Senate plan would allow regional control of medical services

The Maui News
Sunday, March 04, 2007

By EDWIN TANJI, City Editor

HONOLULU – A sharply debated proposal to allow regional boards to manage state-owned medical facilities is advancing in the state Senate, and a key supporter, Sen. Roz Baker, expects the House will go along.

A similar bill has been approved by the House in past sessions, but died in the Senate, which Baker said puts the House generally in support of the concept.

"I think the chief differences in the House position previously was that it would have just pulled Maui Memorial Medical Center out of the system. With the Senate version, we've been working with our House colleagues to come up with something that would meet everybody's concerns.

"It would improve health care services by really empowering all the systems on all of the islands. Maui would be the first, but all the other regions in the system, Hilo, West Hawaii, Kauai, would have the ability to move in this direction," Baker said.

Senate Bill 1792 allows for "regional affiliate corporations" that would manage state-owned health care facilities in each region, with the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. retained to provide statewide administrative services in areas where there are economies of scale, such as in purchasing and overseeing collaboration among the regions. In Maui County, HHSC facilities are Maui Memorial, Lanai Community Hospital and Kula Hospital.

"It is creating regional affiliate boards to govern the facilities in the regions, giving them operational and fiscal control of the provision of health care in their regions," Baker said.

If approved, the program will allow local boards to plan and develop health care services within the Neighbor Island communities that are being served. Baker said the Senate and House supporters have been working with the attorney general to be sure the framework is legally viable.

"It will allow the local community to have a buy-in on how health care decisions are determined," she said.

At the same time, she said the Legislature is assuring medical providers in other regions that the effort to allow Maui Memorial and its affiliated centers to be separated as a regional system is not aimed at destroying the statewide health care system.

"The funding will still come from the Legislature. The Legislature will still have a role to play, making up the shortfalls in funding including at Maui Memorial," she said. "Maui Memorial may have an operating surplus in one year, but may not have a surplus in another year and we still are providing the capital improvements they need on Maui."

Sen. J. Kalani English, whose 6th District comprises East Maui, Molokai and Lanai, noted that the state is putting a great deal of resources into medical services on all of the islands, including the Lanai Community Hospital, Kula Hospital, Hana Health Center and Molokai General Hospital.

"That's part of the concern, to be sure those places are taken care of. At Molokai General, we put a lot of resources in the last couple of years in the infrastructure and I think it has been a benefit to the community," he said.

On one other key concern, Baker was particularly pleased with actions taken to promote pedestrian safety, noting the increasing number of accidents involving pedestrians reported around the state.

The Ways and Means Committee expanded SB 1191, a bill to fund a pilot study on identifying high-risk intersections to include additional funds to take action to deal with safety issues identified by the study.

"One of the features of the bill is that it provides funding to the counties, providing some resources to the counties so they can fix any of their difficult roadways," Baker said.

Pedestrian safety will be an increasing safety concern with an older population and increasing traffic, she said.

"With so much hustling and bustling by people to get somewhere faster and out population aging, it's really important that we develop a way that people can get around on the streets and do so safely," she said.

Bills advancing out of the Senate also include SB 732 to fund lifeguards at state parks, including at Makena Beach Park, with matching funds by the counties, and a bill that reflects a priority of Gov. Linda Lingle to support initiatives in technology education.

SB 897 funds proved programs such as Project EAST, established by the Maui Economic Development Board on Maui eight years ago or the Hawaii 3Ts school technology lab fund.

Baker said the Senate supports the innovative education initiative promoted by Lingle at the opening of the Legislature, but said many of the governor's proposals already were included in bills in the Legislature.

"We're moving forward with legislation to continue support for projects developed by the Maui Economic Development Board and other county economic development boards for growing the innovation sector of our economy," Baker said.

"It was nice to see the governor endorsing some of the things we've been working on for a number of years. We're using our vehicles to move them forward. We're glad she's so supportive, even if we were there first."

While the Senate still is waiting for the House to turn over the biennium budget for the next round of reviews, English said he's already moving to provide additional support to projects needed in his district, such as a new small-boat ramp at Hana Bay. Last year, he had asked for a $3 million capital improvements allocation for the Hana ramp, and this year, will be asking for $3.5 million.

"The recent road closures that cut off people from Kaupo and Kipahulu really demonstrated how vulnerable we are in the Hana community. The state will need to put in the infrastructure for transportation so when something happens that cuts off the remote communities, we will have the systems in place to provide some options," he said. "They are large-ticket items but they are essential to areas like Hana."

Pending a chance to study the state budget as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, English focused this weekend on his cultural and environmental concerns.

He supports the Aha Moku Council proposal to provide a culturally sensitive panel to review state plans that may affect natural resources of the state. A House version of the proposal also has been approved, with slight differences to be worked out.

English said he also is hopeful for bills to require proper use of Hawaiian language on state government stationery.

But even if a bill has failed in either chamber, he noted the legislative process allows ideas to remain alive.

"I tell people just because a bill didn't make it out doesn't mean it's dead. It may be put into the budget or it may be incorporated into other bills.

"As long as the idea is floating and it's valid, it can be kept alive."

Edwin Tanji can be reached at editor@mauinews.com.

Copyright © 2005 The Maui News.

Original article URL: http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=28284

Return to Sen. English Home Page - KalaniEnglish.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Bills and Resolutions About Senator English Committees Community Profiles Newsletter Archive News Archive Capitol Web Site Media Photos

Connect with Senator English

OUR DISTRICT