STAND. COM. REP. NO.  717

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1477

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1477 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RURAL PRIMARY HEALTH CARE TRAINING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve healthcare access for the people of Hawaii by establishing and appropriating funds for a statewide rural training model to produce a robust, well-trained primary healthcare workforce and place family physicians in rural areas.

     The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH) of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), mayor of the County of Hawaii, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC), East Hawaii Region of HHSC, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and many concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Health (DOH), JABSOM, and a concerned individual supported the intent of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriation for the development of a statewide rural training model as follows:

          (A)  Clarifying that the funds appropriated will go toward the development of a statewide rural primary healthcare training program to provide family physicians to rural areas and improve healthcare access for the people of Hawaii;

          (B)  Changing the appropriation amount to $1, to encourage further discussion; and

          (C)  Changing the expending agency from DOH to JABSOM;

     (2)  Inserting an appropriation to support and expand the Family Medicine Residency Program of DFMCH to provide rural primary healthcare services;

     (3)  Clarifying the purpose language to reflect the addition of this appropriation; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1477, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1477, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

____________________________

JERRY L. CHANG, Chair