STAND. COM. REP. NO. 518

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 835
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 835 entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of
Health (DOH) to establish and administer an aeromedical emergency
medical services information system and to contract for emergency
aeromedical services.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Health (DOH), Hawaii County Fire
Department, Hawaii Air Ambulance, Healthcare Association of
Hawaii, and the American Heart Association which submitted a
letter of support from a physician and a petition with numerous
signatures.

     Your Committee finds that a quality aeromedical services
system is critical to the health and welfare of all people,
particularly those in the rural areas of the Big Island.
Although this measure provides statutory recognition of
aeromedical services, the DOH currently provides aeromedical
services.  This measure is an outgrowth of an aeromedical task
force that assisted the DOH by making recommendations to improve
current aeromedical services.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 518
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     Your Committee has amended this measure on the
recommendation of the Department of Health and Hawaii Air
Ambulance by:

     (1)  Adding the time for notification to aeromedical
          dispatch to the aeromedical emergency medical services
          information system's communication and dispatch
          responsibilities;

     (2)  Deleting medical oversight by physicians;

     (3)  Changing the name of the emergency aeromedical services
          quality improvement committee to the emergency
          aeromedical services quality improvement advisory
          committee; and

     (4)  Deleting reference to the American College of Surgeons
          performance measures.

     Your Committee has clarified that the DOH may require
licensing and establish standards for emergency aeromedical
services, and has made technical, nonsubstantive amendments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 835, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 835,
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 and Human
                                   Services,



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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