STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1395

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.C.R. No. 199

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.C.R. No. 199 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF THE PHYSICIAN "ON-CALL" CRISIS ON THE QUEEN'S MEDICAL CENTER TRAUMA CENTER TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE STATE OF HAWAII AND TO RECOMMEND APPROPRIATE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO THE "ON-CALL" CRISIS TO ENSURE CONTINUED ACCESS TO TRAUMA LEVEL CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to evaluate the impact of the physician "on-call" crisis on the Queen's Medical Center Trauma Center to provide emergency medical services.

Kaiser Permanente; Hawaii Health Systems Corporation; The Queen's Health Systems; the Vice President of Surgical Services, the Vice President of Medical Affairs, and the Interim Director of Trauma Services for The Queen's Medical Center; the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine; the Hawaii Healthcare Association of Hawaii; and Hawaii Pacific Health submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Health submitted testimony in support of the intent of the measure. The Legislative Reference Bureau submitted comments. Hawaii Independent Physicians Association opposed the measure.

Your Committee finds that the need for specialists to be "on-call" at The Queen's Medical Center is particularly acute because of the demands of maintaining the Trauma Center.

Your Committee believes that this study can help the government and private sector address this health care crisis.

The Legislative Reference Bureau suggested that the study be conducted by government agencies only and not in coordination with private entities to avoid any appearance of impartiality. Your Committee agrees with the Legislative Reference Bureau that it is more appropriate for the Department of Health to report on the factual issues surrounding the on-call problem and its impact on health care facilities in the State, and for the Legislative Reference Bureau to focus on policy-oriented issues. This change should promote the effective and expeditious completion of the study.

Your Committee has therefore amended this measure by:

(1) Requesting the Legislative Reference Bureau to evaluate the impact of the physician on-call crisis in coordination with the Department of Health;

(2) Adding two whereas clauses regarding the Department of Health's statutory authority and responsibility and one clause regarding the indication that private entities may be willing to provide some funding towards conducting this review;

(3) Requesting the Department of Health to analyze all of the issues in Part I except for "the experience and response of other states and cities facing a similar crisis" which remains tasked to the Legislative Reference Bureau;

(4) Requesting the Department of Health to analyze both issues in Part II;

(5) Requesting the Legislative Reference Bureau to analyze the government response to the on-call crisis and the three paragraphs related thereto;

(6) Deleting the references to state funding for the study and such funding being matched dollar-for-dollar by The Queen's Medical Center; and

(7) Making technical, non-substantive changes for clarity and style.

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. 199, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 199, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair