THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	29
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

expressing support for the university of hawaii at hilo college of pharmacy's efforts to obtain federal funding to establish the big island of hawaii as a beacon community.

     WHEREAS, federal funding opportunities for the increased use of technology in the provision of health care have never been greater and Hawaii's unique cultural and geographical position makes it an optimal place to initiate health information technology projects; and

     WHEREAS, the State Legislature has been on the cutting edge of bold initiatives to increase access to medical care throughout the State by supporting the use of telehealth services and expanding the role of medical providers to practice at the full extent of their capabilities; and

     WHEREAS, the Big Island of Hawaii has some of the most rural areas in the entire state and is an ideal community to develop a sustainable model of health information sharing to help reduce health care costs, increase quality, and expand access to care; and

     WHEREAS, the Big Island as a community, led by the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy in partnership with locally-based hospital systems, professional organizations, health plans, health centers, academic institutions, quality improvement organizations, and many others, will be pursuing federal grant moneys to participate in the Beacon Community Program; and

     WHEREAS, the Beacon Community Program, federally-funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will include $220,000,000 in grants to build and strengthen health information technology infrastructure and health information exchange capabilities, including stronger privacy and security measures for data exchange; and

     WHEREAS, the Beacon Community Program's goal is to establish cooperative agreements with communities to build and strengthen the communities' health information technology infrastructure and health information exchange capabilities to achieve measurable improvements in health care quality, safety, efficiency, and population health; and

     WHEREAS, the Big Island's participation in the Beacon Community Program will inform efforts throughout the United States to support the meaningful use of electronic health records, the primary goal of the federal government's new health information technology initiative; and

     WHEREAS, the Big Island's participation in the Beacon Community Program can be seen as a first step in the development of a statewide health information exchange and can serve as a learning environment to gain a better understanding of the issues that will be faced when the State is ready to promote health information technology on a larger scale; and

     WHEREAS, the Legislature supports locally-based efforts and collaboration to secure federal funding that will assist in making Hawaii a model for implementation of health information technology; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, that the Legislature express support for the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy's application to receive a federally-funded Beacon Community Program grant; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Dean of the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy, the Director of Human Services, the Director of Health, and the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

Report Title: 

UH Hilo College of Pharmacy; Beacon Community Program