About Integrated Medicine Institute Medspa
Mission Statement
IMI, the Integrative Medicine Institute, was born out of a desire to give patients quality care at the best value — with a caring heart and a listening ear.
The Clinic
IMI, the Integrative Medicine Institute, is a Hilo-based integrated healthcare and esthetic services medspa founded on solid principles of listening to patients’ needs and concerns; providing relevant information and a range of multidisciplinary treatment options; and teaming with patients for optimal results.
We know that you are looking for a partner who will support you in navigating your personal health and well-being, whether in our health, wellness, or med spa practices. IMI will listen and inform, and help guide you.
Founder Joanna Smith lost her mother, her godmother and her brother to different types of cancer, leading her to a career in medicine as a Doctor of Nurse Practice — popularly called a Nurse Practitioner. Through those difficult times she observed first-hand what patients really wanted and needed and she has created IMI with those guiding principles at the forefront.
As a Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Joanna Smith, DNP is able to bridge the gap between allopathic or Western Medicine and naturopathic medicine, meaning IMI will offer a broad range of options. Just like you, IMI wants what is best for you and exists to serve you with care and services to optimize your health, your overall wellness, and beauty.
We seek to help you be the best possible you — so you can look and feel great, inside and out.
Joanna Smith, DNP
IMI Founder
Joanna Smith has worked in the medical profession since 1993.
She earned certification in Health Information Technology (HIT) from Western Region Health; is certified as a laser technician (CLT); holds a Six Sigma Green Belt from Villanova University and received her education in esthethics from Makana Academy.
Joanna continues to use her knowledge as a radiologic technologist, earned at Kapi‘olani Community College, in her clinical application as a health care provider.
She furthered her healthcare knowledge and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing at Hawai‘i Pacific University which was quickly followed by a dual Masters degree in nursing and business administration from the University of Phoenix. For more than 20 years, her progressive healthcare career has been spent in varied roles of increasing responsibility at local clinics, private practices, medical flight companies and health centers. In 2017, Joanna went on to earn a Doctorate in Nurse Practice (DNP) from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. With this new practice, whether you are seeking personalized healthcare, hope to achieve your idea of optimal wellness, or are searching for esthetic solutions to help you look and feel better, Joanna will partner with you in providing quality care.
Personal Story:
When Dr. Joanna Smith was a child, she’d often climb aboard her father’s fishing boat and travel to waters off O‘okala, a small community located on the Hamakua Coast. There, she and her dad would find several spots from which to launch their fishing lines, both fully confident that by day’s end, their haul would be great. Most times, their faith was greatly rewarded. “The fish weren’t the brightest,” recalls Dr. Smith, chuckling at memories from days gone by. “They were always easy pickings for us.” Thus began a love affair between father, daughter and Big Island waters. “My dad and I had this deep relationship with the ocean,” says Smith of her doting father, Francis Smith Sr., a retired fire chief who recently passed away. “He had many fishing vessels over the years, but the one I remember the most was the ‘Imi ‘Ia, which means ‘fish seeker.’” When Dr. Smith decided to open her medical-spa practice Integrated Medicine Institute — or IMI Clinics — in 2018, naturally, she chose to name it after her father’s boat. Even the wave design and aquatic colors within her business logo carefully reflect both her connection to the ocean and commitment to island residents. “I am very tied to the island,” says Dr. Smith, who competed as a swimmer in high school and whose first job was as a lifeguard. “I was born and raised here and I am deeply committed to both servicing and supporting local.”