STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1058

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.R. No. 127

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.R. No. 127 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CREATION OF A TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS THE PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE IN HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the ongoing physician shortage in Hawaii by requesting the Director of Health to create a task force to address the physician shortage in Hawaii by considering and making recommendations regarding:

(1)  Assessment and planning of the physician workforce;

(2)  Recruitment and retention  of physicians;

(3)  Training and licensing requirements for physicians; and

(4)  Opportunities for foreign medical graduates.

Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and an individual testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Health and the University of Hawaii provided comments on this measure.

Your Committee notes that many of the issues in this measure are currently being reviewed by the Hawaii/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center (AHEC) through the Hawaii Physician Workforce Assessment, Hawaii Health Workforce Committee, and Hawaii Health Workforce Summit.

     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.R. No. 127 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Higher Education.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair