Welcome
Dr. Brian Panik is a board-certified Emergency Physician who spends his time caring for the people of the South Kona and Kau Districts on the Big Island of Hawaii. He became Chief of Staff at Kau Hospital in 2009. Dr. Panik previously worked at Kohala Hospital and the Kohala Family Medical Clinic, both in Kapa’au.
Education
Dr. Panik graduated from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2002, and then completed a yearlong traditional rotating internship at Garden City Hospital in Garden City, Michigan. He spent his time during this year gaining a broad-based exposure to specialties from obstetrics to neurosurgery, as well as family practice. Choosing to specialize in emergency medicine, Dr. Panik then completed his three-year emergency medicine residency training through Michigan State University’s Statewide Campus System. During this time he rotated through the hospitals of urban and suburban Detroit. As he never takes the easy road, he also chose to pursue out rotations during training, which included two in pediatrics, one month-long rotation in pediatric anesthesia at CHOM, three months at the UMC Trauma Center in Nevada, as well as time at the Hilo Medical Center and North Hawaii Community Hospital.
After practicing emergency medicine fulltime for two years post-residency completion, he was eligible for board certification that requires passing written and oral boards as well as submitting a set of clinical charts for review. In 2007, he was granted board certification in Emergency Medicine. In 2008, Dr. Panik was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. He continues to educate himself by completing continuous learning examinations in emergency medicine and attending the annual ACOEP and ACEP meetings, most recently in Boston, Massachusetts. In the 2007 through 2009 continuing medical education cycle Dr. Panik completed over 160 course hours of credit earning a CME Certificate of Excellence.
The operating room where I spent my volunteer time in Haiti 2002
Island Time
After relocating to Hawaii in 2006, Dr. Panik had been working on the Big Island only a short time when locals assured him one Friday that “Island Time” would be much simpler than Detroit’s hectic congestion and violent crime. Then a 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit early on the following Sunday morning. Dr. Panik relied on the earthquake knowledge he’d gained from growing up in Southern California to initiate and organize the hospital’s evacuation while treating patients.
Giving Back
When not in the emergency department, Dr. Panik enjoys donating his time and medical expertise to various local charities. He was a Founding Member and is the Medical Director of North Kohala’s Community Emergency Response Team, and is also a Founding Member of the Big Island Trauma Advisory Council.
Dr. Panik has participated in a multitude of volunteer projects. In 2002, Dr. Panik traveled to Haiti. There, he did everything from caring for an open cranial fracture that had resulted from a rock assault to assisting a general surgeon during a crash caesarian section delivery at 3 a.m. Dr. Panik left Haiti respectful of the Haitian people, proud to be an American, and extremely grateful for the “little things” in his life.
He also enjoyed participating in Kohala Hospital’s Adopt-a-Highway Project to “Malama ‘Aina,” and he smiles every time he drives by Kapa’au’s clean shoulders of miles 16 to 17. Additionally, Dr. Panik has conducted a free immunization clinic, raised money for the American Cancer Society, provided care for the Special Olympics, and volunteered in the 2006 Ironman’s main medical tent. Dr. Panik also feels it is important to give back to his profession, and enjoys talking with young people who are interested in pursing a career in medicine. In 2009, he was involved with the Kona and Kohala Hospital’s MASH camp.
On the mainland, Dr. Panik was an in-field care Physician at NASCAR’s Nextel Cup UAW-Daimler-Chyrsler 400 and Busch Series Sam’s Town 300 races at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he treated the spectators, the pit crew, and the drivers themselves.
Gone Surfing
Although Dr. Panik attended medical school and worked his way through both high school and college, he has managed to maintain his status as a lifelong surfer. Dr. Panik grew up in Orange County, California, where he spent his weekends riding a short board among the Newport Beach Jetties. During summer, Trestles was more frequently his spot, and he made the drive up to surf the points and reefs of Ventura and Santa Barbara every winter.
He currently rides both short and long boards at various top-secret breaks throughout the Big Island. Occasionally, you might see him going tandem surfing with his fiance on the West Side. He also enjoys slide fishing for ulua, whipping for menpachi, and is occasionally seen dropping a line from a friend’s boat off the Kona coast.
Personal
The oldest of three children, Dr. Panik’s brother is a film editor in Los Angeles and his sister is a freelance writer in San Diego. Their parents live in Kailua-Kona. After living in California, Missouri, Michigan, Nevada, and when not in Pahala; Dr. Panik now calls Waimea home. Among the many benefits of living in this centrally located community is its proximity to The Hawaiian Style Café, and their smoked meat omelet.
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Dr. Brian Panik, D.O., F.A.A.E.M.