Senate Standing Committee on Health and Human Services

Good afternoon. We're calling the Committee on Health and Human Services 1pm Friday, March 6. Calendar. We're convening room two to five. This meeting is being streamed live on YouTube.

In the unlikely event that we must abruptly end this hearing due to technical difficulties, the Committee will reconvene to discuss any outstanding business later today at 1pm Monday, March 9, in room 225. And the public notice will be posted on the legislator's website to facilitate this hearing in a timely manner.

We are normally enforcing a one minute testimony, but that's only for witnesses and not for the nominees. I will be reading a list of individuals who submitted written testimony for each measure. We apologize if the closed captioning does not accurately transcribe the names. If you're interested in reviewing the written testimony, please go to the legislature's website.

You'll find a link on the status page for the measure. We appreciate your understanding and remind you that the Committee does have your testimony, that we review them. So I encourage you to use your time to either add additional comments or you can stand on your written testimony.

I would like to point out that at this hearing we have ASL ambassadors Kum and later on possibly Denise Green or Sabina Wilford. Because of the ASL interpreters, I will not be strictly pursuing the one minute time limit. So please speak distinctly and slow enough for them to be able to understand you and interpret.

Okay, first up, we have GM706 Priti Tayal Mental Health and Substance Abuse Kauai Service Area Board, Preeta Preeti Tayal. Please proceed. Thank you for inviting me. Please proceed. Why is it that you would like to be in the Kauai Board for Mental Health and Substance Abuse?

Thank you for this honor. I have been in the mental health field for over 25 years and I have been on Kauai for the past 10 years as a professional in this field. I have two master's degrees in educational and counseling psychology. So mental health has always been a passion of mine.

I really believe in empowering our community, especially Kauai. We may be small, but we are mighty. And I feel like empowering our community with training and providers and access to resources is our Kuleana to maintain a healthy and strong Ohana.

And I think I can make a difference in the community as I already have by being a leader and being on various committees and volunteering and being an advocate in my current position.

Thank you very much. Preeti Tayal. Okay, on behalf of Pretty Tayal, we have Judith Clark in support, Mel Raposo in support and nobody else having testified. Members, any questions for pretty. No. Okay. We're gonna do the DM at the very end, Preeti, so you may want to stick around if you wish. Okay, Mahalo. Hello.

Next up we have GM534 fuel tank advisory Committee, Ashley Nishihara. Ashley, please proceed.

Sorry about that. Little different with the mic. Okay. Yes, hi. Thank you for inviting me here.

I have been part of the FTAC Committee since 2021, but I have been actually officially been part of this Red Hill effort to protect our VI since 2019 when I received a board of water supply alarming letter saying that, hey, you know, we still have fuel in the tanks and we, you know, we need to do something about this because it's threatening our solar aquifer.

And I thought, well, this isn't a water Bill, you know, this is really important. And myself, my mother and my mother's friend took it upon ourselves to attend the meeting in 2019 at my middle school.

And then we realized the gravity of the situation at hand and we had founded Protector Aquifer, just us three, an organization that we just want to make it transparent to everybody, to the public. And myself, being a Member of the FTAC Committee for these years, I take it upon myself to be representative of my community.

Because even though I'm a community Member, I see so many people who are concerned about their as am I, because I'm in here too. I drink water too. And I see so many questions kind of just being left behind or not being addressed at these meetings.

So I take it upon myself to kind of act as the representative and kind of like give a voice to those questions. And I feel like in that way I can contribute to our efforts because water is life.

And this is a issue that just because all of the fuel has been cleared from the tanks doesn't mean that it's over yet. We still need remediation and we're in it for the long haul, not just for ourselves, but for future generations. So, Ola Ikawai, Water is life and it's for our children and our children's children's sakes.

Thank you very much, Ashley. On behalf of Ashley, we have Dr. Melanie Lau, Susan Paola Davis in support and basically that's it. Any questions? No? Okay. So, Ashley, thank you very much for willing to do this again. I know those meetings regarding Med Hill are super long and super tiresome and it taxes a lot of people's patience.

So thank you very much for willing to volunteer to do that. Ashley, on behalf of the people.

Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Next up, GM716, state lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer plus commission nominee is Christopher Luthy. Are you present? I am.

Hi. Thank you very much for this honor to meet with you folks and discuss this nomination.

I am looking forward to this opportunity as I believe that this will help give me a place to stand and help advocate for myself and the other community Members across the state to help provide better programs and help make sure that the LGBTQ community Members do not get lost in the dark.

I've been an advocate and an active Member of my community here in Hawaii and from my home state in Idaho. I am looking forward to this opportunity, and I really think that I am a voice that can be heard and help continue in our adventures as we continue.

Okay, thank you very much. On behalf of Christopher Luthy, we have Michael Goloulio Jr, Autumn Massey, all in support. Jeffrey Willard Mack in support. Richard Velasquez in support. Clifton Luthie again in support. And that's basically it. Members, any questions? zero, Michael Goloya, please proceed.

Thank you. Chair Michael Golou Jr. He him pronouns. Before I start, I do want to extend my condolences to the Senate and the loss of our. Our good friend Colleen Hanabusa today.

I'm here like, I'm here in my personal capacity since the commission has not yet had a chance to meet to vote on Christopher's nomination by the Governor. But I do want. I did want to come here today, extend my full support for his nomination, and we look forward.

I know I personally look forward to working with him on the commission. Thank you for hearing his nomination so quickly, as we've been without a representative for the Hawaii county since December. So, again, hopefully you'll vote in favor and move his nomination forward so he can join us as a full commissioner. Mahalo and have a great day.

Thank you very much. Okay, anybody else wishing testify on behalf or against Christopher Luthien? Members, any questions? So, Christopher, I'm looking at your resume, and not only from Idaho, it looks like you worked at Salt Lake City as a truck driver, dispatcher, and labor coordinator. Yes, go ahead.

Sorry.

So it looks like, I mean, from Salt Lake City, you went all the way to the Big island in my district, Keogh, what kind of experiences will you be able to bring and on behalf of the Big island, having worked in big cities like Salt Lake City, Boise Center?

Sure, absolutely. One of the biggest programs that I participated in when I lived in Idaho was a organization called Boise Empowerment that was for BI Gay and questioning young men. They offered resources for testing for sti, STD and safer sex practices.

We also provided further education for those Members that requested it to help educate them on better practices and to help get them the medical needs that they needed if they were to have a positive test.

Okay, thank you very much. Any other questions? Okay, seeing them, we're gonna do your DM at the very end. Christopher. Thank you. Next up, we have GM550 Radiologic Technology Board, David Wadsworth. David, are you present? Come on up.

Rad Tech. Yes.

Okay. Please proceed. Why do you want to be in Rad Tech?

Why do you want to be a RAD Tech?

Yeah. No, well, Rad Tech Board or.

Oh, on the board. Well, obviously it seems a little antiquated at this point in time, and there's some rules and regulations to be brought up to the modern workforce, and there's no way to change that or make decisions on anything like that unless you are on the board.

So I felt it was a position that I should try and get on and do some public service.

Okay, thank you very much. Okay. Thank you for answering your questions. The questions. And it looks like as a RAD technologist, you seem highly qualified for this. Okay, so let's see who else is testifying on your behalf. We have Department of Health and support from Department of Health. Okay. You need to. Could you sit back?

Allow him every day.

Vice chair, Members of the Committee, Sean Haruno, Department of Health, Indoor and radiological Health Branch. And we stand in our testimony, written testimony in support of Mr. Wadsworth.

Thank you very much. We have. Stick around. I have questions for you. Okay. Gary Pierce, also in support. Anybody else wishing to testify on David Wadsworth's nomination for the Rad Tech Board? Seeing none. Members, any questions? So I have a question. Department of Health, come on up. So when. When.

When David Wadsworth responded to our questionnaire, he felt his duties included reviewing licensure applications, evaluating compliance. Is that what a RadTech board does? That they review licensing applications?

The Department reviews the applications itself. But the RadTech board is here to make sure that policies and procedures are in place to its policies. Right? Yes.

Okay. So his. His passion of, I guess modernizing that would fit in as a policy? Yes. Right. Okay. I just want to make sure I understood what a board did versus the actual licensing. Do you have any other questions? No.

It appears like he's aligned with the other nominees on trying to make changes to the rules given the emerging technologies Right. Yes. Okay. Thanks. Chair.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay. Any other questions or anybody else wishing testify for David Wadsworth? Nominations, GM550. Okay. Seeing none. Oh, come on up.

Okay, so GM712, we are going to defer her nomination until Monday, March 9th at 1:00pm because she is unable to be here. So we're going to move on to GM547. Rina Shimata for Rad Tech. Also Rina Shimata. Hi. Hi. Please proceed.

