STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3587

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 226

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 226 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII'S JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TO PROVIDE ADMISSION PREFERENCE TO STUDENTS THAT MIRRORS THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF RURAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREAS OF THE STATE TO ADDRESS THE SHORTAGE OF PHYSICIANS ON OUR NEIGHBOR ISLANDS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, to provide admission preference to students that mirrors the demographics of rural health professional shortage areas of the State to address the shortage of physicians on our neighbor islands.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Hawaii Medical Association and the Consumer Lawyers of Hawaii.  Comments on the measure were submitted by the University of Hawaii System.

     Your Committees find that we continue to experience a shortage of primary care physicians in rural areas within the State, which compromises the health care, health, and well-being of our residents.  Your Committees further find that we are also fortunate to maintain an outstanding medical school within the University of Hawaii, the John A. Burns School of Medicine, whose mission is to teach and train high quality physicians and other health professionals to practice in Hawaii and the Pacific, some of whom may help to fill the void in rural areas.  Often physicians in rural areas are individuals who either grew up or were trained in or near such areas. 

     This measure requests the John A. Burns School of Medicine to provide admission preference to students that mirrors the demographics of rural health professional shortage areas of the State.  Your Committees determine that it is unclear as to the best possible means for addressing the shortage and instead, the issue must be further examined to determine the most appropriate means to ensure the existence of adequate health care providers in rural areas, including on the neighbor islands, and, thus, improve the health care provided and the health of the residents in the State.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by requesting the John A. Burns School of Medicine to conduct a survey of current and prospective students to examine and develop a plan to address rural health professional shortage areas in the State, and changing the title to reflect such change.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 226, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 226, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Health,

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair