Centennial Celebration

Straub Medical Center began with Dr. George Straub’s vision to provide for patients’ health care needs under one roof. Through the years, the medical center has grown from his origins as “The Clinic” of five doctors to a ground-breaking medical center of today boasting 539 doctors and 1,841 employees. Photos courtesy Hawaii Pacific Health

As Straub Medical Center celebrates its centennial, we asked Dr. Stephen Arnold, an internist at the facility since 1978, about the history of the medical center as well as its plans for the celebration and the years ahead. What follows is his writing, with light edits for space.

The Straub Medical Center traces its origins to when Dr. George Straub arrived in Honolulu on New Year’s Eve 1907 with the vision of a “clinic where patients always come first and where the health needs of the entire family could be met under one roof.”

Dr. Straub’s vision was realized in January 1921, when “The Clinic” opened. The original practice consisted of five physicians: Dr. Straub, Dr. Guy Milnor, Dr. Arthur Jackson, Dr. Howard Clarke and Dr. Eric Fennell. Dr. Harry Arnold, Sr., Dr. Joseph Strode and Dr. Joseph Palma later joined. With this expansion, The Clinic moved to its present location across from Thomas Square in March 1933; it was officially renamed the Straub Clinic in 1952, despite Dr. Straub’s protests.

Building additions occurred in 1950, 1962 in 1981 to accommodate more physicians and services. A 159-bed hospital was added in 1973. In 2001, Straub Clinic merged with Kapi‘olani Medical Center, Pali Momi Medical Center and Wilcox Medical Center under the auspices of Hawaii Pacific Health (HPH).

In 1955, Straub physicians Fred Gilbert and Robert Rigler introduced radioactive iodine for the treatment of thyroid disease. Dr. Robert Nordyke became Hawai‘i’s first nuclear medicine specialist. In 1983, Hawai‘i’s first (and only) Burn Unit opened so that severe burn patients would no longer have to be transferred to mainland facilities.

Dr. Robert Kistner invented many of the procedures and even devised the instruments for vascular surgery used around the world today. Straub Medical Center has been recognized as one of Healthgrades America 250 best hospitals in 2020 and has placed in the top 15% of United States hospitals for over a decade.

The pandemic crisis has demonstrated how quickly Straub adapts. Weekly Zoom conferences share crucial information regarding the ever-changing spectrum of COVID-19. A swift transition to telehealth occurred, keeping patients healthy and informed. The MyChart app introduced several years ago allows 24/7 access to one’s medical records, immunizations and lab results. Requests for face-to-face and Telehealth visits and refills can now be serviced 24/7.

Today, the Straub team is excited to celebrate its 100 years of caring for patients. While the celebration may look different than originally imagined, Straub will honor all the medical firsts it’s brought to our shores. The Straub ‘ohana also plans to gather virtually to salute the anniversary and to organize and unveil a time capsule for the next century.

It is a rapidly evolving time in healthcare, and Straub looking forward to all the new and different ways to develop care, from redeveloping our existing spaces to better suit the community’s needs, to offering new services, to expanding telehealth.

Straub has grown into an organization of 539 physicians and over 1,841 employees. The Straub ‘ohana remains excited to continue to bring cutting edge, compassionate care to Hawai‘i for the next 100 years. Dr. Straub, at the time of his retirement, said, “I consider myself most fortunate for I have lived in the Golden age of Medicine.”

Doc – you ain’t seen nothing yet!

hawaiiipacifichealth.org/straub/