STAND. COM. REP. 3290

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.C.R. No. 49

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 49 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE OFFERING OF CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION ON PAIN MANAGEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the offering of continuing medical education on pain management.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Hawaii Medical Association, Death with Dignity Hawaii Coalition, and an individual.

Your Committee finds that Last Acts, a national coalition dedicated to improving care near the end of life, gave Hawaii an "E", the lowest grade possible, for our failure to have any state policy that encourages comprehensive pain control. Furthermore, one-third of residents dying in Hawaii's nursing homes are in persistent, yet treatable, pain. Adoption of this measure will help increase the quality and availability of pain management for Hawaii patients.

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. 49 and recommends its adoption.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair