STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1541-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.C.R. No. 146

S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 146, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION AND ST. FRANCIS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM TO CONTINUE THEIR PARTNERSHIP IN SERVING THE NEEDS OF DIALYSIS PATIENTS IN THE PUNA DISTRICT OF THE ISLAND OF HAWAII BY EXPANDING ITS NETWORK OF DIALYSIS TREATMENT FACILITIES TO THE KEAAU FAMILY CENTER IN THE PUNA DISTRICT AND BY CONDUCTING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT WILL DETERMINE THE COST AND REQUIREMENTS OF ESTABLISHING A DIALYSIS CENTER IN PUNA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to urge the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation and St. Francis Healthcare System to continue their partnership in serving the needs of dialysis patients in the Puna district of the island of Hawaii, by expanding its network of dialysis treatment facilities to the Keaau Family Center in the Puna district and by conducting a needs assessment that will determine the cost and requirements of establishing a dialysis center in Puna.

The Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC), St. Francis Medical Center, and numerous individuals provided support for this measure.

Your Committee finds that HHSC provides inpatient dialysis services and St. Francis provides outpatient services. Dialysis services in Puna are considered outpatient, and patients from Puna must travel thirty to forty miles to the St. Francis Hilo Dialysis Facility for treatment. St. Francis indicated that it does not currently plan to develop a satellite dialysis treatment facility in the Puna-Ka'u District, although the situation is being monitored.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 146, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

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

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair