STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Honolulu, Hawaii
APR 1 9 2024
RE: H.C.R. No. 172
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred H.C.R. No. 172 entitled:
"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DIRECTOR OF
HEALTH TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATING
TO PATIENT TRANSFER AND AMBULANCE SERVICES AND EVALUATE
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the
Director of Health to convene a working group to address issues
relating to patient transfer and ambulance services and evaluate
potential solutions.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Hawaii Medical Association, Air Methods Corporation,
Hawaii Chapter of the TXmerican College of Emergency Physicians
LLC, and one individual.
Your Committee received comments on this measure from the
Department of Health and American Medical Response.
Your Committee finds that patients on Oahu and the neighbor
islands are currently experiencing significant delays in receiving
necessary health care while waiting for transfer to a facility
that can provide a higher level of care. Your Committee further
finds that only one company, Hawaii Life Flight, offers air
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 STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Page 2
ambulance services for neighbor islands, and that TXmerican Medical
Response is the sole private ground ambulance and primary provider
of inter-facility transport on Oahu, considering that Honolulu
Emergency Medical Services' primary focus is emergency 911
responses. Your Committee additionally finds that the input,
expertise, and collaborative efforts of the many stakeholders
involved in providing care to patients throughout the State is
necessary to develop and evaluate potential solutions to address
issues with the current patient transfer and ambulance system.
Therefore, this measure requests the convening of a working group
to allow relevant stakeholders to collaborate to address these
issues and evaluate potential solutions.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Clarifying that the stakeholders requested to be invited
to serve on the working group as transportation service
providers include current and future air and ground
transportation service providers; and
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the
purposes of clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of
H.C.R. No. 172, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in
the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 172, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committee on Health and Human
Services,
2024-2656 HCR SSCR SMA.docx
 The Senate
Thirty-Second Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Health and Human Services
HHS
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date:
n2. HWS q /n
The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to: ______________________________________
The Recommendation is:
Pass, unamended '^ass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311 2310 2313
Members Aye Aye (WR) Nay Excused
SAN BUENAVENTURA, Joy A. (C)
AQUINO, Henry J.C. (VC)
KEOHOKALOLE, Jarrett
SHIMABUKURO, Maile S.L.
AWA, Brenton
Recommendation:
TOTAL
3
Ij^^j^dopted __ Not Adopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature: __ ____
Distribution; Original Yellow Pinl^ Goldenrod
File with Committee Report Clerk's Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one measure per Record of Votes
Revised: 12/27/23