Bill Text: HI SB1045 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Bill 1045 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Making An Appropriation To The Department Of Health For An Echo Program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-01-25 - Referred to CPH, WAM. [SB1045 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2017-SB1045-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1045
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR an echo program.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that rural populations do not have sufficient access to treatment for chronic, common, and complex diseases that require specialty health care providers.

The legislature further finds that a knowledge-on-demand model of telehealth care has been developed, known as Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), which can assist in diagnosing and successfully treat many chronic illnesses and conditions, including HIV. ECHO has enormous potential as an affordable healthcare intervention in rural communities where certain chronic diseases have reached epidemic levels and where healthcare resources and personnel are scarce.

The legislature further finds that ECHO educates, trains, and supports rural general practitioners or other available healthcare representatives on the best practice treatment protocols for complex diseases. ECHO focuses on the principles of care-based learning and disease management using internet-based technologies such as web video conferencing to co-manage patients in community-based practices. The ultimate goal of ECHO is to provide the same level of healthcare to rural patients with chronic diseases as can be obtained in an urban setting.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of health to implement and administer an ECHO program.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $100,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 to implement and administer an ECHO program to connect urban medical center disease experts with rural general and community health representatives using internet-based technologies, as described in section 1 of this Act.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2017.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Healthcare; Rural Health; Telemedicine; ECHO Program; Appropriation

Description:

Makes an appropriation to the department of health to implement and administer an ECHO program to provide the same level of healthcare to rural patients with chronic diseases as can be obtained in an urban setting.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.