SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH POLICY

February 11, 2003 Hearing Room B

1:00 PM Tapes 16 – 17

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Bill Morrisette, Chair

Sen. Bill Fisher, Vice-Chair

Sen. John Minnis

Sen. Frank Shields

Sen. Charles Starr

Sen. Vicki Walker

STAFF PRESENT: Marjorie Taylor, Administrator

Saranelle Allen, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: Informational Meeting

Tele-Health Demonstration

Rural Health 101 Review of Rural Health Care Workforce Issues Review of Rural Emergency Medical Services

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
Tape 16, A
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
004	Chair Morrisette	Opens meeting at 1:40 pm.
Tele-Health Demonstration
011	Kathy Britton	Oregon Tele-Health Alliance. Introduces teleconference personnel on line in Bend and Burns, OR.
		On video from St. Charles Hospital in Bend, OR, is. Dr. Darren Kolwalski, and Ruth Giesking, Telemedicine Director, reviewing a medical exam of a patient in Burns, OR, done by Dr. Solitz, a primary care doctor. Demonstration shows capabilities of a teleconference between two doctors in two different locations, in analyzing a patient case.
158	Kolwalski	Gives demonstration of additional capabilities in equipment to diagnose patients.
	Chair Morrisette	Asks about the types of transmission and the role St. Charles Hospital plays in interacting with other rural hospitals in the eastern portion of the state.
	Britton	Reviews other networks in place in Oregon now.
	Chair Morrisette	Asks for any available information in writing, as well as recommendations for the future.
Rural Health 101
208	Karen Whitaker	Director, OHSU Center for Rural Health. Gives definition of rural health care, and reviews slide presentation (EXHIBIT A).
	Chair Morrisette	Expresses concern for a need to refocus resources on rural Oregon, with children and families.
	Sen. Walker	Asks if there is any government incentive for doctors to go to rural areas.
	Whitaker	States there is a $5,000 tax credit that physicians, nurse practitioners, and other medical staff, can receive for working in a rural area.
	Whitaker	Gives further testimony on occupancy in rural hospitals and current rural demographics
Tape 17, A
	John Saultz	Director, Oregon AHEC Program. Reviews workforce issues in the Rural Health Care program.
	Chair Morrisette	Asks where future is heading if we keep the structures we have now.
	Sen. Shields	Asks how medical care changed so drastically from large city to smaller rural care.
352	Saultz	Explains that the economy and job base has changed, which drastically alters the population from being rural to urban. Further relates that new techniques in medical procedures along with staff shortages today are impacting rural health care.
Tape 16, B
Tele-Health Demonstration
060	Kathy Britton	Oregon Tele-Health Alliance. Introduces 2^nd demonstration.
120	Darlene Starr	Teacher, Fossil School, North Central Education Service District. Explains her volunteer role as an EMT, and reviews rural emergency medical services. Testifies about the declining capability for emergency service in her rural area.
221	Scott Ekblad	Deputy Director, Oregon Office of Rural Health. Gives written testimony regarding emergency medical services in rural Oregon (EXHIBIT B).
280	Sen. Walker	Asks if there are any funds for these services in the Governor’s budget.
	Karen Whitaker	Director, OHSU Center for Rural Health. Replies that there are none in the current budget.
310	Sandy Ryman	Northeast Oregon Area Health Education. Gives written testimony on rural emergency services, from 1991 to today, and notes there has been little change, and that funding shortages in education is still prevalent (EXHIBIT C).
459	Chair Morrisette	Asks how these funding shortages are handled.
	Ryman	States that shortages are usually covered by students and the public.
Tape 17, B
043	Chair Morrisette	Adjourns meeting at 3:04 p.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Rural Health 101, Karen Whitaker, 6 pp.

B – Emergency Medical Services in Rural Oregon, written testimony, Scott Ekblad, 2 pp.

C – Rural Emergency Services Enhancement Fund, written testimony, Sandy Ryman, 1 p.