Hawaii Pacific Health Donor Reports Spring 2016 | Page 8

“...my mission is to empower people to be able to do what they really enjoy in life...” Spencer Chang, MD Spencer Chang, MD, is not your ordinary bone and joint physician. An orthopedic surgeon who is fellowship trained in sports medicine, Spencer is an athlete himself as well as a volunteer coach for the University of Hawai‘i, a team physician for several schools, and the co-chair for the annual Hawai‘i Pacific Health Kids Fest program, one of the largest family outreach events in the state. Spencer also is a tireless champion for his In addition to the physical care he received, community. Spencer is most grateful for the unwavering In addition to his duties for Kids Fest, Spencer and other Straub Bone & Joint physicians donate bicycles to children. support of his ‘ohana at Straub – from the leadership who supported his time off, to his colleagues who supported his clinical practice when he couldn’t be there. Their “He’s always there saying, ‘What can we do actions let Spencer know he was a valued to get a better educational course for our member of the Straub team. patients?’” said Cedric Akau, MD, director of the Straub Bone & Joint Center and Spencer’s Kids Fest co-chair. “We come to bat for every person that comes through this facility, and I didn’t understand it any more than I did when I had In 2014, the active doctor was nearly sidelined to go through it myself,” said Spencer. by non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Luckily, Spencer was able to work with Straub Oncologist Galen Choy, MD, to create the best possible treatment plan using Hawai‘i Pacific Health’s system of resources. Now cancer-free, Spencer continues his extraordinary work in both the local sports and outreach arenas. Your continued support of Straub helps patients (and physicians) like Dr. Chang every day. 6