Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 745, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to integrate emergency aeromedical services into statewide emergency medical services and to provide support for aeromedical services for Maui county.

Specifically, this bill requires the Department of Health to establish, administer, and maintain an aeromedical emergency medical services system to identify strengths and weaknesses, allocate resources, and develop aeromedical service standards. The bill also requires the use of an emergency aeromedical services quality improvement committee. Finally, the bill appropriates an unspecified amount for fiscal year 2003-2004 to fund an emergency helicopter aeromedical service for Maui county.

Your Committee finds that the availability of rapid and efficient emergency medical services, including aeromedical services, determines the extent of recovery from a traumatic injury. The neighbor islands, in particular, have a special need for emergency aeromedical services due in large part to the rural nature of communities there. Your Committee finds that this measure will ensure that emergency medical services, including aeromedical services, serve the best interests of the entire State.

Your Committee would like the Department of Health, when triaging for and assigning emergency aeromedical helicopter flights, to consider using an attending physician, using national medical necessity standards for aeromedical helicopter flights, to make the assignments. It is the intent of your Committee that aeromedical helicopter flights be used in those geographic regions or situations where fixed wing operations are not practical.

Your Committee has amended this bill by incorporating appropriations for emergency medical services from S.B. No. 380, S.D. 1; S.B. No. 53; and S.B. No. 714 as follows:

Your Committee has also attached a one-to-one county matching provision for the appropriation for emergency aeromedical service for Maui county in section 6. The section numbers of the remainder of the bill have been renumbered. The dates that appropriations made in sections 6, 7, 9, and 11 are to take effect have been adjusted to July 1, 2003.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 745, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 745, S.D. 2.