Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 153 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to support the collaborative efforts and the partnering initiatives between the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) and the Veterans Administration in Hawaii (HVA) to improve upon the quality, diversity, and accessibility of healthcare on the neighbor islands.

HHSC and Office of Veterans Services submitted testimony in support of this measure.

Your Committee understands that, presently, HHSC and HVA have established a partnering and collaborative relationship for the improved delivery of public health care services. Moreover, your Committee recognizes that there has been a move to provide accessible healthcare in the neighbor islands in the form of Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC), which offer veterans basic primary care.

However, your Committee realizes that neighbor island veterans must still travel to Honolulu for services that cannot be provided by CBOCs. HHSC and HVA have been working collaboratively to improve this situation and your Committee recognizes that this measure is intended to maintain this favorable relationship.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 153 and recommends its adoption.