Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2465 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Hana Community Health Center (HCHC).

Testimony in support of this measure was received from six members of the Maui County Council, Hana Community Health Center, Aloha Care, Hawaii Primary Care Association, five teachers and staff from Hana School, and four individuals. The Department of Health supports the intent of this measure.

Your Committee finds that the Hana Community Health Center is the only licensed medical facility in rural East Maui, providing a broad range of health services, 24-hours a day to the 500,000 residents and tourists. Hana has also been designated by the federal government as a medically underserved population, a primary care health professional shortage area, a dental health professional shortage area, and a mental health professional shortage area. Additionally, HCHC is providing school-based behavioral health and other health services for Department of Education-identified students. HCHC has been able to fill this void for services in Hana through a federal grant that is expiring. These services must be continued.

Your Committee further finds that the Hana Community Center, in spite of recent funding reductions by fifty per cent by the State, has demonstrated an ability to generate funds from a variety of other sources. However, State support is always needed to fund core medical services in this isolated, rural community.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

Your Committee requests that your Committee on Ways and Means allow a proviso for $500,000 from the Department of Education's Felix consent decree funding to HCHC for the purpose of serving thirty-five Felix consent decree students.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2465, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2465, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.