Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 82, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) and St. Francis Healthcare System (St. Francis) to continue their partnership in serving the needs of dialysis patients in Hawaii.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the HHSC and St. Francis.

St. Francis established the first dialysis center in the State in 1965, with the help of a legislative appropriation. In 1972, the State continued to help St. Francis by providing space at Hilo Hospital for satellite dialysis treatment for Big Island residents. Today, approximately four hundred dialysis patients on the Big Island, Maui, Molokai, and Kauai are able to live at home due to dialysis treatment centers operated by St. Francis on these Islands.

The St. Francis dialysis treatment operations face an uncertain future, with one thousand patients affected if St. Francis is financially unable to continue to provide this life-saving service. This measure is an expression of the Legislature's recognition of the necessity of the dialysis treatment provided by St. Francis.

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 H.C.R. No. 82, H.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.