Report Title:

Emergency Medical Services; Aeromedical Helicopter

Description:

Appropriates $600,000 to department of health to contract with a government agency or U.S. military branch to provide intra-island only aeromedical roto-wing services for rural Oahu.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2828

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the United States Army's 68th Medical Company's Medical Assistance to Safety and Traffic helicopters have served Hawaii for the past thirty-one years. These military aeromedical helicopters have transported over seven thousand patients and saved countless lives by transporting patients from rural areas, particularly in West Oahu and the North Shore of Oahu to tertiary hospitals. Located at Wheeler Army Air Field, the aeromedical helicopters provide a vital service at no cost to rural Oahu. Due to the realignment and disbanding of the 68th Medical Company, the Blackhawk helicopters have discontinued service to the island of Oahu.

However, the legislature also finds that because of the increased military activity in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Iraq, the 25th Aviation Brigade and two aviation regiment aeromedical helicopters will soon be deployed to those areas, leaving rural Oahu residents without aeromedical services. The legislature believes that providing intra-island aeromedical services to rural Oahu is necessary for the health and safety of residents and therefore is a matter of statewide concern.

It is not the intent of this Act to supplant existing ground or fixed-wing transport, especially for routine or non-emergency inter-facility transportation. The aeromedical helicopter unit would utilize triage protocols to ensure the medically appropriate dispatch of the unit. Helicopter utilization would be based on national aeromedical triage and transport guidelines as established by the Association of Air Medical Services, the American College of Surgeons, and the National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to provide intra-island only aeromedical services to rural Oahu.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $600,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for a grant-in-aid to the director of health to contract with an existing government agency or United States military unit to provide intra-island only roto-wing aeromedical services for rural Oahu; provided that the emergency aeromedical helicopter services:

(1) Shall not supplant existing ground or fixed-wing transport, especially for routine or non-emergency inter-facility transportation; and

(2) Shall use triage protocols that are based on national aeromedical, triage, and transport guidelines established by the Association of Air Medical Services, the American college of Surgeons, and the National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.

INTRODUCED BY:

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