THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
596 |
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011 |
S.D. 2 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
H.D. 1 |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO HAWAII HEALTH CORPS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that many residents of Hawaii are increasingly unable to obtain timely and appropriate health care due to shortages of primary health care providers in the State, including physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. These shortages threaten the health of Hawaii's residents and affect state health care costs. These shortages have pushed the federal government to designate a number of areas in the State, particularly rural areas, as medically underserved areas, health professional shortage areas, or as having medically underserved populations.
The University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine, in association with Wahiawa general hospital, conducts a fully accredited three-year family medicine residency program. This program has contributed over sixty family physicians who currently work throughout the State of Hawaii.
Since 2006, a second rural residency program model has been under development with the John A. Burns school of medicine and the Hilo medical center. This will be the first residency program established on a neighbor island. In addition to training for medical students and resident physicians, this model rural interdisciplinary training site will include advanced practice nursing, pharmacy, psychiatry, and other areas of practice. It is anticipated that this rural primary care training model can be replicated on other islands.
The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to increase access by medically underserved resident populations to culturally appropriate primary health care services by supporting the development of the rural health workforce for the Hilo medical center, by implementing and sustaining the rural interdisciplinary residency program.
SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to implement and sustain the Hilo medical center's rural interdisciplinary residency program.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine and the University of Hawaii at Manoa school of nursing and dental hygiene for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.
Report Title:
Hawaii Health Corps; Appropriation
Description:
Appropriates funds to increase access by medically underserved resident populations to culturally appropriate primary health care services by supporting the development of the rural health workforce for the Hilo medical center, by implementing and sustaining the rural interdisciplinary residency program. Effective July 1, 2050. (SB596 HD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.