STAND. COM. REP. NO. 349

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 797

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 797 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health to participate in any federal matching grant programs authorized by the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act with respect to health information technology systems.  The intent of this measure is to improve patient care throughout the State of Hawaii by encouraging the provision of complete, accurate, and searchable health information at the point of diagnosis and care.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Ku Aloha Ola Mau, and Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition.

 

     Your Committee finds that health information technology provides the overall framework for the comprehensive management and secure exchange of health information among providers, insurers, governments, and consumers.  Your Committee further finds that the use of health information technology has the potential to improve health care quality, prevent medical errors, increase administrative efficiencies, decrease paperwork, and improve patient care throughout the State of Hawaii.  This measure enables the State to take advantage of any available federal funds to develop valuable health information technology systems.

 

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 S.B. No. 797 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair