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. 1737 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for Na Lei Wili Area Health Education Center's Grow Our Own Healers' Youth Program and Health Corps Hawaii.

The President and the Executive Director of Na Lei Wili Area Health Education Center (AHEC) submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Health submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that Na Lei Wili AHEC has developed an excellent program for health careers recruitment on Kauai. The program is called Grow Our Own Healers and involves students from middle school through graduate school in the learning process. The year long program for high school students encourages the students to perform community service and hospital volunteer work while learning about the health professions. In the summer, a three week program is offered in which middle school students work alongside high school students, nursing students, and visiting medical, medical technology, nursing and social work students to learn about native healing methods, modern health techniques and healthy lifestyles. Na Lei Wili AHEC testified that at the end of the program more than ninety percent of the students surveyed reported that they want to pursue health careers.

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. 1737 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.