WAILUKU - A new primary care/HIV specialist is available for appointments at the Maui AIDS Foundation on Thursdays.
Dr. Timothy Duerler will be providing the medical services with the goal of helping people with HIV/AIDS lead happier and healthier lives, a Maui AIDS Foundation news release said.
"The move is part of the MAF's commitment to improving client health and reducing the chances of HIV transmission," said John Gilarski, the foundation's director of client services. "Prevention and care work together in a symbiotic relationship."
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Duerler
Duerler will be able to provide patients counseling and connect them with medical care "within minutes of a diagnosis," Gilarski said.
"Dr. Duerler's addition to the Maui health care community gives people living with HIV/AIDS greater alternatives when reviewing their options for treatment," he said.
Duerler has been proving primary care and HIV specialist services since 2005 on Oahu and the Big Island. He practiced primary care for several years before starting his own medical practice, Mango Medical, in September. His Big Island facility offers primary care with an emphasis on nutrition and lifestyle choices to improve health, the news release said.
"Eating more mangoes, apples, exercise, laughing more . . . can all keep you healthy and perhaps even prevent some of those ailments," he said.
He is a certified HIV specialist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine after receiving training in Honolulu, San Francisco and Seattle. Earning his Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition from Case Western Reserve University in 2002, Duerler received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2005. His completed his family medicine residency at the University of Hawaii in 2008.
A trip to Africa before entering medical school led him to his current specialty. During visits to Swaziland and Mozambique, he saw populations devastated by HIV/AIDS.
"After seeing such devastation, I knew I would devote my career to addressing the healing and care needs of this community," he said in a news release.
He accepts all patients with HMSA, Medicare and MedQuest. Maui AIDS Foundation clients, who are underinsured and uninsured, will be accepted for services through federal Ryan White funding.
Kaiser Permanente and Veterans Affairs patients are not covered by this program.
To schedule an appointment, call (808) 769-5010. The appointments will be held at the Maui AIDS Foundation, 1935 Main St., Suite 101.
