STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1154

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 150

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 150 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO ESTABLISH AN EMERGENCY SERVICES PATIENT ADVOCATE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO AND ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF PATIENTS RECEIVING EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage the Department of Health to establish an emergency services patient advocate program to provide assistance to and advocate on behalf of patients receiving emergency medical services and their families.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Community Alliance for Mental Health and two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that sick and vulnerable patients and their family members can become overwhelmed during a medical emergency.  Many patients are unaware of their rights regarding the treatment and care they receive from their emergency room physicians.  Your Committee finds that many patients or their family members may disagree with the diagnosis or treatment plan provided by their emergency room physician but feel forced to accept the treatment plan because they are unaware of how to effectively exercise their right to secure appropriate and available emergency medical care.  As a result, your Committee encourages the Department of Health to establish an emergency services patient advocate program to provide assistance to and advocate on behalf of patients receiving emergency medical services and their families.

     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. 150 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair