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



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



(2)  Study the adequacy, accessibility, and
availability of primary health care with regard to medically underserved
persons in the State of Hawaii;



(3)  Convene and provide staff support for a volunteer
primary health care roundtable composed of knowledgeable health care
professionals, consumers, and other interested persons whose advisory purpose
shall 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, with
particular attention given to shortages of health care professionals available
to provide care to these areas and persons;



(B)  Assess the feasibility of family practice
clerkships, preceptor programs, residency programs, and placement programs for
medical school students and graduates as a means of increasing the number of
family practitioners available to serve medically underserved areas and
populations;



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



(D)  Develop a strategy for meeting the health
needs of medically underserved areas and populations based upon the findings
that result from its investigations; and



(E)  Maintain an ongoing forum for the
discussion of data collection regarding primary health care gaps, incentives to
promote primary health care, and the development of cooperative
interdisciplinary efforts among primary health care professionals;



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



(5)  Promote and develop community and consumer
involvement in maintaining, rebuilding, and diversifying primary health care
services in medically underserved areas;



(6)  Produce and distribute minutes of volunteer
primary health care roundtable's discussions, and submit annual reports to the
legislature on recommended incentives and strategies, as well as a plan for
implementation, with the first report to be submitted to the legislature no
later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 1993 regular session; and



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



 



Note



 



  Family practice
ambulatory health center.  L 1993, c 347, §4.



 



Cross References



 



  Family practice
residency program, see §304-67.