Leader of the pack With the opening this month of Animal Clinic Kapolei, Oahu's growing second city now has its first veterinary clinic.
Dr. Lester Naito opens his fifth
veterinary clinic as he sees a
future in taking care of
the needs of poochesBy Lyn Danninger
ldanninger@starbulletin.comThe clinic's owner, Dr. Lester Naito, opened his first veterinary practice in Waimalu back in 1963 with the help of his wife Grace.
Kapolei is now the fifth clinic to be added to Naito's growing roster. It's also the latest step in a dream that's quietly evolved over time.
First came Animal Clinic Waimalu, after that Mililani in 1975 was followed by Moanalua in 1977. Then came Animal Clinic Waipahu, in 1982, Naito's largest facility, and the only veterinary facility on Oahu that is open and staffed by veterinarians 24 hours a day.
The idea of a group practice and a centralized hospital with a series of satellite clinics is unusual in Hawaii veterinary circles. Most Hawaii vets are either solo practitioners or perhaps have one or two other partners all at one site.
Naito said he focused on locating clinics in central and leeward Oahu, especially in areas where no clinic existed previously.
The strategy worked. When other clinics finally sprang up in those areas, Naito's growing roster of Animal Clinics were already well established.
But from the beginning, the unassuming veterinarian said he looked toward West Oahu as the future for his business.
"I always looked at the vast area and all that acreage out on the Ewa plains and thought it would be a good place down the road. I knew it was zoned to be an urbanized area and that's finally happened now 30 years later," he said.
The same thoughts ran through his mind when he established a clinic in Mililani in 1975.
Already, the newly-opened Animal Clinic Kapolei has seen about 150 patients, and is getting lots of inquiries about boarding facilities, Naito said.
The clinic will be open 6 days a week, Monday through Saturday. For the large number of residents who work in Honolulu, Naito plans to offer evening hours to better serve the area's commuters.
Naito said he always wanted one larger well-equipped central veterinary hospital with a number of satellite clinics serving different areas.
"I knew that a smaller facility would not be able to offer all services, especially with the pace of technology. That's why a group practice with a centralized hospital and satellite clinics is a good idea," he said.
He also believes the group practice concept is good for his staff of veterinarians.
In solo practice, long hours and the added stress of trying to run a business can be hard. It can also be prohibitively expensive.
"When I first started in veterinary medicine I noticed so many vets seemed to burn out at the highlight of their careers. These days pet owners expect the latest equipment, just like human medicine," he said.
With pets such an important part of many families, Naito believed people wanted access to veterinary medicine 24 hours a day. In 1990, he decided to convert the Waipahu clinic into a full-service 24-hour operation. It was a risk, he said.
"We were taking a chance staffing three shifts a day with a doctor always on duty. It's very expensive."
But the gamble paid off. Routine appointments are now available up 10 p.m. and a veterinarian is always on-site to handle any nighttime emergencies.
With a growing staff of 58, including 11 veterinarians, the energetic Naito, now aged 67, shows no signs of slowing down -- or retiring. But he has hired a business and operations manager to help keep up with the day-to-day business and personnel functions required to keep the growing practice running smoothly.
"People asked me why open another clinic when you're supposed to be retiring. But you can do both.
"I just decided to pace myself," he said.