STAND. COM. REP. NO. 187

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1410

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1410 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to increase the bed count at the Ka‘u Hospital emergency room by four beds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the County of Hawai‘i Office of the Mayor and Ka‘u Hospital and Rural Health Clinic.

Your Committee finds that the Ka‘u Hospital emergency department serves approximately three thousand patients per year. Almost one-third of the hospital's emergency department patients have medical issues that are non-emergent or could be handled more cost effectively in an urgent care setting. However, due to limited access to primary care providers and the restricted hours of the Rural Health Clinic, located within Ka‘u Hospital, patients turn to expensive emergency care as a last resort. Your Committee further finds that expanding the Rural Health Clinic's space and hours of operation to include urgent care and behavioral health services would be a highly effective way to reduce costs and the need for emergency services, while increasing access to care.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the purpose of the appropriation from increasing the bed count at the Ka‘u Hospital emergency room to supporting the expansion of the Ka‘u Rural Health Clinic, thereby reducing the need for emergency services.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1410, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1410, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair