by Jolene Toves

Guam - There's a new specialist in town here to treat patients suffering from musculoskeletal and neurological problems. The limited medical services available on Guam have resulted in many island residents having to travel off-island to get the specialized treatment they need. But with the arrival of physiatrist Marlon Rimando, residents will no longer have to go far to see a physical and rehabilitation medicine specialist.

"Dr. Vince Akimoto shared with me that there is a need here for specialists in general and in particular my specialty physical medicine and rehabilitation and he shared with me the different scenarios of how patients here have to go either stateside or to the Philippines for care," said Rimando.

For many years the lack of a physiatrist has created a back log of unresolved traumatic and work-related injury medical cases that has caused unnecessary pain and suffering to patients in Guam. "My services range from being able to treat someone with a traumatic injury whether its works related or a motor vehicle accident to a stroke or some type of neurologic condition or even orthopedic injury to even sports related injuries," he said.

As a certified medical doctor he is able to prescribe and diagnose patients who have been disabled as a result of a diseases such as Lytico-Bodig which has made Guam famous in the medical world. Although originally from Hawaii, Dr. Rimando was deployed to Guam in 2011 at the Anderson Airforce Base and saw a need for a physiatrist on island.

His decision to open up shop was solidified when he attended the Guam Medical Association symposium over the past weekend. "That got me thinking hmm what if I return here and set up practice or at least the first step would be get my license which I did earlier this year and then get credentialed with the different insurers and the rest is history this is my first week seeing patients in the clinic," he said.

Dr. Rimando will be practicing out of the American Medical Center in Upper Tumon and will be offering his services on a monthly basis for one week intervals.