HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

131

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING the Director of Health to CONVENE AND FACILITATE a blue ribbon panel to perform a comprehensive inventory of all of Hawaii's acute care and long-term care facilities and to make recommendations for necessary expansion of such facilities for the state between now and the year 2020.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, Hawaii’s health care system consists of a myriad of services that must be coordinated and integrated to ensure access to quality care at the appropriate level for all of Hawaii’s residents; and

 

     WHEREAS, a single user of health care often accesses different providers that deliver different products and services, and may transition from one level of care to another over a period of time; and

 

     WHEREAS, acute care hospitals deliver care to the most seriously ill patients incurring high costs due to staffing needs, costs of technology that permeates hospitals in the form of equipment and supplies, the high costs of medication, and regulatory and quality requirements; and

 

     WHEREAS, patients who receive care at hospitals and recover enough of their health so that they no longer require hospitalization, but are still in need of services, should be transferred out of the hospital to a provider that can appropriately and safely care for their needs; and

 

     WHEREAS, such a transfer supports an improved quality of life for the patient and sustains the integrity of the acute care system by creating availability of bed-space for others who may require hospitalization; and

 

     WHEREAS, a balanced flow of patient movement matches the appropriate provider to the needs of the patient and better manages the financing of health care; and

 

     WHEREAS, the provision of long-term care, either in a facility or in a home- and community-based setting, is far less costly than hospital care; and

 

     WHEREAS, unfortunately, due to unique and unusual circumstances, Hawaii has a shortage of beds in nursing facilities relative to its population; and

 

     WHEREAS, most of Hawaii’s long-term care facilities, which include skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, adult residential care homes, and foster family homes, are full nearly all the time; and

 

     WHEREAS, placement in a long-term care facility is especially difficult when a patient has a medically complex condition that demands resources that are not available at many long-term care facilities in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, as a result, many acute care hospital patients who are ready for long-term care cannot be discharged and must wait in the acute care hospital until space becomes available; and

 

     WHEREAS, the shortage of long-term care beds is an undesirable situation from three perspectives:

 

(1)  The quality of life of the patient is diminished;

 

(2)  A patient in an acute care hospital who is waitlisted for long-term care occupies a bed that may be needed by someone else with an acute illness or injury; and

 

(3)  Hospital care is very expensive, so the waitlisted patient contributes to higher costs in an acute care hospital;

 

 and

 

     WHEREAS, to properly address the problem of the adequate supply of acute care and long-term care facility space we must first understand what is currently available; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the Director of Health is requested to convene and facilitate a blue ribbon panel to perform a comprehensive inventory of all of Hawaii's acute care and long-term care facilities and to make recommendations for necessary expansion of such facilities for the state between now and the year 2020; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of blue ribbon panels should include:

 

(1)  A member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

 

(2)  A member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate;

 

(3)  The Director of Health or the Director's designee;

 

(4)  The Director of Human Services or the Director's designee;

 

(5)  The Dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) or the Dean's designee;

 

(6)  The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC);

 

(7)  The CEO of The Queens Medical Center or a designee;

 

(8)  The President and CEO of Hawaii Pacific Health or a designee;

 

(9)  The CEO of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii or a designee; and

 

(10) CEO and President of the Health Care Association of Hawaii (HAH);

 

and


 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the blue ribbon panel submit a report of its findings, and any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the  Regular Session of 2010; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to Governor, Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Dean of JABSOM, CEO of HHSC, CEO of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, CEO of Queen's Medical Center, President and CEO of Hawaii Pacific Health, and President and CEO of HAH.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Acute Care and Long-term Care Facilities Inventory