STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1715

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.C.R. No. 53

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 53 entitled:

 

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE COUNTIES TO FORM PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE STATE AND PRIVATE SECTOR TO COVER HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE AND OVERHEAD COSTS FOR PRIMARY CARE AND SPECIALTY PHYSICIANS PRACTICING MEDICINE IN HAWAII'S RURAL AREAS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to encourage the formation of public-private partnerships to cover certain costs related to providing healthcare services for the medically underserved in rural areas of the State.

 

     Your Committee finds that providing proper healthcare services in rural areas, particularly on the neighbor islands, has become increasingly difficult.  Physicians cannot work cost-efficiently and the wages of employees in the healthcare industry are too low to retain the employees.  The combination of low wages and high overhead costs has resulted in critical healthcare shortages, with any providers leaving the State.

 

     Your Committee finds that encouraging public-private partnerships to provide financial assistance in establishing healthcare infrastructure and reducing costs for healthcare providers will lead to an improvement of the healthcare system statewide and will enable health care providers to offer primary care and specialty healthcare services in rural and medically underserved areas of the State.

 

     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 H.C.R. No. 53 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOHN Mizuno, Acting Chair &

  Vice Chair