STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2638

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3091

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3091 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION PRIMARY CARE TRAINING PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to address the shortage of primary care providers in the State by appropriating funds for the interdisciplinary Hawaii Health Systems Corporation primary care training program at Hilo Medical Center.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Office of the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, Hawaii Medical Association, Hilo Medical Center Foundation, Hawaii Island Healthcare Alliance, Community Alliance for Mental Health, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, six members of the Hawaii State Teachers Association-Retired -- Hawaii Chapter, and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that the island of Hawaii continues to face a severe physician shortage.  Your Committee further finds that projections suggest that the physician shortage will dramatically worsen in the next five years as many doctors retire from practice.  This is expected to create a dire need for more physicians to ensure an adequate level of health care.  Your Committee believes that supporting the interdisciplinary Hawaii Health Systems Corporation primary care training program at Hilo Medical Center will allow the program to continue to train new primary care providers and help ease the physician shortage on the island of Hawaii and in rural areas across the State.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(3)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3091, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3091, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair