HR54

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that Hawaii faces an increasing shortage of physicians to provide direct care to patients; and

WHEREAS, the 2018 Hawaii Physician Workforce Assessment, an annual report submitted to the Legislature by the University of Hawaii, estimates that the unmet need for physicians statewide, when adjusted for island geography and unmet specialty-specific needs by county, is seven hundred ninety-seven positions, an increase from the previous year's estimate; and

WHEREAS, the largest shortage on all islands is in primary care and the largest subspecialty shortages statewide are in infectious disease, pathology, colorectal surgery, neurosurgery, and pulmonology; and

WHEREAS, in the County of Hawaii, there is a one hundred percent shortage of physicians specializing in colorectal surgery, infectious diseases, and neonatal-perinatal subspecialties; and

WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii has a large, medically underserved rural community and the county as a whole has one of the fastest growing populations in the State; and

WHEREAS, a teaching hospital would provide a broader, more complete network of care for the county's residential and visitor populations; and
WHEREAS, teaching hospitals facilitate valuable care, produce better outcomes for patients, and provide a rich training ground for future medical professionals across specialties; and

WHEREAS, an important aspect of the proposed teaching hospital would be residency training for both physicians and nurse practitioners, the latter of whom who have not had access to residency programs in the past despite being an important and growing part of our primary care health work force; and

WHEREAS, it has been shown both in the State of Hawaii and elsewhere that physicians trained at a particular location tend to stay, live, and practice in that location, and a teaching hospital on Hawaii island may help to attract and retain a high-quality, diverse physician workforce; and

WHEREAS, teaching hospitals across the nation have benefitted their communities by offering premium intensive and specialized services, extending a safety net to the medically underserved, and serving as a hub for cutting-edge research and innovation; and

WHEREAS, improving the quality of care in West Hawaii will enable many patients to receive necessary care without the expense and inconvenience of flying to Oahu; and

WHEREAS, patients statewide facing serious and routine illnesses will no longer be forced to leave the State to gain access to the best available, appropriate, and innovative care; and

WHEREAS, locating a teaching hospital near the population-dense epicenter of Kailua-Kona and the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport will provide convenient access for patients statewide to access care and for physicians to provide care and instruction at the hospital; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii Community College--Palamanui in West Hawaii has many existing and potential health-related training programs that would benefit from a teaching hospital within the University of Hawaii System located nearby; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature previously recognized the potential benefits of establishing a teaching hospital on Hawaii island by appropriating $500,000 for a feasibility study for a teaching hospital in Kona, but the appropriated funds lapsed prior to initiation of the study; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine and the Office of the Mayor, County of Hawaii both recognize the potential benefits of establishing a teaching hospital for the State of Hawaii and support a feasibility study for a teaching hospital in Kona; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii Community Design Center works collaboratively with communities, the University of Hawaii, and government agencies to produce proof of concept designs; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii Community Design Center endeavors to consider in its concept designs the unique geographic position of Hawaii and the State's particular cultural, social, economic, ecological, and political challenges; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, that the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii Community Design Center, is requested to conduct a feasibility study regarding the creation of a teaching hospital in West Hawaii in the County of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study is requested to analyze and recommend:

(1) The scope of the teaching hospital size, services offered, and staffing needed;

(2) Estimated costs for all stages of planning, design, construction, and maintenance;

(3) Various financing options available, including resources from all levels of government, opportunities to partner with other public or private universities or philanthropic organizations, and collaboration with private donors from within the community and beyond; and

(4) A location for the teaching hospital, with special emphasis given to parcels located jointly near to Hawaii Community College--Palamanui, the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole, and Queen Kaahumanu Highway; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the John A. Burns School of Medicine, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii Community Design Center, is requested to also consider how a teaching hospital located in West Hawaii can logistically become an additional training site for students at Hawaii Community College--Palamanui and the John A. Burns School of Medicine; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the John A. Burns School of Medicine, in collaboration with University of Hawaii Community Design Center, is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2020; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Dean of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Director of the University of Hawaii Community Design Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Vice President of Community Colleges for the University of Hawaii System.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Requesting the John A. Burns School of Medicine in collaboration with the University of Hawaii Community Design Center to conduct a feasibility study for a teaching hospital in West Hawaii

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	54
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII