HB2663

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2663
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO district health officers of the state of hawaii.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the State department of health has long recognized that the district health officer in each of the three neighbor island counties should be a physician; ideally, a physician with experience in community medicine who is also well-versed in public health. For many years, the department's district health officers met these requirements. However, at some point, the Hawaii county district health officer position was filled by a non-physician who serves as an acting district health officer.

The legislature further finds that when the department's response to health problems in Hawaii county is compared to its response to health problems in Maui county, it is evident that the health issues, including disease outbreaks, were addressed much more proficiently and with greater community satisfaction in Maui county, where Dr. Lorrin Pang has long been a champion of the needs of the community. This disparity was clearly demonstrated in the department's response to two major public health issues: the 2002 dengue fever outbreak in Maui county versus the 2004 outbreak in Hawaii county; and the rat lungworm disease outbreak in Hana, Maui, versus the current crisis centered around the Puna district of Hawaii county. In both of these instances, the legislature believes that the department's attention to and engagement with community members was much more effective in Maui county than in Hawaii county.

With respect to the value of the services performed by a physician in the district health officer role, the legislature finds that the Maui county district health officer's visit to Hawaii county during its dengue fever outbreak was much appreciated by Hawaii residents because Maui county's physician officer made site visits and communicated valuable information to the community. The legislature cannot ignore the fact that Hawaii county, particularly residents of Puna, felt devalued and even disrespected by the lack of a department community-based physician, as well as the department's lack of organization and leadership, as reflected in the recent and highly critical audit of the department's response to disease outbreaks.

The members of the Hawaii county council, recognizing the importance of having a physician in its district health officer position, have petitioned the legislature to make it a requirement that district health officers be physicians. It is evident to the legislature that a community benefits from the "boots on the ground" approach of a district health officer who is also a physician. A physician's knowledge and experience facilitate the day-to-day responsibilities of the position and allow the physician to serve as a dedicated community resource.

Based on the foregoing, the legislature concludes that requiring an on-site, community-based physician to serve in the district health officer role is extremely critical to the department of health's ability to provide adequate community support, educate the community, and recognize the community's needs and concerns in the face of pressing public health issues.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to reinstitute the long-standing practice of having a physician in the role of district health officer by requiring that all district health officers of the department of health be licensed physicians.

SECTION 2. Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§321- District health officer; physician. Each district health officer of the department of health shall be a physician licensed to practice medicine under part I of chapter 453. To the extent practicable, the physician should have experience in public health, primary care, emergency room services, epidemiology, or tropical medicine."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2018; provided that an incumbent district health officer who is under the employment of the department of health on the effective date of this Act and who does not meet the requirements of this Act shall remain in that position until replaced by the department of health, or December 31, 2018, whichever occurs sooner.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________