STAND. COM. REP. NO. 142

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1097

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1097 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR MOLOKAI GENERAL HOSPITAL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to Molokai General Hospital for operating costs.

Two Maui County Council members, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Molokai Community Health Center, Molokai General Hospital, and one individual submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Health submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that Molokai General Hospital generally receives most of its financial and management support as a subsidiary of Queen's Health Systems. However, as the Maui County Council members noted, the Queen's Health System's recent decrease in revenues has severely affected Molokai General Hospital's financial support and it must now rely on increased financial support from the State, the County of Maui, and federal grants. Maintaining services at Molokai General Hospital is critical to the health and safety of residents and visitors because it is the sole hospital serving the island community of Molokai.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by appropriating $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2005-2006, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for fiscal year 2006-2007.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1097, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1097, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair