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.