Bill Text: HI SR189 | 2021 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Requesting The Hawaii Health Systems Corporation And The Department Of Health To Convene A Task Force To Develop Better Mission-driven Hiring And Training Of Culturally-accepted Interpreters Employed At Hawaii Health Systems Facilities And To Create Culturally-accepted Educational Materials On Preventative Care And Early Intervention To Assist Non-english Speaking Populations Seeking Care At Hawaii Health Systems Corporation Facilities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-21 - Certified copies of resolutions sent, 06-21-21. [SR189 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2021-SR189-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.R. NO. |
189 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP BETTER MISSION-DRIVEN HIRING AND TRAINING OF CULTURALLY-ACCEPTED INTERPRETERS EMPLOYED AT HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS FACILITIES and to create culturally-accepted educational materials on preventative care and early intervention to assist non-English speaking populations seeking care at hawaii health systems corporation facilities.
WHEREAS, the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) provides high quality health care services to residents and visitors throughout the State and serves as a vital component of Hawai‘i's system of health care; and
WHEREAS, HHSC consists of a network of hospitals and clinics, some of which are located in remote, rural, and low-populated areas; and
WHEREAS, HHSC facilities provide safety-net services for neighbor island acute care and for long-term care in the State as they serve all people, regardless of whether an individual has health insurance or the ability to pay for the health care service they receive; and
WHEREAS, HHSC's mission is to provide accessible, high quality, cost-effective services that address the health care needs of Hawai‘i's unique island communities; and
WHEREAS, HHSC's vision is to be recognized as a progressive model for an accessible, integrated, patient-centered, and fiscally responsible health care system focused on assuring high quality care to improve the health of Hawai‘i's underserved communities; and
WHEREAS, HHSC facilities comply with applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or marital status; and
WHEREAS, the unique island populations served by the HHSC speak a wide range of languages in their homes other than English, including but not limited to Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Chuukese, Hawaiian, Ilocano, Japanese, Korean, Kosraean, Lao, Marshallese, Pohnpeian, Samoan, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Tongan, and Vietnamese; and
WHEREAS, members of Hawai‘i's unique non-English speaking populations are often reluctant and intimidated to seek medical care due to the lack of properly trained interpreters in HHSC medical facilities who are able to assist those seeking medical care because of language and cultural barriers; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, that the Hawaii Health Services Corporation and the Department of Health are requested to convene a task force to facilitate improved, mission-driven hiring and training of culturally-accepted interpreters and to create culturally-accepted educational materials on preventative care and early intervention to assist non-English speaking populations seeking care at Hawaii Health Systems Corporation facilities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it is urged that the task force include the following as members:
(1) The Regional Chief Executive Officer of the East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, to serve as chairperson;
(2) The Director of Health, or the Director's designee;
(3) One representative from the Office of Language Access;
(4) Two members of the Senate, to be appointed by the President of the Senate;
(5) Two members of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(6) Two members of the language interpreter and translator community;
(7) Two community health workers; and
(8) Two members of a nonprofit Micronesian advocacy group; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force, with the assistance of the HHSC and the Department of Health, is requested to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be dissolved on June 30, 2024; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Regional Chief Executive Officer of the East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and Executive Director of the Office of Language Access.
Hawaii Health Systems Corp.; Training Interpreters; Preventative Care and Early Intervention Education; Task Force
