Bill Text: HI SR15 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Urging The Department Of Health To Amend The Hawaii Administrative Rules To Authorize Licensed Dietitians To Prescribe Modified Diets And Plan Therapeutic Diets.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-1)

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-31 - Certified copies of resolution sent, 05-31-24 [SR15 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-SR15-Amended.html

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

15

THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO AMEND THE HAWAII ADMINISTRATIVE RULES TO AUTHORIZE LICENSED DIETITIANS TO PRESCRIBE MODIFIED DIETS AND PLAN THERAPEUTIC DIETS.

 

 


     WHEREAS, Hawaii has repeatedly and consistently been recognized by the federal government as a health professional shortage area; and

 

     WHEREAS, registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) enhance patient care by providing key nutrition services, and are recognized widely by physicians as the most qualified health care professionals to help patients with diet-related conditions; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2014, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a final rule allowing RDNs in hospital settings to be privileged to independently write diet orders without the supervision or approval of the physician, on the basis that it would:

 

     (1)  Reduce unnecessary and burdensome procedures by physicians to write the diet orders;

 

     (2)  Increase flexibility for health care providers to improve care;

 

     (3)  Reduce costs to each health care facility; and

 

     (4)  Allow primary care physicians to focus on their respective areas of expertise to care for patients; and

 

     WHEREAS, the CMS rules deferred to each individual hospital system the determination of whether to grant RDNs specific nutrition order-writing privileges to suit each hospital system's needs, within the confines of state regulations; and

 

     WHEREAS, the existing Hawaii Administrative Rules do not allow licensed dietitians to issue diet orders; and

 

     WHEREAS, allowing licensed dietitians to prescribe and plan diets within the State's health care system will reduce issues associated with the current shortage of physicians in the State, while ensuring that patients have sufficient nutrition; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that the Department of Health is urged to amend the Hawaii Revised Statutes to authorize licensed dietitians to prescribe modified diets and plan therapeutic diets; specifically, by amending section 11‑93‑8, subsections (c) and (d), Hawaii Administrative Rules, to read as follows:

 

"(c)  All modified diets shall be:

 

(1)  Prescribed by the patient's physician or qualified dietitian privileged by the hospital to do so with a record of the diet as ordered kept on file.

 

(2)  Planned, prepared, and served by qualified personnel using the current Hawaii Dietetic Association manual or the American Dietetic Association manual, or both.

 

(3)  Reviewed and adjusted as needed.

 

(d)  Therapeutic diets shall be planned by a [qualified] licensed dietitian, as prescribed by the patient's physician[.] or licensed dietitian privileged by the hospital to do so.  Nutrition assessment and dietary counseling shall be provided by a dietitian when indicated for a patient.  Nutrition plans and follow-ups shall be documented in the individual medical record."; and

 


 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health.


 


 

Report Title: 

Department of Health; Rules; Licensed Dieticians; Prescribing Authority; Modified Diets; Therapeutic Diets

feedback