STAND. COM. REP. NO. 967

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 343

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 343, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to increase access to primary health care services provided by family physicians or residents in the Family Medicine Residency Program at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine to medically underserved residents in rural areas of the State by appropriating funds to:

     (1)  Support and expand the Family Medicine Residency Program to provide rural primary health care services; and

     (2)  Develop a permanent statewide rural primary health care training program in each county, beginning in the county of Hawaii, to expand the rural health care training available for individuals in the Family Medicine Residency Program.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the County of Hawaii, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Medical Association, University of Hawaii at Manoa, AARP, and the Hawaii Association for Justice.

     Written testimony presented to your Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees find that this measure will address the increasing shortages of physicians in rural areas of Hawaii.  These training programs will provide rural communities with greater access to physicians and quality health care services.

     Your Committees further find that in order to effectively support these training programs, appropriations in the amount of $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2010 and $2,500,000 in fiscal year 2011 would be needed.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 343, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 343, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair