WHEREAS, only 50 years ago, kidney failure meant certain death for the afflicted; and

WHEREAS, the National Kidney Foundation estimates that as many as 20,000,000 Americans have kidney disease, and thousands of individuals die from these illness each year; and

WHEREAS, in 1965, St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii (St. Francis), through efforts of local physicians and interested supporters, pioneered renal dialysis therapy in the State; and

WHEREAS, by the year 2000, with the support of the Hawaii state government, private individuals, and eleemosynary organizations, St. Francis was able to expand its network of dialysis facilities to every county in the State; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has previously provided substantial funding to St. Francis to support construction of new dialysis facilities and renovation of existing dialysis treatment centers; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) supports and encourages the important dialysis services that St. Francis provides to patients served by one or more of the 12 public hospitals of HHSC; and

WHEREAS, today, more than 1,000 Hawaii residents and tourists receive life-saving hemodialysis treatments three times per week at 10 renal satellite facilities located in Honolulu, Ewa, Waianae, Hilo, Kona, Wailuku, Kahana, Kaunakakai, Lihue, and Waimea; and

WHEREAS, since 1972, the State has assisted St. Francis in caring for Hawaii's kidney dialysis patients and their families through facility partnerships at the Hilo Medical Center, Kona Judiciary Building, Maui Memorial Center, and Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital; and

WHEREAS, it is imperative that this partnership between the State and St. Francis is continued to ensure that operating costs are kept at a minimum so that the necessary, life-saving service of dialysis continues to be available and accessible to Hawaii residents and tourists, particularly on the neighbor islands; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, the Senate concurring, that HHSC and St. Francis are urged to continue the current partnership and other agreements that have been and currently are in effect until medical advances and new technology can better serve Hawaii's hemodialysis patients; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that St. Francis is urged to continue its commitment of resources to the dialysis program to upgrade those services and increase access to dialysis care, particularly on the neighbor islands; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of HHSC and President of St. Francis.

Report Title:

St. Francis Healthcare System; Dialysis