I'm interested in becoming on the Radiologic Technology Board of Hawaii because I believe that Hawaii should be protected from radiation safety and also not from just the community radiation side, but also the patients and technologists as well. I believe it's important because when we train our students, that's usually our first aspect that we go over.

I think that I'd be good for the board because I've been working in radiology for a little over 10 years now and I think I've seen different aspects of all the modalities in radiology. Thank you. Thank you very much.

On behalf of Rina Shimata, we have Department of Health and support. Come on up.

Senator Buenaventura, Senator McKelvey, my name is Christopher Page, Department of Health, Radiation Section. Thank you for deliberating over Ms. Shamada. So I'm here on behalf of the Department of Health to stand on our testimony in support of Ms. Shimada.

What she had discussed about radiation safety and ensuring patient safety is a top priority and updating our rules will help to fulfill that. So we are available for any questions, if you have any.

Thank you very much. Okay, next we have Nicholas Camp from Stahl Benioff Medical center in support. And we have Dr. Yang, Steve Kao also in support. Carrie Izuoff, CNMT Ostrao, Benioff in support. Amanda Yee in support. Anybody else wishing to testify on GM547 Members, any questions? Quick question. Department House.

And this is not indicative. I'm supportive of the nominee. But some of the previous RAD Tech nominees came up and discussed about how with today's technology and such that radiation levels are less than before and that it's not concerns about are kind of being addressed through technology. How. I mean, so I understand.

But the radiological effects are still a concern of this. So how does the two, I guess, fit together?

Right. So there have been a lot of changes from film screen radiography to now digital radiography and the advancement in the machines themselves have have made it so that the dose that would be administered to gain a useful image is less.

But I think what's important to realize is that that's just one step, step, one part of the process. The other thing is having competent radiologic technologists to do proper positioning and to kind of manipulate the patient in the proper using proper techniques so that they don't get exposed to radiation where it is unnecessary.

So if they are not positioned properly, they will, in just one example, they can be exposed to aggregated exposure. Okay, thank you.

Chair okay, thank you very much. Anybody else wishing testifying GM547 caseing GM560 Jeffrey Hicks, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council. Jeffrey Hicks, are you present?

Jeffrey President on Zoom.

Chair okay, we're going to defer his until the end the Calendar next is GM530.

Judy Paik DCAB not present either on zoom.

Chair no, no, she's here. She's here. She's in person. Thank you.

Sorry. Chair Sorry.

It's okay. It's okay. Judy, why is it that you want to be part of DCAB?

Well, I worked as DCAB as staff, so I understand that the mission that they do. So I feel that I would like to serve on the board to continue support DCAB's efforts as being the ADA Coordination Agency for the state with county, and they also support the county, too.

Yeah. It seems to me you've been, you've been involved quite a bit since 2011, and a program specialist since 2005 took the past 20 years. So. So thank you very much for your service. On behalf of, of your nomination, we have Christine Pagano of De Cha. In support.

Yes. The interpreters are not able to see her. We have a side view from her back, left side.

Can you, can you, can you just. Yeah. Can you face that camera right there? You can sign to that camera.

Just a little bit closer, please. Okay. Can you see me now? Yes.

Yeah,

Denise, I've got it. I can see her.

Okay, go right ahead.

Are you able to see me now? Yes. Okay. My apologies for the disruption. My name is Christine Pagano. I'm on the DCAB board, the Disability Communication Access Board, and I support the nomination of Judy Pike. And I believe or believe it or not,

you may or may not know, I've been working with Judy for many years, since way back when, and I was surprised to bump into her recently. And I'm just so happy to see Judy again. And we've talked about DCAB and the good old days way back when.

Way back when.

And Judy brings to DCAB a wealth of experience and knowledge about. Current disability issues that are being Faced and also recognizes other people with disabilities and their frustrations. I know that she will speak up for people with disabilities. So thank you for the nomination and it's my pleasure to support this nomination.

Thank you. Okay, anybody else wishing to testify on GM530 Members? Any questions? Okay, moving on. GM687, Rick Tabor, come on up for PABEA Policy Advisory Board for Elderly Affairs.

Tabor. Tabor. Yes, that's correct. Thank you, Senators, and thank you for hearing my RE application. So I'm PABEA. This will be my second term, and I guess, just in brief, I'm Chair of the RACC SO Recognition Awards Committee. I've been doing the Older Americans Month for forever, and this year I've been vice chair.

