| 41 | | - | WHEREAS, Papa Ola Lōkahi is a Hawaii nonprofit corporation, 501(c)(3) public charity, and consortium of public agencies and private nonprofit organizations concerned with improving Native Hawaiian cultural, physical, mental, and spiritual health and well-being, including by entering into agreements or memoranda of understanding with relevant organizations that are capable of providing resources or services to the Native Hawaiian health care systems that serve the unique health needs of Hawaiian communities; and WHEREAS, AHARO Hawaii (AHARO) is a Hawaii nonprofit corporation, 501(c)(3) public charity, and consortium of Hawaii nonprofit corporations each of which is a 501(c)(3) public charity and federally qualified community health center that has demonstrated records of contributing to the health and well-being of Native Hawaiians and providing a wide range of culturally-sensitive, holistic, and primary care health services to predominately rural, multi-generational Native Hawaiian communities in medically underserved areas within the State of Hawaii; and WHEREAS, AHARO is currently comprised of five federally qualified health center organizations: Bay Clinic, Inc.; Hamakua Health Center, Inc.; Molokai Ohana Health Care, Inc. (dba Molokai Community Health Center); Waianae District Comprehensive Health and Hospital Board, Inc. (dba Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center); and Waimanalo Health Center; and WHEREAS, AHARO member organizations integrate traditional Native Hawaiian healing practices into their primary care services and an AHARO member organization has established a Kupuna Council of traditional Hawaiian healers recognized by Papa Ola Lōkahi which distinguishes practitioners of Hawaiian healing traditions from medical clinicians in Hawaii and provides for the protection and preservation of such healing practices as assured by the Hawaii State Constitution; and WHEREAS, under section 9815 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ("ARPA"), the federal government will pay one hundred percent of the cost of Medicaid services provided at Native Hawaiian Health Centers for eight fiscal year quarters (which may be extended); and WHEREAS, Papa Ola Lōkahi and AHARO have agreed that AHARO member health centers will serve as additional "Native Hawaiian Health Centers" and are recognized as part of the federal effort to address health disparities experienced by Native Hawaiians; and WHEREAS, the current limited QUEST dental program does not address the needs in multi-generational Hawaiian communities where extensive dental work is needed; and WHEREAS, full adult dental services are a required service of a federally qualified health center and are typically supported through state match; and WHEREAS, state savings, realized from the Native Hawaiian Federal Medical Assistance Percentage recalculation, should be used to address continuing health disparities realized by Native Hawaiians which include dental disease and the early onset of chronic diseases; and WHEREAS, these supplemental healthcare services should be provided by healthcare providers authorized by Papa Ola Lōkahi; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that all executive departments are requested to review their policies and prioritize the goal of the adoption of a state policy assuring that savings realized by the State through the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage adjustment for Native Hawaiians is used to address health disparities experienced by Hawaiian communities; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the members of the Hawaii congressional delegation; Governor; Director of Health; Director of Human Services; Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Executive Director of Papa Ola Lōkahi; President of AHARO Hawaii; Chief Executive Office of the Bay Clinic, Inc.; Chief Executive Officer of the Hamakua Health Center, Inc.; Chief Executive Officer of the Molokai Community Health Center; Chairperson of the Waianae District Comprehensive Health and Hospital Board, Inc.; and Chief Executive Officer of the Waimanalo Health Center. Report Title: Requesting the addressing of health care disparities experienced by Hawaiian communities. |
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| 41 | + | WHEREAS, PAPA OLA LŌKAHI is a Hawaii nonprofit corporation, 501(c)(3) public charity, and consortium of public agencies and private nonprofit organizations concerned with improving Native Hawaiian cultural, physical, mental, and spiritual health and well-being, including by entering into agreements or memoranda of understanding with relevant organizations that are capable of providing resources or services to the Native Hawaiian health care systems that serve the unique health needs of Hawaiian communities; and WHEREAS, AHARO HAWAII (AHARO) is a Hawaii nonprofit corporation, 501(c)(3) public charity, and consortium of Hawaii nonprofit corporations each of which is a 501(c)(3) public charity and federally qualified community health center that has demonstrated records of contributing to the health and well-being of Native Hawaiians and providing a wide range of culturally-sensitive, holistic, and primary care health services to predominately rural, multi-generational Native Hawaiian communities in medically underserved areas within the State of Hawaii; and WHEREAS, AHARO is currently comprised of five federally qualified health center organizations: Bay Clinic, Inc., Hamakua Health Center, Inc., Molokai Ohana Health Care, Inc. (dba Molokai Community Health Center), Waianae District Comprehensive Health and Hospital Board, Inc. (dba Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center), and Waimanalo Health Center; and WHEREAS, AHARO member organizations integrate traditional native Hawaiian healing practices into their primary care services and an AHARO member organization has established a Kupuna Council of traditional Hawaiian healers recognized by PAPA OLA LŌKAHI which distinguishes practitioners of Hawaiian healing traditions from medical clinicians in Hawaii and provides for the protection and preservation of such healing practices as assured by the Hawaii State Constitution; and WHEREAS, under section 9815 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ("ARPA"), the federal government will pay one hundred percent of the cost of Medicaid services provided at Native Hawaiian Health Centers for sixteen fiscal year quarters (which may be extended); and WHEREAS, PAPA OLA LŌKAHI and AHARO have agreed that AHARO member health centers will serve as additional "Native Hawaiian Health Centers" and are recognized as part of the federal effort to address health disparities experienced by Native Hawaiians; and WHEREAS, the current limited QUEST dental program does not address the needs in multi-generational Hawaiian communities where extensive dental work is needed; and WHEREAS, full adult dental services are a required service of a federally qualified health center and are typically supported through state match; and WHEREAS, state savings, realized from the Native Hawaiian Federal Medical Assistance Percentage recalculation, should be used to address continuing health disparities realized by Native Hawaiians which include dental disease and the early onset of chronic diseases; and WHEREAS, these supplemental healthcare services should be provided by healthcare providers authorized by PAPA OLA LŌKAHI; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that all executive departments are urged to review their policies and prioritize the goal of the adoption of a state policy assuring that savings realized by the State through the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage adjustment for Native Hawaiians is used to address health disparities experienced by Hawaiian communities; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation; Governor; Director of Health; Director of Human Services; Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Executive Director of PAPA OLA LŌKAHI; President of AHARO HAWAII; Chief Executive Office of the Bay Clinic, Inc.; Chief Executive Officer of the Hamakua Health Center, Inc.; Chief Executive Officer of the Molokai Community Health Center; Chairperson of the Waianae District Comprehensive Health and Hospital Board, Inc., and Chief Executive Officer of the Waimanalo Health Center. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Requesting the addressing of health care disparities experienced by Hawaiian communities. |
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