Laserfiche WebLink
<br />.--- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />COUNTY OF HAWAII <br /> <br />STATE OF HAWAII <br /> <br />RESOLUTION NO. <br /> <br />216 98 <br /> <br />A RESOLUTION REQUESTING FUNDING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A RURAL <br />HEALTH PLAN FOR THE DISTRICTS OF PUNA AND KA'U. <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the districts of Puna and Ka'u, encompassing approximately 1,508 square <br />miles and over fifteen dispersed communities, are host to a population of 25,000 residents; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, a study consisting oftwenty-eight distinct communities throughout the State <br />was conducted by the Department of Health; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, according to this study, entitled "Primary Care Needs Assessment". <br />February 1996. the service areas of Puna and Ka'u ranked first and second, respectively, as the <br />highest risk areas throughout the State in terms of health and socio-economic risk; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, statewide ranking of twenty-eight primary care service areas show that Puna <br />is the highest risk area in terms of socio-economic risk indicators such as the percentage of the <br />population below poverty, the percentage of the population aged sixty-five years and over, the <br />unemployment rate and the percentage of households on public assistance, and the service area of <br />Ka'u ranks third'in the same category; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, a statewide ranking of twenty-eight primary care service areas shows that <br />Ka'u is the highest risk area in terms of maternal and child health risk indicators, such as infant <br />mortality, inadequate prenatal care, low birth weight births, reported medical risk births, and teen <br />births; the service area of Puna ranks fourth in the same category; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, these results indicate inadequate medicaL~', services within these <br />communities and exemplify the need for medical care in Puna and Ka'u; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the majority of Puna and Ka'u residents are located between thirty and sixty <br />miles away from an adequate emergency medical facility; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, only a handful of physicians through limited health care facilities provide <br />much needed medical care and services for these 25,000 residents; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, examples of medical conditions treated by these physicians include, but are <br />not limited to, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, accidental injuries, obstetrics/gynecological <br />difficulties as well as circulatory, mental health, and substance abuse problems; and <br />