STAND. COM. REP. NO. 648

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 596

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 596, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII HEALTH CORPS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners to practice in counties in the State with the greatest need for medical services, by providing for loan repayments for individuals who practice in those areas for at least five years.

 

     Specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Establishes the Hawaii health corps program;

 

     (2)  Establishes the Hawaii rural health care provider loan repayment program to provide loan repayments on behalf of eligible physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who practice in counties with shortages of these positions, with priority given to those serving in rural areas and preference to graduates of University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine or University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene;

 

     (3)  Creates the Hawaii health corps revolving fund; and

 

     (4)  Makes appropriations to support the purpose and intent of this measure.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Medical Association; Dan Domizio, P.A., MPH, Clinical Programs Director and Chief Executive Officer, Puna Community Medical Center; and Jackie Berry, Executive Director, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that with the increasingly high cost of higher education, it is difficult to attract physicians and nurse practitioners to certain counties, particularly those in remote areas, where the cost of living is higher and the pay is often lower than in urban centers.  The shortage of medical professionals in these areas threaten the health of Hawaii's residents and affect health care costs.

 

     With the establishment of a loan repayment program, physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners will be less worried about their financial obligations.  This measure will encourage and enable physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners to provide care in areas they otherwise may not have considered.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the amount of the appropriation for the implementation and administration of the Hawaii health corps program to an unspecified amount to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of style, clarity, and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 596, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 596, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

		____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair