Just your common doctor

Hong-biao "Hank" Liu, M.D. Ph.D., is a busy man.
The doctor is currently splitting time as a house physician for Brylin Hospital, a primary physician for the Medical Care of Western New York at Buffalo and as a medical officer at the VA Hospital in Buffalo.
He's losing hair at 45, but he still glows with excitement as he's talking about his latest innovation: his new medical center in The Commons.
Last December, Liu expanded his medical clinic, Luna Medical Center, to a suite in The Commons. It is the first clinic of its kind to open on North Campus.
The center offers a variety of services despite its location in a small office tucked deep in The Commons' second floor. Liu said the clinic revolves around 10 services, which include primary care, pain management and anxiety counseling.
Liu noted the new, more relaxed location was quite the change from Luna's busy setting in its first location on Elmwood Avenue. It's not about relaxation, though. A study done last year by the General Hospital Psychiatry journal showed only 22 percent of the college students who reported symptoms of serious depression received the minimal adequate care. That's a statistic Liu hopes to change.
"Hospitals [often] refuse them and you don't want something to happen to them on campus," Liu said. "You think of one year - 2012 - with all the gun shootings. Most of these people had medical issues."
What helps the clinic stand out is its use of technology and its emphasis on education. Liu proudly talked about the Apple-based clinical software, an iPad/iPhone-based skin temperature sensor and blood pressure monitor, the laser therapy machines used for pain management and his 73-inch 3D television in a presentation directed toward students and potential patients on Tuesday.
These gadgets aren't for show. Liu said he used an iPhone's EKG (electrocardiogram) system to assist a walk-in patient who was complaining of chest pains. A quick 30-second scan revealed the patient needed to be sent to the emergency room because of a potentially deadly irregularity.
Liu, whose medical career dates back to his time at China's Binzhou Medical College in the '80s, noted it's hard to prevent such an incident in that case because the patient's family had a history of heart attacks.
He can, however, help students make the right health decisions so they won't end up in the same situation. The physician holds two weekly seminars - an open and closed one - to inform patients, students and faculty about common health problems. Although there were only about 15 students attending the aforementioned presentation, Liu spoke with fervor as he told them about the benefits of what he calls a "health coach." These seminars feel like pep talks rather than lectures.
The seminars are part of a model that focuses on strengthening the doctor-patient relationship. One of Liu's main concerns about medical care is the oddity of having to wait an hour or so for a minutes-long checkup. He's hoping more patient-doctor dialogue would prevent cases such as drug abuse or misdiagnosis.
"I remember one patient. She had a fracture," Liu said. "She needed medication, but she tried to sell to somebody else ... all to use alcohol and different drugs. I gave her an extra education talk and said, 'If you [did this in] another doctor's office, they would've kicked you out and you ... would go to the streets. We work together.'"
He invested most of his last year's income, $20,000, into the facility. He's also received $400,000 from other unnamed physicians to use toward nuclear medicine. Liu doesn't have any paid employees yet, but he hopes to hire two supporting employees in March and an M.D. in July.
For now, Liu's getting help from his interns. These assistants include international, graduate and undergraduate students who work in four different departments: medical, business, laser therapy and cooperative relationship. The internship is unpaid, but that doesn't affect the contagious effect of Liu's optimistic attitude.
"It's not just about advertising ourselves. It's only one part of it," said Van Vu, a UB alumna with a Bachelor's degree in business administration. "The main reason why he came on campus is because he wants to help the students. The patients he's helping right now are middle aged or seniors. They didn't take care of themselves properly. Hank thinks we could do something to prevent it from happening. That's why he works with students to help live a proper lifestyle to help prevent later problems."
Luna Medical Center is a private medical center, unlike the Michael Hall medical center on South Campus. Michael Hall, which has been on campus since 1955, has long been the students' central spot for medical services and, for now, it seems that it's going to stay that way.
Liu said he hoped the new clinic would complement Michael Hall's service. Services like laser therapy and weekend availability are exclusive to Luna Medical Center, but Michael Hall is better able to accommodate a large number of students.
Susan M. Snyder, director of student health services, is worried students may not be able to tell the difference between the two, even though she supports Liu's endeavors.
"I think one of the confusing things is that with it being in the commons," Snyder said. "I think students can get confused that it is the health center and may not understand he's a private physician. So I do think it may lead to some confusion in that regard ... with it not being related and not covered under the health fee."
Even with all the technology, it's clear Luna Medical Center is still a startup office. Eighty percent of Liu's patients are still over the age of 30, and he's only treated one UB student. However, he and Snyder are still confident in the new clinic.
"I think his heart is in the right place," Snyder said.
The Luna Medical Clinic is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. It currently accepts Medicare, Medicaid and private medical insurance.

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