STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2680

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 98

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 98 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING AN AMBULANCE DISPATCH CENTER ON THE WEST SIDE OF KAUAI, BASED IN KALAHEO,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Health to study the feasibility of establishing an ambulance dispatch center on the west side of Kauai, based in Kalaheo.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted to your Committee by the Department of Health.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that timely emergency medical services are crucial to saving lives during medical emergencies.  Your Committee further finds that while Kauai has a back-up coverage plan that coordinates ambulance units during times of heavy use, as the population on Kauai continues to grow this back-up plan may no longer be adequate and must be reassessed.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requesting the Department of Health to study the feasibility of establishing a new ambulance unit based in Kalaheo rather than an ambulance dispatch center;

     (2)  Expanding the feasibility study to request consideration of a variety of methods of ensuring adequate emergency medical transportation services on the island of Kauai; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes to ensure clarity and accuracy in the language of this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 98, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 98, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair