Talk Story with an Advertiser: IMI Clinics
Dr. Joanna Smith has many well-deserved credentials following her name. She owns IMI Clinics, also known as Integrated Medicine Institute. IMI is Hawai‘i Island’s medical center for wellness, esthetics, and preventive health.
Opened in 2018, IMI is the first practice in East Hawai‘i offering an integrative approach with allopathic, naturopathic, and esthetics under one roof. It is also East Hawai‘iʻs first full-service medical spa, and Dr. Smith is likely the only licensed doctor of nurse practice, esthetitian, health care provider, registered nurse and radiologic technician you’ll come across!
Born and raised in Hilo, Dr. Smith attended both Waiakea and Hilo high schools, and colleges on O‘ahu and in Hilo.
Her father, Francis Smith, Sr., inspired her to become a physician. He was a fire chief, and was the first to combine EMT and fireman duties, as well. When he brought his EMT books home, Dr. Smith recalls her fervor for reading them and anything else health-related. She reflects, “I was immediately stung with the desire to have some kind of profession that had to do with healthcare,” and her father backed her all the way.
Her mother’s experience with cancer prompted her to study widely. “A lot of things that kept mom around longer were naturopathic type of treatments—they really helped! As physicians, we should be approaching healthcare from all angles including allopathic and naturopathic so we are looking at each patient as a whole.” With Dr. Smith’s range of specializations, she can offer many services to her patients.
IMI’s Hilo office supports four clinicians, office staff, plus several independent sub-contractors. She’s opening a second clinic in Pearl City, O‘ahu at the time this publishes, and a third office, on Hawai‘i Island, is projected to open at the end of 2020.
Dr. Smith’s voice lights up when she talks about her patients: “The wellness aspect is so close to my heart. People who are looking to continue their journey with wellness, or would like to be introduced to wellness options. It’s not about gender or age, if you are seeking true wellness options, I’m here. It’s life changing! During Covid everything else in my service lines became secondary to the people who were seeking wellness options. People who were willing to do protocols even if their insurance didn’t cover it—they were so concerned about being well that when they went through with the protocols, they got better! They haven’t been this healthy in years!”
IMI Clinics
868 Ululani Street, Suite #106, Hilo
808.657.4644
imiclinics.com
