STAND. COM. REP. NO.  464-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 3413

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 3413 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR HANA HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation for Hana Health.

     Specifically, this measure would appropriate $5,000,000, to be expended by the Department of Health, for the following expenditures for Hana Health:

     (1)  $1,750,000 for the construction and equipment installation of a commercial kitchen;

     (2)  $2,500,000 for the design and construction of independent senior housing, including home-based dialysis, adult day care, and respite services; and

     (3)  $750,000 for the upgrade and expansion design documents of the medical facility.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hana Health and nearly one hundred concerned individuals.

     Your Committee finds that Hana Health is the only full-service health provider in an area of the State that is in relative isolation and consistently has among the worst health and socioeconomic indicators in the State.  Your Committee further finds that Hana Health is an aging facility that is in urgent need of repair and upgrade to continue to meet the growing needs of the community and visitors to the area.  In addition to repairs and maintenance for the existing facilities, Hana Health is also in need of a new nutrition center and an independent senior housing facility that includes dialysis facilities, adult day care, and respite services.  Accordingly, your Committee believes that an appropriation is necessary to allow Hana Health to continue its current level of operations and to further develop its capacity to meet the ongoing needs of the community.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by replacing the amounts appropriated with unspecified amounts to facilitate further discussion on this issue.

     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 H.B. No. 3413, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3413, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair