HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1953

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1

 

C.D. 1

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that until recently, Hawaii Medical Center's two hospitals in Ewa Beach and Liliha provided comprehensive medical services to almost two hundred thousand residents.  In addition, the two hospitals operated some of the most-frequently used emergency rooms in the State.  However, in December 2011, the Hawaii Medical Center's hospitals closed due to bankruptcy.  Along with the closing of all of the hospitals' programs including their emergency rooms and the State's only organ transplant program, hundreds of patients were either discharged or transferred to other health care facilities in the State.

     The legislature also finds that, with the closure of the Hawaii Medical Center hospitals, access to emergency medical care is in jeopardy.  A greater burden is now placed on the city and county of Honolulu emergency medical services division to respond to emergency calls on the Leeward Coast and transport patients to emergency rooms elsewhere on Oahu.  This increased workload threatens the ability of the division to provide acceptable levels of emergency medical services to communities on the Leeward Coast.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate general funds to the department of health to assist the city and county of Honolulu emergency medical services division with expanding emergency medical services and ambulance services in communities in Leeward Oahu.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 for the purposes of increasing the on-call availability of emergency medical services and ambulance services:

     (1)  In Ewa Beach to sixteen hours per day; and

     (2)  In Nanakuli to twenty-four hours per day.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2012.

 

Report Title:

Emergency Medical Care; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to increase the on-call availability of emergency medical services and ambulance services on the Leeward Coast of Oahu.  Effective July 1, 2012.  (HB1953 CD1)

 

 

 

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