to our clients,” said Dr. Ly. “We love making people look and feel better.”
Dr. Ly and her staff are excited about the level of care the new location provides room for. “Amazing advances in health care allow us to offer our clients a fuller array of services in dermatology and cosmetic procedures,” said Dr. Ly.

The new office is located at 89 Ho‘okele Street, Suite 101, in Kahului, right behind The Home Depot. The new location is surrounded by convenient parking spaces. For a personal consultation, call 808-877-6526. For information or driving directions, visit  www.aloha-dermatology.com.


Rob Mastroianni, M.D.
There are many types of skin infections and staphylococcal (“staph”) infections, states Jill Street PA-C from Dr. Mastroianni’s Makawao clinic.  They are one of the most common ones seen in the general public. Staph is a bacteria that causes infection by entering an opening through the skin.  Openings in the skin can occur by bites, cuts, shaving and scratching to name a few.

Most common staph infections can be treated with a 7 – 10 day course of antibiotics in addition to good hygiene and caring for the skin infection properly.  There is, however, a very resistant type of staph bacteria that is becoming widespread in both Hawai‘i and other parts of the country. This type of bacteria is called MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus).

MRSA is a type of staph infection that does not respond to the types of antibiotics that are generally given for typical staph infections. This type of infection often looks like a typical staph infection yet progresses to a  more severe infection in a very short period of time. A MRSA infection can lead to hospitalization, IV antibiotics, and serious health problems if not treated properly and in a timely fashion.

If you notice an open area of the skin that is red, swollen, and painful please see your Healthcare Provider as soon as possible as this may be the beginning signs of a MRSA infection.

You can make an appointment with Dr. Mastroianni by calling 573-8900. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm.


Toxic Bedroom?
Toxic Bedrooms…Your Guide to a Safe Night’s Sleep author Walt Bader will be present to discuss this newly released book. In 1995 he co-founded Lifekind, Inc., a national catalog company specializing in organic and naturally safer product alternatives. He and his partner later created the first organic mattress Eco-Factory. Topics will include The Toxic Soup: Chemicals and Your Health, When Did Mattresses Become So “Chemical?” The Information Void, and How to Shop for an Organic Mattress.  There will be an open forum for questions and answers.  Event dates:  May 5, 2007 at The Studio Maui from 7-9pm and May 7 at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center from 6:30-8:30pm in the Alexa Higashi Meeting Room.  Admission is free, but space is limited. Please call 871-6406 for more information.


Body In Balance
Body In Balance is fusion of fitness and wellness, located in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. We are a private Pilate’s studio and personal weight training center which focuses on core muscle activation. We believe the complement of strength training with focus on the stabilizing properties of Pilates is imperative to a well balanced body. We specialize in one on one instruction for many of our client’s special needs with attention and direction. We also work in small groups for those with similar fitness goals, offering mat classes and stability training.  Call us at 661-1116 for more info.


Bohemia Boutique
Bohemia Boutique is known as “Maui’s best kept secret” due to the one of kind items it carries. This little boutique in downtown Wailuku (105 N. Market Street) boasts vintage couture and contemporary consignment, featuring local artists and designers. There is literally something for everyone and every budget is this boutique, from high-end designer to everyday basics.

In the Bohemia Boutique you will find vintage couture gowns/accessories, designer jeans/apparel, [Seven, True Religion, Juicy Couture, Custo Barcelona, DaNang & more] also high-end designer items [Chanel, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Coach, Dior, Dooney & Bourke, Manolo Blahnik, & more]. Also featuring apparel, jewelry, and handbags from designer’s Paul Ropp, Sue Wong, Tamara Catz, as well as several other local designers.

Maggie Walker-Bijl also designs clothing herself.  Born and raised outside Chicago, Maggie achieved a BFA in Fashion Design at the Illinois Institute of Art. After college she moved to Los Angeles and designed swimwear for a large company. She then moved to Maui and designed for Tamara Catz.  Now, with the support of her husband Pieter Bijl (a professional windsurfer) she has decided to take on owning a boutique and designing her own collections of swimwear & apparel. Stop by and check out the shop. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!
For info call Bohemia at 244-9995.


Patients Without Time
Attention Maui Medical Patients: Are you having trouble growing for yourself?  As a group of over 600 medical marijuana patients, Patients Without Time can help.  Together we can overcome theft, bugs, mold, reliance on the black-market and lacking proper knowledge and resources.

With the help of your testimonies, House Concurrent Resolution 10 (HCR 10) passed the State of Hawai‘i House of Representatives Health committee. After being adopted by the entire House of Representatives, the Judiciary committee has deferred and yet to vote on the resolution.

HCR 10 calls upon Maui County’s “family farmers” to supply the medical needs of the community.  The County of Maui will control medical marijuana by taxing and regulating individual patient’s leased plots on secured agriculturally-zoned land, allowing patients to grow collectively and always have safe access to their medicine
We know we are not alone. This month, the State of New Mexico passed legislation creating a state-operated medical marijuana distribution system and the State of California Board of Equalization levied a 7.25 percent sales tax on medical marijuana sales.

Be part of the change and part of the solution!  Contact us at www.patientswithouttime.com or call 808- 579-8320. Visit us at 71 Baldwin Avenue Suite C-3 in Pa‘ia to register to vote.

Maui Seaskins
One of the delights of roaming (and occasionally getting lost in) Haiku’s rolling countryside is the chance you’ll come upon a treasure like nothing else on Maui. Maui SeaSkins & Accessories is such a find: an organic clothing store for men and women. Located in the Haiku Town Center next to Upcountry Fitness, Maui SeaSkins carries a wider—and mostly exclusive—selection of organic clothing and products for men and women alike.

“Naked Clothing is organic cotton and hemp fabric in comfortable, flattering designs that hold up well,” says store owner Pamela Vreeken.

“Ecolution is another hemp line, a high-end look that is flattering to just about anyone. Gail Marie makes trendy, fun clothing, jewelry and purses.”

And then there’s Bamboo Tees, whose antiviral shirts could make you give up silk—it’s that soft—and machine washable. Because it’s also breathable and absorbent, bamboo is at once elegant, and ideal for the tropics. Just getting to touch this remarkable fiber is worth the trip to Haiku Maui SeaSkins who also carries a large selection of natural candles, hand and body lotions, hats, bags, and gift items.
The store is open Tuesday through Friday, 10am-6pm, and 11am-5pm on Saturday. For directions and other information, call 575-9988.


Pukalani Chiropractic
Pukalani Chiropractic believes in your health. Chiropractic stems from the Greek word “chiro” which means “by hand.” Dr. Janssen has been practicing chiropractic healing for over 22 years. He is a Palmer College graduate. He utilizes several different chiropractic techniques in his day-to-day practice at Pukalani Chiropractic. He is a firm believer in the combination of chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, physical therapy and specific rehabilitation exercises and teaches all of his patients different forms of spinal stabilization through exercise.
Industrial, auto and sports injuries are treated in his upcountry clinic, as well as seeing patients on an on-going basis for a preventative approach. Dr. Janssen knows from experience that people who come in “to clean their slates,” so to speak, can prevent small spinal problems from becoming big troublesome conditions.
Dr. Janssen is a member of an IPA (independent physicians association). Through this plan, county and state workers can benefit for treatments. Call 572-5599 for an appointment.

The Upcountry Health Club, Maui’s only state of the art fitness facility has finally been granted a permit from the County Building with groundbreaking occurring in the near future. The Club will be located in the Kulamalu commercial development just above Pukalani.

Upcountry Massage Company, located right next door, has six therapists who offer many different forms of bodywork. A combination of massage and chiropractic treatments works very well together. Ask about the ongoing $89 chiro/massage combo special.


Spa Luna
At Spa Luna you will not only learn and practice the therapeutic art  of massage therapy and esthetics, you will also create a circle of mentors and friends, interact with challenging situations, establish healthy boundaries, and deepen your relationship with yourself and others.  We offer 750-hour full and part-time Massage Therapy Programs, in addition to 600-hour full and part-time Esthetician Programs.

Our mission is to instill in our students the qualities of professionalism, integrity, and competence, and to facilitate an inspiring, creative, and fun learning experience.

Located in beautiful upcountry Maui, Spa Luna Holistic School for Massage Therapists is known throughout the Hawaiian Islands as being “no ka oi” (the best)! Contact us for more program information and assistance with Financial Aid.

Spa Luna is not only a great school, we also are a full service Professional Spa! Call now and book your appointment! Also check out our student clinics for massages and facials.

We are located at 810 Haiku Road, Suite 209 in Haiku, 808-575-9267 and 800-347-6449, spaluna.com school@spaluna.com


Shear Organics
When you walk into Shear Organics Hair Salon, you might find yourself asking what owner Marianne Callari has heard countless times: “My! What smells so good?” And she will answer faithfully, “Why, it’s the hair color.” That is a strange thing considering nearly all hair color is made of harsh chemicals including ammonia; normally these ingredients combine to create a caustic aroma.

Beginning her practice twenty-eight years ago at the Organic Hair Care Center in California, she has since been intent upon finding natural products that produce the best end results. Now, she has a gorgeous salon that uses mostly organic products. “I love doing what I do, so I do it with the finest ingredients available to me.” Clients with chemical sensitivities have found Shear Organics is a solution for their hair color concerns. 

She believes the best way she serves her clients, however, is through the continuation of education.  This way, she hopes the client will be provided with correct, up-to-date information from which they can make their own, informed decisions.  From there, Callari says, there may be a collaborative effort between the client and the stylist, and that is the basis of the most beautiful hair.

Call Marianne at 808-344-1877 for an appointment.


Upcountry Fitness
Wes Sears, co-owner of Upcountry Fitness in Ha‘iku says, “A healthy body radiates beauty from the inside, and is ageless.” The steps to obtain or maintain a healthy body are not miracles or fads. In simple terms it can be viewed as a triangle, each side representing a major aspect to your health and beauty. Rest, nutrition, and exercise each represent one side of the triangle. Each side of the triangle is dependent on the other. With proper rest, nutrition, and exercise the body is stimulated to rebuild better than it was before. The best plan for exercise would include flexibility, resistance exercise to increase strength and balance, and endurance exercise for the heart and lungs. Functional exercises that mimic the natural movements the body uses every day are the best, preferably performed while standing. Training the body to be strong while seated or laying down has little crossover when you need it, burns less calories and trains less muscle. Izaak Tyrrell, Training Manager at Upcountry Fitness states “We have had universally positive results using our unique training techniques and equipment on clients from their teens to their 80s. There is no place on Maui that can do what we do.”

Now in their tenth year in Ha‘iku, Upcountry Fitness is located at 810 Kokomo Road and can be reached at 575-7334.


Landmark Maui Properties
“Years ago I realized that everyone moves to Maui for a change in lifestyle and the single most important element of that change is health,” says Mark Sheehan, Realtor and Principal Broker of Landmark Maui Properties.
Maui is America’s health retreat destination and Mark Sheehan has worked for more than 19 years as Maui’s Health and Wellness Realtor.

Mark’s passion is working with Maui properties that nourish the mind, body and spirit. “Buyers come to me with specific lifestyle and health goals, and I help them find the area and property to match their needs. Sellers choose me for my knowledge in how to showcase unique and special properties,” he says.

Some clients are concerned about cane smoke, GMO drift, pesticides, herbicide sprays in farm areas, and what may be used on pineapples fields that can affect soil and water.  So, finding these special properties takes a familiarity with the history of use of these toxins, as well as the areas they affect.
On the other hand, Mark’s preoccupation with health and wellness has attracted the attention of sellers of stunning retreat properties and buyers looking for same.

One such property is a magical Ha‘iku retreat ideally suited for yoga or meditation seminars which Mark has listed for $3.5 million.

Mark Sheehan can be reached at 808-283-2158.


Kula Hospital
Kula Hospital is historically significant for its place in Hawaiian healthcare history, and particularly for the treatment of tuberculosis. Founded in 1910 as the Maui County Farm and Sanitarium, the hospital is located in Keokea at the 3,000 foot elevation level on the slopes of Haleakala.

Tuberculosis care was the reason to establish the hospital, however other programs were added over time
including a general hospital for delivering babies and general surgery for the folks upcountry.

Most people only think of Kula San as the old sanatorium and forget the rich history of the many other buildings on the campus, including the general hospital and clinic buildings. The hospital spans 60 acres with extensive, beautifully landscaped grounds, and several historic buildings constructed between 1915 and 1930. One of these older buildings was the first preventive healthcare facility in the Hawaiian territory.  Known as the Kula Preventorium, school-age children came to the facility–in the way today’s children go to summer camp–to learn good health habits.

The 22-bed Kula General Hospital was completed in 1935 and delivered babies to the Kula community right up until the 1980s.

Today this historic hospital building is now the outpatient clinic. The outpatient clinic includes acupuncture and chinese herbs by Michael Howden, and massage by Hawkeye Lanis. The clinic is also staffed by an internal medicine specialist,
Dr. Heather Haynes and a family practioners, Dr. Nicole Apoliona and Dr. Al Yazawa. 

The hospital today now boasts an emergency room open 24 hours, 365 days per year for all non-life threatening emergencies. On staff at the emergency room are family practioners Dr. Nancy Greenwell and Dr. Maria Kriekenbeek and board certified in emergency medicine, Dr. Richard Weiland.

Many of today’s community members were born or received surgical services in the old Kula General
Hospital. The five-story Kula Hospital “sanatorium” building was completed in 1937 and designed by renowned Hawaii architect, Charles William Dickey.   Kula Hospital was designated on the State Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Today Kula Hospital is a Medicare designated Critical Access Hospital with five acute care hospital beds, 99 SNF/ICF beds, nine ICF/MR beds, a 24-hour emergency room and outpatient clinic with lab and x-ray services. Kula Hospital employs 193 staff including five physicians and two contracted clinic based physicians.
Kula’s new administrator, Lee Johnson, has a long family history of volunteer efforts at the hospital. A memorial garden was recently dedicated at the hospital by the Kula Auxiliary in memory of Lee’s father and step-mother.  Lee is excited about the potential of the hospital to serve all the upcountry community and he is busy making plans now for the hospital’s 100th anniversary coming soon in 2010.
Call 878-1221 for an appointment or visit www.kula.hhsc.org