Appropriates funds to department of health to contract with a government agency or U.S. military branch to provide intra-island only roto-wing aeromedical services for rural Oahu. (HB2187 HD1)

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the United States Army's 68th Medical Company's Medical Assistance to Safety and Traffic helicopter has served Hawaii for the past thirty-one years. This military aeromedical helicopter has transported over seven thousand patients and saved countless lives by transporting patients from rural areas, particularly in West Oahu and the North Shore of Oahu to tertiary hospitals. Located at Wheeler Army Air Field, the aeromedical helicopter provides a vital service at no cost to rural Oahu.

However, the legislature also finds that due to the increased military activity in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Iraq, the aeromedical helicopter may soon be deployed to those areas, leaving rural Oahu residents without aeromedical services. The legislature believes that providing intra-island aeromedical services to rural Oahu is necessary for the health and safety of residents and therefore is a matter of statewide concern.

It is not the intent of this Act to supplant existing ground or fixed-wing transport, especially for routine or non-emergency inter-facility transportation. The aeromedical helicopter unit would use triage protocols to ensure the medically appropriate dispatch of the unit. Helicopter use would be based on national aeromedical triage and transport guidelines as established by the Association of Air Medical Services, the American College of Surgeons, and the National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to provide intra-island only aeromedical services to rural Oahu.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $600,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 for a grant-in-aid to the director of health to contract with an existing government agency or United States military unit to provide intra-island only roto-wing aeromedical services for rural Oahu; provided that the emergency aeromedical helicopter services:

provided further that:

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.