STAND. COM. REP. NO.  726

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1465

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1465 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to provide the people of the southern portion of the island of Hawaii, which currently lacks sufficient hospital and health center facilities and is particularly vulnerable in the event of a serious medical emergency, with increased access to appropriate emergency and urgent medical care, by appropriating funds to the Department of Health to develop a pilot program in cooperation with emergency medical services, the fire department, the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and the community clinics, to provide two emergency mobile urgent care units to be stationed at the fire departments in the communities of Ocean View and Volcano.

 

     The Hawaii Medical Service Association testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Health opposed this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that this bill provides for a pilot program limited to address a single medical shortage area on the Big Island.

 


     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2099, to encourage further discussion; and

 

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

 

     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 H.B. No. 1465, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1465, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair