[§321-1.5]  Primary health care incentiveprogram; establishment.  There is established within the department ofhealth a primary health care incentive program.  The program shall:

(1)  Utilize existing personnel and resources to focuson primary health care;

(2)  Study the adequacy, accessibility, andavailability of primary health care with regard to medically underservedpersons in the State of Hawaii;

(3)  Convene and provide staff support for a volunteerprimary health care roundtable composed of knowledgeable health careprofessionals, consumers, and other interested persons whose advisory purposeshall be to:

(A)  Investigate and analyze the extent,location, and characteristics of medically underserved areas, and the numbers,location, and characteristics of medically underserved persons in Hawaii, withparticular attention given to shortages of health care professionals availableto provide care to these areas and persons;

(B)  Assess the feasibility of family practiceclerkships, preceptor programs, residency programs, and placement programs formedical school students and graduates as a means of increasing the number offamily practitioners available to serve medically underserved areas andpopulations;

(C)  Investigate and make recommendations regardingincentives, such as tuition exemptions, to increase the pool of primary healthcare practitioners, including family practitioners, other physicians in relatedspecialties, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and physician assistants,that are available to serve medically underserved areas and populations;

(D)  Develop a strategy for meeting the healthneeds of medically underserved areas and populations based upon the findingsthat result from its investigations; and

(E)  Maintain an ongoing forum for thediscussion of data collection regarding primary health care gaps, incentives topromote primary health care, and the development of cooperativeinterdisciplinary efforts among primary health care professionals;

(4)  Develop a strategy to provide appropriate andadequate access to primary health care in underserved areas;

(5)  Promote and develop community and consumerinvolvement in maintaining, rebuilding, and diversifying primary health careservices in medically underserved areas;

(6)  Produce and distribute minutes of volunteerprimary health care roundtable's discussions, and submit annual reports to thelegislature on recommended incentives and strategies, as well as a plan forimplementation, with the first report to be submitted to the legislature nolater than twenty days prior to the convening of the 1993 regular session; and

(7)  Facilitate communication and coordination amongproviders, health care educators, communities, cultural groups, and consumersof primary health care. [L 1992, c 41, §2]

 

Note

 

  Family practiceambulatory health center.  L 1993, c 347, §4.

 

Cross References

 

  Family practiceresidency program, see §304-67.