STAND. COM. REP. NO. 877

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 902

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 902, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the Hawaii Medical Doctor Loan Program for University of Hawaii medical school graduates and medical school graduates with training from Hawaii-based medical programs working in rural areas of the State, in order to encourage doctors to practice in underserved areas throughout Hawaii.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System, Workforce Development Council, Hawaii Medical Association, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and one private individual.

     Your Committees acknowledge that the delivery of health care services and the escalating costs of education have resulted in severe shortages of health care professionals.  A poor distribution of health care professionals has resulted in a surplus of these professionals in some areas of the State and a shortage in other parts of the State, particularly in the more rural areas.  The salary potential for health care professionals in health professional shortage areas is often not as favorable when compared to non-shortage areas.  Your Committees find that there is a need to provide incentives not only for doctors, but also nurse practitioners and physician assistants to practice in the underserved areas.  Your Committees also find that there is a similar measure, S.B. No. 596, S.D. 2 (2011), that provides additional benefits to support the goal of reducing these rural shortages, and the provisions of S.B. No. 596, S.D. 2 (2011), should be incorporated into this measure. 

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding definitions for various terms;

     (2)  Establishing the Hawaii Health Corps Program to encourage physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners to serve in counties having shortages of trained health care professionals;

     (3)  Establishing the Hawaii Rural Health Care Loan Repayment Program, which partners with financial institutions to make loan repayment assistance to eligible licensed practitioners;

     (4)  Imposing a first responder service obligation, whereby in the event of a civil defense emergency, practitioners participating in the Hawaii Health Corps Program may be ordered into service by the Governor as first medical responders;

     (5)  Eliminating the Hawaii Medical Doctor Loan Program Revolving Fund;

     (6)  Establishing the Hawaii Health Corps Revolving Fund;

     (7)  Requiring the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine and the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene to implement the Hawaii Health Corps Program no later than June 30, 2012; and

     (8)  Appropriating funds:

          (A)  For the implementation and administration of the Hawaii Health Corps Program;

          (B)  To implement and sustain the Hilo Medical Center's Rural Interdisciplinary Residency Program;

          (C)  For the University of Hawaii's continued participation in accreditation processes;

          (D)  To increase the number of family medicine and nursing residency slots, and to establish rotations on other islands; and

          (E)  To provide stipends to each qualifying medical and nursing resident in a family medicine or nursing residency at the Hilo Medical Center.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 902, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 902, H.D. 2, 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 Education,

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair