HB875 HD1

relating to health.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Act 266, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, provided funding to the department of health to establish a training stipend program for emergency medical technicians who do not have access to a training stipend program and who want to advance in their chosen profession by enrolling in a state‑qualified mobile intensive care technician training program. The legislature finds that there still a need for more mobile intensive care technicians or paramedics in Hawaii. The Emergency Medical Services Strategic Planning for the Future conference in 2003 estimated that two hundred fifty mobile intensive care technicians will be needed within the next five years to fully staff the system. This estimate includes current shortages, attrition, and anticipated system growth (e.g., the federal firefighting agency had six mobile intensive care technicians and anticipated needing twenty-nine before the end of 2007).

The lack of local training has made the shortage even more critical, especially on the neighbor islands. Emergency medical technicians leave the industry because they are unable to advance without financial assistance. Others take correspondence classes in nursing or other related health care fields. For example, currently there are emergency medical technicians on the neighbor islands who wish to enter the next mobile intensive care technician training program being offered. To complete this program and be certified, these students must attend and successfully complete both the didactic and practical training clinics. However, the mandatory practical training is offered only on Oahu. Traveling to Oahu is an enormous expense for these students who must take time off from work and away from their families to attend the training. Without financial assistance of some type, it is unlikely that many of them will be able to attend.

The prime recruiting target for the federal firefighting agency is the city and county of Honolulu mobile intensive care technician workforce, which is already critically short-staffed. All providers look increasingly to paramedics who have trained on the mainland to staff Hawaii's ambulances. These mainland recruits are rarely employed beyond two years in the Hawaii system before returning to the mainland.

It is widely recognized that the manner in which moneys distributed for mobile intensive care technician workforce development is not equitable. Unless the State can provide financial stipends to non-civil service employees who train in an accredited program, the crisis will quickly worsen.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of health to support a training stipend program for emergency medical technicians who do not have access to a training stipend program and who want to advance in their chosen profession by enrolling in a state‑qualified mobile intensive care technician training program.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $300,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007‑2008 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to support the emergency medical technician training stipend program to remedy the shortage of mobile intensive care technicians/paramedics in Hawaii and to assist, through a state‑qualified mobile intensive care technician program, ten students per year who are public or private paramedics and who currently do not have access to a training stipend program.

The sums 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, 2007.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	875
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII