STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3641

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 182

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 182 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I TO ESTABLISH CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM TO TRAIN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND TO INCORPORATE DISTANCE-LEARNING FOR NEIGHBOR ISLAND STUDENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the University of Hawaii to:

(1) Establish culturally appropriate curriculum to train community health workers; and

(2) Incorporate distance learning for neighbor island students.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hawai‘i Public Health Institute. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from University of Hawai‘i System.

Your Committee finds that for more than twenty years, community health workers have improved the quality of life for residents in the State by providing a critical service to connect disadvantaged populations with culturally appropriate health care resources. While over two thousand community health workers actively engage with local communities through community-based organizations, local health care facilities, clinics, and hospitals, there is an imminent need to recognize the work and contributions of community health workers in the State.

Your Committee further finds that the University of Hawaii System offers a community health worker curriculum. Currently, the University of Hawaii System offers community health worker courses or certificates at Kapiolani Community College, University of Hawaii – Maui College, and Windward Community College. Since 2019, University of Hawaii Community Colleges have awarded one hundred nineteen certificates of competence for community health workers, in addition to other students who have taken courses in the community health worker pathway. With the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Kapiolani Community College contracted with the Department of Health to train more than one hundred community health workers to address community needs, of which twenty-five percent of community health workers trained were from the neighbor islands.

Your Committee also notes that the expansion of community health worker pathways has expanded opportunities for Hawaii's people. Previously, community health worker pathways were limited to in-person instruction, limiting the educational opportunities of residents on the neighbor islands interested in that career pathway. To provide greater access for students across the State, Kapiolani Community College and University of Hawaii – Maui College offer fully online pathways that allow students to complete community health worker programs. With expanded access to community health worker programs, the State can address critical shortages in health care professions, which were further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 182, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 182, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair