As I walked into one of the most luxurious condominiums in all of Hawai‘i, I knew I was going to interview the CEO and founder of NIU Health, Dr. Tony Trpkovski. What I didn’t know is that this interview would change my perspective on my life and career.
Dr. Tony Trpkovski, better known as Dr. T, had already made his mark on O‘ahu as one of the best doctors in Hawai‘i. Though he currently has a successful practice that he cofounded, Doctors of Waikiki, Dr. T had bigger plans. A vision, a dream if you will: affordable and accessible healthcare for all.
In the spring of 2020, NIU Health Urgent Care+ was born.
It’s a challenge to keep up with this man, he has so much passion and his energy is intrinsic. Dr. T escorted me to the 7th floor of the Anaha building in Honolulu, the doors opened and voilà. Before us was a private lounging area for residents and their guests. Beautiful is an understatement; the space was pristine and welcoming. I was surprised that no one else was taking advantage of this arena of Zen. The only sound was coming from two television flatscreens. The TVs were at a relativity low volume, but you could still feel the vocal excitement of the sports commentators announcing a play-by-play of a NFL (National Football League) game.
Dr. T was ambivalent.
We sat down at one of the monkeypod tables, assuring my back was to the screens and I began my interview.
Dr. T, most people follow professional sports, why don’t you?
He softly chuckles.
I would enjoy sports more if franchise leadership came up with some type of international oversight or prototype. A model where 5% of their profit automatically goes back to the community. Professional sports make so much money, why can’t they give a little more back?
People want to know more about you. What made you decide to pursue medicine?
I really love people. I want to help them, care for them, and take it beyond a normal doctor/patient relationship. It’s like a trait I have, I can’t change that, that’s me. I’m a natural caregiver. I like being a problem solver, I like taking care of people in general. It is genetic; I can’t help it.
If I go back in my family ancestry, we have been caregivers for many generations. My parents were the kahunas of medicine in Macedonia. I felt compelled to carry on that lineage as it is in my DNA.
My parents immigrated separately in the 60s. They were trying to escape due to changes in Yugoslavia; there were a lot of conflicts. We had some relatives who lived in the United States. I finished my primary education in Indiana, and through a school board program in Yugoslavia, which eventually became Macedonia, I received my medical education. Upon returning to the U.S., I completed a residency program in Internal Medicine at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
How did you end up in Hawai‘i?
I had a medical practice in Venice, Florida and visited Hawai‘i on vacation. I fell in love with the Hawaiian culture, the weather, and the place. I wanted to shift gears and try to find a way to make Hawai‘i my home. I found a position with Hawai‘i Pacific Health on Kaua‘i, in Kapa‘a. I also worked part-time as a hospitalist at the Wilcox Medical Center. I loved Kaua‘i so much because it reminded me of my youth. It reminded me of the country; I enjoyed outdoor living, and my children were young at the time.
I was working at HPH Kaua‘i but transitioned to O‘ahu and loved what I was doing. I had a large group of patients, but I wanted to expand this further and branch out on my own. I wanted to open up a new clinic that focused on the community of Hawai‘i as well as the tourists. In December of 2018, I cofounded the Doctors of Waikiki.
Most of us are familiar with the Doctors of Waikiki, but what is NIU Health and how did this vision come to life?
Over the past four years, I have served both tourists and our local population. As I continued to help the community and visitors, I knew I wanted to deliver care more effectively. I’ve always been a renegade and I know that the biggest stopgap to quality healthcare is COST. Now, this would be the correct place to make a new business model. How can I make a better product, how can I take away the barriers of expensive healthcare and monetize it differently, so everyone has access to quality care?
In the spring of 2020, NIU Health Urgent Care+ launched, tell us more…
“Niu” means coconut in the Hawaiian language. For all Pacific Islanders, the coconut was a vital element in their travels to the outer islands and beyond. A food source, a water source, a seed to plant and to grow. Housing, clothing…everything can be tied to the coconut.
To me, NIU Health means access to low-cost quality care.
No one ever gets turned away. Everyone deserves fair and easy access to care. Meaning if you have insurance, great; if you don’t have insurance, I still have a product that fits your need for less than $10/month. In my medical career, I was always heartbroken when we sometimes couldn’t provide patient care due to cost constraints. There has to be another way! NIU is that way.
When I was thinking about NIU Health and the future of healthcare I knew that telehealth was where we were going. It’s already here. But telehealth is not enough. You need to add physical services, you need to have a place where patients can be seen, a place where you can have procedures done, x-rays, and labs. A combination of both physical and online. NIU Health delivers optimal care to a large population at a low cost.
Tell us about the NIU Health Coin, what is it and why is it revolutionary?
We live in a new world. Why should we stop at healthcare? We need to look at other health-centric revenue streams that can provide a quality patient experience.
NIU Health Coin is the first cryptocurrency of its kind that decreases cost and increases access to healthcare. Everyone will be able to earn and spend NIU coin by the end of this year. Sixty percent of the coin proceeds will go to decreasing cost and increasing access to healthcare. For example, NIU coin can be used to decrease the price related to an elective service or pay for your monthly NIU membership if you are uninsured. The coin may also be used to purchase products at a discount in what we’ve “coined” the NIU Marketplace, where you will save money by using NIU coin as payment versus other forms of currency. You can also share your earned coins with others for health-related goods and services.
We’ve also created a direct Healthcare Engagement Platform for patients. We are being proactive by engaging NIU members and rewarding them to be active in their health. This is how you can earn NIU coin. The process is called “play-to-earn” and it’s extremely innovative. We are motivating people to do healthy activities, giving them places to go, suggesting foods to buy, advocating partnerships with gyms to exercise in, and so on. Things that are fun and healthy that will change their whole outlook on wellness.
NIU Health is simply aligning healthcare with what people already spend their time on: social media, gaming, online shopping, YouTube, Netflix, and all of the others. Let’s reward users by giving them the tools to monetize their health.
Dr. T, what do you love most about your job?
I love what I do. I love life and I celebrate every day I’m on this earth. I love helping people, otherwise I wouldn’t do this. My favorite part is when I’ve helped someone and see a smile on their face. Being the hand they can hold, being the person who supports them. That’s something I’ve been doing for so long now. I get really excited about looking at healthcare on a global level. Looking at the disparity throughout Hawai‘i and the rest of the world. My mission is to spread healthcare aloha throughout the islands and the world. Healthcare should be selfless, it’s a necessity for all.
After an unanticipated two hours, I turned my recorder off. I had to get home to feed my dog, Dr. T had to go save the world.