But this year I've actually now I'm Chair of Legislative Committee as well. So pretty remarkable. We just met this morning. They're actually meeting right now. I really enjoy being with PABEA Policy Advisory Board Elderly Affairs because of the work that we do, and it's a very meaningful experience. I'd like to continue that briefly.

I'm retired from 50 years in mental health. And so for me, doing meaningful things is really what life is all about. And I say don't retire. Rewire. This is part of that.

So thank you.

Appreciate it.

Thank you very much. Okay. On behalf of Rick Tabor, we have the part of Health Executive Office on Aging and strength, strong support. We also have. Who is this? Beverly Godley, Chair of PABEA in support. Gary Simon, Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, in support. Alzheimer's Association. Kobe Chalk in support. Sarah Lenzer, Medeiros in support.

And anybody else wishing to testify on GM687? I see. Carolyn Caridao. Come on. Go ahead.

Thank you, Chair, Vice Chair, for hearing Rick's nomination. You know, he's just been such a strong supporter of the Policy Advisory Board. I'm sorry. Caroline Cadirao, Executive Office on Aging Director. Thank you so much. And you know, he stepped up when we could not find a chair for one of our committees. So now he's chairing two committees.

He's a strong advocate in so many ways and a strong volunteer in the community, and we're just happy to have him continue for another four years. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Anybody else wishingto testify on GM687 Members, any questions? Thank you. Thank you for volunteering. So thank you. Okay, next up, we have GM558. Amy Feeley-Austin Statewide Health Coordinating Council. Okay, Amy, come on up.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon. Why would you like to be in the Statewide Council, Health Coordinating Council.

Well, thank you for asking, and thank you for the opportunity to present. So I currently serve as the chief operating officer of the West Hawaii region of HHSC, so Kona Kohala Hospital, and our affiliate, IHO Health Center, and also serve as the board President of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii.

I've been a resident for 10 years of Hawaii and a resident of the Big Island for seven years. And during that time, I've been involved in a lot of health care at a statewide level. I was the founding Executive Director of the first ACO in the state of Hawaii at Queen's.

And I've been very committed to various initiatives that really kind of changed the way we address health care here. And I just really love it. As you know, as a parent and as a resident of a rural area, I see how important this is.

You know, in my capacity as a COO with the patients that we serve, I see how much this touches their lives on a daily basis. It's such a critical part of our community infrastructure. And I definitely in particular, want to represent that rural capacity at a statewide level.

It's really important to me that rural is heard on a statewide stage. Okay, thank you very much. Thank you so much.

Okay, next we have SHPDA in support. Coming up, Dr. Lewin.

Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Senator Kanuha. This. This candidate is obviously a very bright one for us.

We're up leveling our members of these advisory councils because the relationships of the councils to not just the AHEAD grant, but now the Rural Health Transformation Program program really puts a lot of responsibility on them, including giving feedback to the Federal Government when asked about whether we're spending the money wisely.

So Amy Feeley-Austin not only does great work at Kona Hospital, but she's done all sorts of other great jobs. I won't go through what she just enumerated for you, but she also has culturally grounded programs. Maunamama, Keola, Maui, Kelloho, MAU. We're talking about maternal health, Native healing, healing practices. So she's grounded in the community as well.

We're really delighted to have Amy's expertise in terms of the finances related to the hospitals and community centers and so forth. So we strongly support her nomination and think she'll be a terrific representative for us. And just on an unrelated note, I just wanted to thank you for your comment about the uninsured today and earlier session.

Thank you.

They were completely ignored. Let's move on. Okay, thank you. Clayton McGad of HHSC West Hawaii Region in support. Anybody else wishing to testify on Amy Feeley-Austin? Okay. Sing. None? No.

So, Amy, I appreciate the fact that you are also an executive director former of Aloha Care because as Dr. Lewin pointed out, we really need not only you know, the administration but also the, you know, the finances to be able to figure out overall health care puzzle. So thank you very much. Aloha Care knows. GM700. DCAB Ed Chevy.

Ed, are you present? Are you present on zoom? Okay, please proceed.

Yes, I'm here. Are you able to see me? Yes, Aloha. I'm Ed Chevy, Foreign. I'm currently working for the deaf school in Hawaii for the Hawaii Schools for the Deaf and Blind and have been for some time. There was a meeting in 1975 in Washington and I believe it was the Commission on People with Handicaps.

And before decab, I was involved in that and then I moved here and then I also was involved in Francine ways organization for nine years. It's 18 years. I am also a certified interpreter and I'm still slow, but I'm continuing on. I'm returning here because my concern is for access.

Access is a powerful thing and it's so important for folks to have interpreters and to stay informed all the time. We need to help ensure that access is always available. It's strange to be back at DCAM because I was involved so long ago before I came back to Hawaii. So it's nice to be here and

I think it's so important to support.

Well, thank you very much. In favor of Ed Chevy's nomination. We have decab, Christine Pagano.

My apologies, I forgot last time to say aloha. And good afternoon, chair and vice chair and Committee Members here. Ed and I met in at the CAB Communication Access conference this year and Ed approached me asking whether he could return to serve the board. And after some consideration, I said, yes, I believe so.

I'll follow up with you. And indeed I let Ed know that there was a position and he was thrilled and wanted to serve again. To serve de cab. Specifically, we noticed there is a shortage of interpreters here in Hawaii and Communication Access we want to keep strong.

It's a good time for him to return to DCAB on the board because he has studied health care and the specific Bill.

We have a Bill on the table, as you're aware, as we were discussing.

So I, I'm pleased to support Ed Chevy's nomination. Thank you. Okay. And Ed says thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Thank you very much. Anybody else wishing to testify on GM 700? Okay Members, any questions? And we all honor Francine Y. She was a very good VCAB Director. So thank you for serving under her head. Okay, are we ready for dm? We already have.

We also have seen Senators Kanuha and Keohokahole all for present. So for GM 7086, mental health and substance abuse, Kauai Service Area Board; this is for Priti Tayal. Chair's recommendations to advice and consent. Any comments, questions, concerns? Seeing none. Vice Chair for the vote.

Okay. Recommendation on 7706 is advising consent, noting the excuse of Senator Favela. Any of the members present want to go no? Seeing none. Recommendation has been adopted.

534 Ashley Nishihara for fuel tank advisory Committee Chair's recommendation is to advise and consent Any comments, questions concerns seeing none

For GM -

Vice chair for the vote okay recommendation on GM534 is advising consent noting the excuse of Senator Favela AWRs no seeing

non recognition adopted for GM716 Christopher Luthi for the state Lesbian, gay bisexual trier quote queer transgender queer plus Commission Chair's recommendation is to advise and consent any comments, questions concerns seeing non vice chair

for the vote okay recommendation GM716 revising consent on the excuse of Senator Vella anywr is no seeing non recommendation adopted

for GM550 David Wadsworth for Rad Tech board Any comments Chair's recommendations to advice and consent Any comments questions concerning non

vice chair for the vote okay recommendation 550 is advising a sender and excuse Senator Novella any wrote recognition Dr.

So for GM 712 Kathleen Meeriam Chairs recommendations to defer this to Monday at 1pm Room 225 for GM547 Rena Shimata for Rad Tech board Chair's recommendation is to advise and consent any comments, questions concerns seeing none Vice chair for the vote

The recommendation is to advise and consent on the excuse of center for felony arrayors and I was seeing none recommendations has been adopted

GM5 for GM 560 our Denominy not being present Chairs recommendations to Defer this to March 9th, 1pm Room 225 or GM 5:30 this is for Judy Paik for DCAB Disability and Communication Access Board Chair's recommendation is to advise and consent Any comments, questions concern seeing none Vice chair For the vote GM530

Recommendations Advising consent on the excuse Senator Bevelling there's no seeing non recognition captain

for GM687 Pabea Rick Tabor policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs Chairs recommendations advise and consent Any comments, questions concerns seeing none Vice chair for the vote okay

recommendation is GM687 there's advice and consent knowing excuse set of AELA NWR is OC None recommendation is adopted for GM558

for Amy Feely Austin Statewide Health Coordinating Council Chair's recommendations to advise and consent Any comments, questions concerns say none Vice chair for the vote

your recommendation GM558 is to advise and consent on the excuse of Senator Favela Anywrs are no seeing none recommendation is adopted for GM

For GM700 for Ed Chevy for DCAP chair's recommendations to advise and consent Any comments, questions concerns seeing none Vice chair for

the vote okay recommendation on GM700 is advising consent knowing excuse Senator Favela anybody knows seeking non recommendations has been adopted

and with that we are adjourned. Thank you very much.