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DENNIS "FRESH" ONISHI <br />Council Member <br />Council District d <br />Mailing Address: <br />(Farmer County Building <br />25 Aupuni Sfreet <br />Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br />March 25, 2009 <br />Hawai `i County Council <br />County of Hawai `i <br />TO: J Yoshimoto, Council Chair <br />And Members of the Hawaii County Council <br />FROM: Dennis Onishi, Council Member oa`/~t~ <br />KE: The Rural Family Practice Kesidency Program <br />/'hone: (808) 961-8571 <br />Fax: (808) 961-89/2 <br />Cmail: donishiCco.hawaii.hi.us <br />Uus(ness Address: <br />333 Kilauea Avenue, Second Floor <br />Ben Franklin Building <br />Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br />~~ <br />"~ <br />~~ <br />=r <br />`r~ r- <br />L i^ <br />c :] <br />~; <br />P <br />f~~ <br />..~ <br />^.l .n5 <br />N f,~t <br />~ ; <br />.T .i <br />~~ <br />o +,. <br />I am requesting 30 minutes at the April 8`~ Council Meeting to discuss the following: <br />As you all know, our island is in the midst of a healthcare crisis. Many of our residents are <br />not able to find doctors and end up using the emergency room as their last resort. This puts <br />additional strain on our emergency response personnel. <br />The Rura] Family Practice Residency Program is a campaign to attract, train and retain <br />physicians and other medical professionals to the Big Island. Studies show that most young <br />physicians end up practicing in or near the communities where they did their residency. <br />When fully operational, this program will graduate six doctors a year who will be more <br />inclined to call our island their home. In addition to these six doctors, our community will <br />have the benefit of 23 doctors on island doing island wide rotations and working at the clinic. <br />The Hilo Medical Center Foundation, along with the Community Healthcare Action <br />Taskforce and the Kona Community Hospital Foundation is in need of $50,000 this year to <br />keep this important program alive. I am asking my fellow Council Members, to support this <br />worthy cause by making a donation from their Contingency Funds. <br />Thank you. <br />DO/kk <br />Comm. No. 2 3 S <br />Ref. To: W ~._ '- <br />Serving the Interests of the People of Our /sland Ref. Date MA ~ L <br />Hawaii County is an Equtd Opportunity Promder and Employer <br />