THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	154
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to partner with the Ka‘Ū Rural Health Community Association, Inc., to conduct a needs assessment to determine the demand for and access to urgent care and outpatient behavioral health services in the Ka‘Ū district.

WHEREAS, individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions may be particularly vulnerable in an emergency, and in particular, physical isolation and loneliness during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic may present specific health risks for households with adolescents and older adults; and

WHEREAS, rural health clinics address inadequate supplies of physicians serving Medicaid beneficiaries in rural areas and increase the availability of medically necessary, face-to-face primary health services; and

WHEREAS, rural health clinics also provide access to qualified preventative health services furnished by licensed health practitioners, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physical assistants, certified nurse-midwives, clinical psychologists, and social workers; and

WHEREAS, rural health clinics serve an essential role in underserved communities such the Ka‘ū district in the county of Hawai‘i, enabling greater appointment availability for Medicaid patients; and

WHEREAS, the Ka‘ū Rural Health Community Association, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve access to quality health care in rural communities in the Ka‘ū district in the County of Hawai‘i; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is requested to partner with the Ka‘ū Rural Health Community Association, Inc., to conduct a needs assessment to determine the demand for and access to urgent care and outpatient behavioral health services in the Ka‘ū district; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation 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 2023; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Chair of the Board of Directors of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and Executive Director of Ka‘ū Rural Health Community Association, Inc.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Kau District; Community Health; Behavioral Health; Hawaii Health Systems Corporation