State Health Planning and Development Agency

Update News

March/April 1996


RE-ENGINEERING

The Governor is re-engineering government. The economy is tight and state government is running lean. SHPDA must also change. With its staff know-how and flexibility, the Agency is adapting to this challenge. It is an opportunity to streamline our functions. For your background, the Agency is down to a staff of eight from last year's twelve. College students are being actively recruited to intern with the office. Persons serving court ordered "community service" are also being recruited to assist at the Agency.

SAC Updates:

The SACs are meeting the challenges of this new operating reality. They are flexible and willing to try a new meeting schedule which better matches the Agency's current staffing resources. SACs will be meeting every other month instead of every month (unless there is a CON to review). The Neighbor Island SACs are scheduling various meetings to occur on the same day -- for more effective use of staff travel time and expenses. Other suggestions on how to adjust to current staff resources are welcomed.

Hawaii SAC:

In February, the SAC completed its review of Hospice of Kona, including a site visit, and recommended approval of this administrative application. Members reviewed various legislative issues and testimony. The Mental Health & Substance Abuse Committee met three times to evaluate and respond to legislation regarding Big Island health, including bills and resolutions based on their report in response to SCR 186 from 1995.

Maui SAC:

The Tri-Isle SAC's Joint Subcommittee of Ambulatory Care, Acute General Hospital Care, and Long Term Care subcommittees decided to discontinue the project on a block grant strategy for Maui County because of the uncertainty of what will occur on the federal level. Also of concern were SB 3229 and HB 4058, which looked at streamlining SHPDA. Tri-Isle SAC and Joint Sub- committee members submitted testimony (signed by members and other Maui residents) emphasizing the importance of the SACs particularly on the neighbor islands.

Waianae SAC:

Members met in February to continue their review of the impact of Med-QUEST on local service providers. They invited Mr. Greg Payton, Executive Director of the Wai'anae Coast Community Mental Health Center, to describe service delivery under the current contract for behavioral health with HMSA/Biodyne/CCS. Community providers find themselves in an increasingly competitive environment. In other matters, B. Larrabee represented the Waianae SAC on the Oahu-wide CON Review Committee which met on February 12 to review the Renal Treatment Centers (RTC) application.

Windward Oahu SAC:

The Windward Oahu SAC will be trying out a revamped meeting schedule. On a trial basis, starting in March, the SAC will be meeting during the lunch hour every other month (unless there is a Certificate of Need to review.) The Windward Oahu Plan Development Committee will be meeting on alternate months from the SAC. In preparation for their needs assessment chapter on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, the Windward Oahu SAC Plan Development Committee heard a presentation by the Department of Health-Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division Chief on substance abuse issues impacting the Windward area. The SAC PDC also worked on timelines for the completion of their first chapter on Long Term Care, with a target completion date of June 1996.

Honolulu SAC:

Responding to a Council invitation in January, Mr. Neal Miyahara of the State Department of Budget & Finance presented members with an overview of the current fiscal picture. A key concern is the growth of State payroll as a percentage of operating expenses. Members were also updated on CON matters involving the Ueno Clinic, and the Reconsideration Panel's decision on the Ekahi Surgery Center on Maui. Members also decided to arrange the next meeting at lunchtime, with an opportunity to visit the Queen's Medical Center facilities.

Central Oahu SAC:

In January, members met at St. Francis Medical Center-West, with an opportunity to tour the facility. Responding to the Administrator's suggestion of less frequent meetings, they moved to put this idea on the agenda for discussion, and subsequently voted to meet every other month. Concern was again expressed over inadequate lighting and people loitering at the Central O'ahu Health Center - conditions which prompted members to seek alternative meeting sites. Members feel these conditions must be corrected for the benefit of the general public.

Kauai SAC:

In response to the Administrator's request to streamline activities to better match Agency's resources, the Kauai SAC and the Garden Island Planning Committee (GIPC) mutually agreed that the GIPC will be incorporated under the SAC structure in a new partnership. Also, starting from March, the GIPC's subcommittees will be meeting on an every-other-month schedule, on the same day as the Kauai SAC. The Legislative Subcommittee has been active in testifying, monitoring, and making legislative contacts on the GIPC's 1996 legislative priorities, which seek changes and recommended solutions to improve Kauai's healthcare system vs. requesting funds.

Health Care Information Projects:

The internet will soon have SHPDA information on it. Equipment from another department is being used to accomplish this. Information already available on diskette is readily transferable to the Web. Meetings with other state and private agencies to explore data collaboration activities are also occurring.

In partnership with the Hawaii Association for Home Care, SHPDA is doing a survey to update home care services information. The project's goal is to determine the amount of home care services being delivered in the state, the costs of providing those services, as well as identifying unmet needs. Data will also be used to compare Hawaii's home care services with those of other states. This project was developed by a core group of people including representatives from the Association, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and the Hawaii Health Information Corporation.

Legislative Update:

Legislatively, the Administration's package included language to abolish SHDPA. There were also bills introduced to streamline the Agency. These bills (SB 3229 and HB 4058) intend to implement the recommendations of the SHPDA Task Force which was established last Session. The SHPDA Task Force was composed of persons representing various sectors of the community. Membership included the SHCC Chair and SAC members.

A dental bill (H.B. 2897) and resolutions (H.C.R. 17, H.R. 18) were introduced as a result of the Kauai Dental Health Task Force's recommendations in their report to the Legislature. H.B. 2897 requires that children entering school for the first time in the State have a dental examination. This bill passed the House Health Committee with an amendment for exemption on religious grounds and was referred to the Education Committee. The House resolutions request that the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services implement a task force to coordinate a five-year dental health program on Kauai.

Kauai is also tracking and providing testimony on the tort protection for counties bill, which is one of the Garden Island Planning Committee's legislative priorities to help remove barriers to lifeguard services at state and county beaches. The chair of the Legislative Subcommittee wrote testimony in support of incorporating the provisions of several of these bills into one bill.

Leatrice Tsubota and John McCarthy are communicating legislative information to the SAC chairs regarding these and other bills which impact SHPDA.

CON Updates:

The CON process is being streamlined. All aspects of the CON process are being reviewed to be more efficient and effective. For example, while the HRS allow for a six month review, a test case standard application went through the Agency in two months -- proof that the process can be more time efficient for the applicant while maintaining solid community input.



Letters of Intent:

Letters of Intent
Name of Provider
Description of Services
Service Area
Mobile Care Project Outreach services to the homeless Big Island
Gumapac & Associates Free Standing Surgery Center Big Island
Lanakila Education & Development Services, Inc. ICF-MRC for DD/MR adults Maui
DASH 20-bed clinic Big Island
effiCare Home Health Agency Maui
Elder Spa ARCH Convert ARCH to SNF Kauai
Pacific Medical Limited Partnership Mobile lithotripter Oahu
















Undergoing CON Completeness Review:

Undergoing CON Completeness Review
Name of Provider
Description of Services
Service Area
CASHA Establish & operate network of five home health agencies Statewide
Kahana Partners Punahele Surgicenter Big Island
Kapiolani Medical Center Pediatric MRI Services Oahu
Mobile MRI Mobile Magnetic Resonance Imaging Oahu
Kidney Stone Center of the Pacific Replacement of Lithotripter Oahu
Hilo Medical Center Extended Care Facility Big Island
American Medical Response West Transfer Ambulance Service Maui
Kahumana Community Center Increase STF from 5 to 10 beds Oahu
West Hawaii Home Health Services, Inc. Home Health Services West Hawaii, Big Island























Scheduled for Review:

Scheduled for Review
Name of Provider
Description of Services
Subarea Health Planning Council (Review Date)
Kalihi-Palama Health Center Safe Haven (project for the mentally ill/homeless) Honolulu SAC (3/14/96)
Marimed Foundation Special treatment facility (Tole Mour shipboard program for troubled youth.) Honolulu SAC (3/14/96)
Kaiser Permanente Outpatient medical services Central Oahu SAC (3/14/96)
















Review Completed:

Review Completed
Name of Provider
Description of Services
Recommendation/Decision
Renal Treatment Center (Oahu-wide SAC, CON Review Panel) Merger with Intercontinental Medical Services by RTC for dialysis services Approval/Pending
Castle Cardiac Cath (Windward SAC, CON Review Panel) Diagnostic cath. services Approval/Approval
Kapi`olani Home Health Services (Central Oahu SAC) Ownership change Approval/Approval
St. Francis Hospice (Central Oahu SAC) Hospice services at St. Francis West Campus Approval/Approval
Bethphage Mission Pacific (Hawaii SAC) Change its existing 5 group home beds to 5 ICF/MR beds in Kailua-Kona Approval/Pending
Maui ARC (Maui SAC) Change existing 10 group home beds to 10 ICR/MR beds in Kahului & Kihei In process

























Other CON Matters:

1. Ueno Clinic: The applicant withdrew their application. Their original intent was to own/operate a clinic in the Ilikai Hotel on Oahu. The Ueno Corporation has adjusted their role in this development and is now an office landlord who supplies administrative services to the tenants (physicians.) Given this development, the Agency determined that no CON is necessary.

2. Hale Nani Partners: The Reconsideration Committee unanimously decided to approve the CON. Hale Nani Partners is to develop a surgicenter on Maui.

3. Kidney Stone Center of the Pacific: Application for emergency review of lithotripter replacement was denied.

SHPDA Publications:

The following are some of the publications by SHPDA:

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© Thursday, October 24, 1996 - 05:42:33 AM