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Murashige, Laura
From: Eugene Nishimura [Eugene. Nishimura@HNBhawaii.com]
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 3:59 PM 2009 APR 6 PM 5 27
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us +11a,; 0: EF
Cc: Itanaka@tntelectric.com COUNT Y s' j,= L ; tr/, J1
Subject: Testimony for Rural Family Practice Residency Program
Attachments: CHATTestimony0001.pdf
Please see attached testimony for the Council meeting scheduled for April 8.
Thank you
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Comm. N ~S
Ref. Toe Gr
Ref. Date /;FR 0 8 2009
4/6/2009
m~e` of Lommer~P e'a
N T Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawaii
A `a
Since 195, ;2009 APR 5 API 5 27
April 6, 2009
Mr. J Yoshimoto, Chair CCUNI C'j iF HAtAIAI
Council Members
HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Dear Chair Yoshimoto and Members of the Hawaii County Council:
RE: Support for the Rural Family Practice Residency Program
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawaii ("JCCII I") is an organization
representing over 200 East Hawaii businesses employing thousands of residents. As an active
participant in the Community Healthcare Action Task Force ("CHAT") and a strong supporter of
the efforts of the Hilo Medical Center Foundation, I wish to express JCCIH's support in this
effort to request for funds to support the Rural Family Practice Residency Program.
As you are well aware, the island of Hawaii faces an alarming shortage of physicians to provide
sufficient basic medical care to our residents. One way to combat this shortage is to provide
residency training to our future physicians in areas where physicians are needed most - the rural
communities of the Big Island. It has been already established that a large proportion of doctors
choose to establish their practice at or near the communities in which they trained. This
program, established by the John A. Burns School of Medicine, was set up to accomplish this
goal of increasing the amount of qualified medical practitioners on Hawaii Island.
We realize that these are tough budgetary times. 1'he State of Hawaii has been unable to fund
this appropriated program at this time because of the severe decline in tax revenues to fund its
numerous programs. Thus, we have taken it upon ourselves, the business community of East
Hawaii, to support the efforts of CHAT and the Hilo Medical Center Foundation to seek funding
locally and privately. We also respect your delicate positions of having to stretch our County's
own municipal budget. It is our hope that you will also understand the huge benefits that will
come from this program, both from direct economic spending of the parties participating in this
program and in the huge reductions in unnecessary emergency room visits and medical payments
under our various government-ponsored entitlement programs.
Thank you very much for this opportunity to testify.
Sincerely,
E enc H. Nishimura
President
Waiakea Villas • 400 Hualani Street, Suite 2013 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720-4344
Phone: (808) 934-0177 • Fax: (808) 934-0178 • F-mail: jccihl e hawaiiamel.net