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. 2604 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for emergency medical services at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC).

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Health, the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, AlohaCare, and the Hawaii Primary Care Association.

Your Committee finds that the Waianae Coast is a community of almost 40,000 residents, but there is only one ambulance servicing the region. WCCHC's emergency room is the only one in the community equipped to handle a serious trauma victim. Furthermore, without funding, the Health Center will have to consider options such as eliminating overnight emergency, lab, and radiology services. WCCHC is crucial to the Waianae Coast community.

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. 2604 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.