Bill > SCR42

This Concurrent Resolution urges the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, a state-run entity that provides healthcare services, to expand the Kau Rural Health Clinic. The expansion aims to improve access to urgent care, which refers to immediate medical attention for non-life-threatening conditions, and outpatient behavioral health services, which are mental health treatments provided on an ongoing basis outside of a hospital setting. The resolution highlights the increased vulnerability of individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions, the negative mental health impacts of social isolation exacerbated by events like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges rural communities face in accessing mental health services due to stigma and a lack of providers. Rural health clinics, like the one in Kau, are recognized for their crucial role in serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in underserved areas by increasing the availability of primary and preventative health services.