Report Title:

Primary Healthcare; Rural Areas

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to develop a statewide rural primary healthcare training program to provide family physicians to rural areas and improve healthcare access for the people of Hawaii.  Appropriates funds to support and expand the Family Medicine Residency Program of UH JABSOM's Department of Family Medicine and Community Health to provide rural primary healthcare services.  (HB1477 HD1)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1477

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

RELATING TO RURAL PRIMARY HEALTH CARE TRAINING.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that there is a severe shortage of primary care health providers in the state, which threatens the health of our residents and affects healthcare costs.  This shortage has pushed the federal government to designate a number of areas in the state, particularly rural areas, as medically underserved areas, health professional shortage areas, or as having medically underserved populations.

The legislature further finds that family physicians are well-suited to rural healthcare due to the broad scope of their practice, which encompasses inpatient, outpatient, and nursing home settings, and addresses acute, chronic, and preventive health across the life cycle.  Many family physicians also provide maternity care, family planning, and mental health services through their practices.

     The University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine currently offers a three-year residency program in family medicine.  The program emphasizes a system-based and interdisciplinary team approach to healthcare.  The mission of the family medicine residency program is to meet the needs of rural and medically underserved areas and populations in Hawaii in a culturally sensitive and medically appropriate manner.  Family medicine program residents not only provide healthcare, but also provide education and outreach at schools and community events.  Presently, family medicine program residents spend two months in a federally-funded rural healthcare training demonstration project, initiated in Hilo in 2006, in which residents learn how to provide healthcare to medically underserved patients in rural areas as they rotate among private physician offices, emergency departments, and the community, providing outreach and education.  It is anticipated that the Hilo rural health training program will be duplicated on Kauai.

     The purpose of this Act is to increase access to primary healthcare services provided by family physicians or residents in the family medicine residency program at the University of Hawaii to medically underserved residents in rural areas of the state by appropriating funds to:

     (1)  Support and expand the family medicine residency program of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine's department of family medicine and community health to provide rural primary healthcare services; and

     (2)  Develop a permanent statewide rural primary healthcare training program in the county of Hawaii to expand the rural healthcare training available for individuals in the family medicine residency program of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008 and the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to support and expand the family medicine residency program of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine's department of family medicine and community health to provide rural primary healthcare services.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008 and the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to develop a statewide rural primary healthcare training program to provide family physicians to rural areas and improve healthcare access for the people of Hawaii.

     SECTION 4.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.