STAND. COM. REP. NO. 400

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 977

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 977 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to address the primary health care workforce shortage and improve access to health care in rural areas of the State.

     Specifically, this measure makes an appropriation to the Department of Health to develop a statewide rural training model by placing primary care physicians who are in their final years of training, in the underserved areas of this State.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Medical Service Association, and one individual.  The John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure.  The Department of Health submitted comments on this measure.

     Appropriations in the amount of $870,000 in fiscal year 2007-2008 and $1,890,000 in fiscal year 2008-2009 have been recommended to accomplish the purpose of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that action must be taken to address the primary health care workforce shortage in the rural areas, particularly on the neighbor islands of our State.  Expanding the family medicine residency program sponsored by the John A. Burns School of Medicine and Wahiawa General Hospital will enable physicians to complete their final two years of clinical training while providing improved access to health care for residents living in the underserved areas of Hawaii.

     Your Committee amended this measure by removing the appropriation amount and by making the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa the expending agency instead of the Department of Health.

     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. 977, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 977, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair