Dec. 17, 2008 — If you've ever become frustrated looking in a phone book for a doctor's listing, or tried to figure out which island offers which services, or tried to find which government agency has the medical information you seek, relief is now at your fingertips, a click away.
The V.I. Health Directory is a new online service for Virgin Islanders, exhaustive in its research and easily navigated.
The directory is the creation of Christine Lauterborn and her husband, Frank Hurt. Lauterborn, a registered nurse, became aware of the need for the directory about a year ago. Her online research showed that in 2007 more than 122 million people sought health-care information on the Internet.
The directory draws on the strengths of both Lauterborn and Hurt. Lauterborn created most of the content, researching and writing articles on relevant local health topics. She graduated from the University of the Virgin Islands with a degree in nursing science in 2004.
Since then, along with working in the couple's business, Keystroke Media, Lauterborn has worked in different settings, including hospice and private practice. She teaches a clinical class part-time for the licensed practical nurse program at the Schneider Regional Medical Center.
Hurt has been a television producer, director and website designer, working in the territory for the past several decades. He designed the site, wrote the code to search the extensive database and built the navigational structure.
"It was of the utmost importance to have an easily navigated site," he says. "Because all of are listings are free, they are comprehensive, not limited to those paying for inclusion."
The site offers a choice of three fast search tools. You select the island — or all three islands –find doctors, pharmacies, dentists, chiropractors, health insurance, medical supplies, clinics, alternative care, eyewear, massage therapists, spas, health clubs or physical therapy.
"With all the many forms of information that is available, we want to create a one-stop website for people to easily find what they need," Hurt says.
That is a modest assessment of the site's range. It covers all three islands, with links to each other. It has a database of more than 460 services in 120 categories. It also provides in-depth research on treatment and prevention of health-related issues that affect Virgin Islanders, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV/AIDS and obesity.
Aside from all the above, you might wonder, what else the site can provide?
Well, say you have an itch on your right arm and it just won't go away. Click "Symptoms" and you're on your way to identifying the annoyance.
Or what if you want to talk to other folks about your arthritic hip, and see what they're doing about it? Should you exercise? Walk? Swim? What's working for others? "Patients Like Me" will give you somebody — or several somebodies — to talk to.
Or what about that pill you can't identify? You may be getting it mixed up with another. You need to see the "Pill Identification Wizard." He'll help you identify your medication.
Or say you have an interest in alternative medicine, but you aren't really sure what's available. "Holistic Health Info" will tell you just about anything you want to know.
The directory will soon expand to include Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands, Hurt says. For more information, visit the site or call 776-8613.
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