Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1446 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation for an air ambulance helipad at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Maui Memorial Medical Center, two members of the Maui County Council, and five individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.

Your Committee finds that the County of Maui encompasses a vast area with remote areas where access to emergency medical care is problematic. The Legislature established a helicopter critical care emergency aeromedical service for Maui in 2003 to improve access. The funds appropriated by this measure will be used to construct a helipad. As proponents noted, this will help Maui Memorial Medical Center expedite the transfer of patients from the helicopter to its emergency department, and fully and efficiently utilize Maui County's helicopter critical care emergency aeromedical service.

Your Committee has amended this measure by designating an appropriation of $750,000.

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. 1446, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1446, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.