STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1500

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.C.R. No. 215

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 215 entitled:

 

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO REVIEW AND ASSESS THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IMPLEMENTED BY HOSPITALS TO REDUCE ELECTIVE CESAREAN SECTIONS AND INDUCTION OF LABOR,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to promote best practices in child birth by requesting the Department of Health to review and assess:

 

     (1)  The criteria used by hospitals and physicians for indications for elective inductions or cesarean sections; and

 

     (2)  The policies and procedures implemented by hospitals to reduce elective cesarean sections and induction of labor.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the March for Dimes and Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies. Testimony in opposition to this measure was received by the Department of Health.

 

     Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that there has been a sharp increase in the number of induction and elective surgical births in the past ten years that have increased the rate of pre-term births.

 

     Your Committee further finds that the Healthcare Association of Hawaii is a non-profit organization that represents Hawaii's health care providers and would serve as a valuable asset to the review and assessment process conducted by the Department of Health.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by requesting the Department of Health to conduct the review and assessment in consultation with the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and accordingly requiring a certified copy of this measure to be transmitted to the Chief Executive Officer of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

 

     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. 215, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 215, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair