HCR172.DOC

WHEREAS, improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and cost of medical care is universally regarded as a primary goal of healthcare reform in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's healthcare system is perceived to have difficulty in attracting and retaining physicians to practice in the State, particularly in rural areas; and

WHEREAS, various factors have been identified over the years as contributors to the perceived inability to attract and keep physicians in practice, including the adequacy of reimbursements for services provided; the cost of malpractice insurance premiums, particularly for certain medical specialties; and the need to practice medicine defensively; and

WHEREAS, previous efforts at piecemeal reform of the healthcare system have been largely unsuccessful in improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and cost of medical care in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, improving the healthcare system requires analysis and evaluation of the system as a whole to identify and improve those factors that contribute to identifiable weaknesses; and

WHEREAS, it is time for a new approach to healthcare reform in Hawaii which seeks to examine the core issues that contribute to system weaknesses by enlisting a coalition of interested parties to develop new approaches to reform; and

WHEREAS, the primary objective of this coalition would be to bring stakeholders in Hawaii to a neutral forum to assist in developing new policies and laws that strengthen the healthcare system through a factually-based consensus-building process, while emphasizing that healthcare system reform must strengthen links between accountability and improvement in the quality of patient care and safety; and

WHEREAS, it is necessary to evaluate methods to reduce medical errors and increase patient safety; seek solutions to eliminate doctor shortages; address the role and impact of the legal system in compensating victims injured because of medical errors; and improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and cost of Hawaii's healthcare system; and

WHEREAS, this coalition has the long-term goal of recommending proposed legislation; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-Fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the Senate concurring, that the chairs of the Senate and House Committees on Health, or their designees, are requested to convene a task force to:

(1) Evaluate methods to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and cost of Hawaii's healthcare system;

(2) Reduce medical errors and increase patient safety;

(3) Seek solutions to eliminate doctor shortages; and

(4) Address the role and impact of the legal system in compensating victims injured because of medical errors; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to include the following:

(1) The President of the Senate, or the President's designee;

(2) The Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the Speaker's designee;

(3) The Insurance Commissioner, or the Insurance Commissioner's designee;

(4) The Dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law, or the Dean's designee;

(5) The Dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine, or the Dean's designee;

(6) The President of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, or the President's designee;

(7) The Executive Director of the Hawaii Medical Association or the Executive Director's designee;

(8) The President of the Hawaii Association for Justice, or the President's designee;

(9) A member of the legal community, to be selected by the Executive Director of the Hawaii State Bar Association;

(10) A member of the consumer advocacy community, to be selected by the Consumer Advocate;

(11) A member of the health care community, to be selected by the Director of Health; and

(12) A representative of the medical malpractice insurance community, to be selected by the Insurance Commissioner; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit a report of any findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to provide administrative, professional, technical, and clerical support to the task force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Governor, the Attorney General, the Director of Health, the Insurance Commissioner, the Consumer Advocate, the Dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law, the Dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine, the Executive Director of the Hawaii Medical Association, the President of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii; the Executive Director of the Hawaii State Bar Association; and the President of the Hawaii Association for Justice.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Health System Task Force

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	172
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010
STATE OF HAWAII