In the News: Funding for Organ transplant facility, JABSOM, UH Construction

Funding for Organ Transplant Facility advances

HB608 Organ Transplant Facility

Rep. Ryan Yamane, Health Chair - Next on Jordan's Journal

Rep. Ryan Yamane, Chair of the House Health Committee will be Rep. Jo Jordan's guest on the next episode of "Jordan's Journal".

The show airs on Olelo, Channel 54, Monday, December 19th at 1:00 p.m. and repeats on December 26th at 1:00 p.m.

Rep. Yamane represents District 37 - Waipio Gentry, Mililani.  In addition to being Health Chair, Rep. Yamane is Vice Chair of the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.  He has a background in social work and he obtained Master's degrees in both Social Work and Business.  He has been in office for 7 years and was elected for the first time in the 2004 election.

The legislators go into some detail on how bills are considered for hearing and the time constraints they face.  They also discuss new ways through which constituents can participate in the legislative process without having to physically come down to the state capitol.

The issues that come through the Health Committee affect almost everyone in the state. The range includes hospitals, health insurance, health epidemics, food safety, vector control, There is a certain amount of overlap with the Committee on Human Services, such as the area of medicaid.

Specific to the Waianae coast, Rep. Jordan's district, the Health Chair talks about the importance of community centers such as the Waianae Comprehensive Center.  It is one of the few in the state that has a emergency room to service the residents due to the fact that Waianae is in a relatively isolated area with a single road for egress and ingress.

Rep. Yamane can be reached by email at repyamane@capitol.hawaii.gov and by phone at 586-6150.  Rep. Jordan can be reached by email at repjordan@capitol.hawaii.gov and by phone at 586-8460.

Liberty Dialysis and Fresenius Medical Care Merger

Liberty Dialysis Holdings Press Release 8 2 11yamane

Fact Sheet on Liberty Dialysis Merger

Fresenius Medical Care-Liberty Dialysis Holdings Merger Fact Sheet

1. Fresenius Medical Care, through its acquisition of Liberty Dialysis Holdings, will provide dialysis care to over 158,000 patients across the United States and continue its position as the largest provider of dialysis services in the nation.

2. The combined total number of clinics will be 2,086 across the United States.

3. In Hawaii the combined number of dialysis facilities will be 24:

Liberty Dialysis Hawaii Clinics:

i. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii –Kona, 78-6831 Ali'I Dr.
ii. Liberty Dialysis- North Hawaii, 67-1123 Mamalahoa Hwy
iii. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii –Hilo, 140 Rainbow Dr.
iv. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii- Liliha, 2226 Liliha St.
v. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii – Kahana, 10 Hoohui Rd.
vi. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii- Kailua, 25 Kaneohe Bay Dr.
vii. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii- Kauai, 3224 Elua St.
viii. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii- Leeward, 91-2137 Ft. Weaver Rd.
ix. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii- Maui, 105 Maui Lani Pkwy.
x. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii- Maui Home, 105 Maui Lani Pkwy.
xi. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii-Molokai, 28 Kamoi St.
xii. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii-Sullivan, 2230 Liliha St.
xiii. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii- Waianae, 86-080 Farrington Hwy.
xiv. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii- West Kauai, 4643A Waimea Canyon Rd.
xv. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii- Kaimuki, 3625 Harding Ave.
xvi. Liberty Dialysis Hawaii-Waipahu, 94-450 Mokola St.

Fresenius Medical Care Facilities:

i. Fresenius Medical Care- Honolulul Dialysis, 226 North Kuakini St.
ii. Fresenius Medical Care- Aloha Dialysis, 1520 Liliha St.
iii. Fresenius Medical Care-Kapahulu Dialysis, 750 Palani Ave.
iv. Fresenius Medical Care- Windward Dialysis, 45-480 Kaneohe Bay Dr.
v. Fresenius Medical Care- Pearlridge, 98-1005 Moanalua Rd.
vi. Fresenius Medical Care- Ko'olau, 47-388 Hui Iwa St.
vii. Fresenius Medical Care-Kapolei, 555 Farrington Hwy.
viii. Fresenius Medical Care- Wahiawa, 850 Kilani Ave.

4. In Hawaii, Liberty Dialysis is a joint venture with St. Francis and a majority of the nephrologists. Only one shareholder is changing; the rest are staying on. In addition, the local management team will continue. The bottom line is that Liberty Dialysis - Hawaii will continue after the merger with its strong local connections and high quality dialysis care that have served the community for years.

5. The combined total number of patients cared for in Hawaii will be 2900.

Governor signs SB1025

Reps Derek Kawakami, Ty Cullen, Henry Aquino and Ryan Yamane with County Fire Chiefs and Water Safety Officials

Governor Abercrombie today signed SB1025, one of the most important bills affecting County government. One part of the bill adds the assault of firefighters and water safety officers to the offense of assault in the 2nd degree. The other part of the bill creates a class B felony for unauthorized entry in a dwelling based on the occupant's age and level of incapacity.

SB1025 is part of the Hawaii Association of State Counties 2011 legislative package. Here are some photos of the ceremony today:

Rice Brigade

Photo: Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Rep. Ryan Yamane and Rep. Marilyn Lee help Governor Abercrombie load bags of rice at the Kupuna Care rally yesterday.

Do we have liftoff?

Ask Danielle Bass, office manager for Rep. Ryan Yamane!

Danielle will be covering the liftoff of the space shuttle Discovery via Twitter. Bass was selected by NASA to participate at the “NASA Tweetup” to cover the events 24 hours prior to the launch and the launch itself, targeted to take place at 4:40 p.m. EDT on November 1, 2010.

NASA is hosting 150 people from around the world and will provide them with a behind-the-scenes perspective to share with their followers via the social networking service Twitter. Bass is the only “tweep” from Hawaii going to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. According to NASA, attendees will be coming from 38 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, Chile, England, Japan, Latvia, New Zealand and the Philippines; all were selected randomly from more than 2,700 online registrations. Attendees are responsible for their own travel.

Twitter users can follow Bass’s tweets at www.twitter.com/dani_bass.

In addition, Bass created her own website at http://www.imuanahoku.com/, especially for schools and classrooms to follow the launch, and for those who are not on Twitter.

“I’m excited and honored to be representing Hawaii at this historic event,” said Bass. “This will be the last launch and flight of the space shuttle Discovery, the oldest orbiter of the shuttle fleet. I’ve always been interested in flying and in the NASA program, and I’m grateful for this incredible opportunity. I’ll be tweeting and updating my website all weekend.”

Reporters interested in interviewing Tweetup attendees should contact Stephanie Schierholz at 202-358-4997 or Stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov.

Link to NASA Media Advisory: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/oct/HQ_M10-146_Tweet_Credentials.html

New Law Strengthens Sanitation Inspection Program

Governor Lingle today signed into law HB2688 which strengthens the state’s sanitation inspection program, including the hiring of more inspectors. The measure, now Act 176, changes the name of the “Environmental Health Education Fund” to the “Sanitation and Environmental Health Special Fund”, and allows the money in the fund to be used for sanitation programs and activities, including monitoring Hawaii’s restaurants and food establishments.

“Proper sanitation in public areas is critical to the health and safety of our population,” said Rep. Ryan Yamane, Chair of the House Committee on Health. “I’m pleased that the Governor signed this bill into law since it will allow the Department of Health to hire needed sanitation and vector control inspectors and to provide greater support to Hawaii businesses which have an impact on public health.”

The sanitation branch is charged with implementing programs related to:
· Food protection
· The regulation of barber shops, beauty parlors, massage parlors, tattoo shops,
mortuaries, public swimming pools, and public laundries;
· The inspection of tenement houses, lodging houses, and boarding houses;
· The licensing of tattoo artists and embalmers; and
· Enforcing the sanitation requirements for hospitals and medical facilities.

“Even before the infamous video of the rats in certain food vendor areas, I’ve been concerned that the number of sanitation inspectors is woefully low for the number of food establishments in Hawaii,” said Rep. Marcus Oshiro, the introducer of the bill. “It’s irresponsible to create that kind of health risk for the general public. This new law sets up a special fund that allows the sanitation branch, which brings in much of the fees through their activities, to use the money for sanitation purposes and not just for environmental health. It’s a good bill that will greatly benefit the public.”

The video from Disappeared News:

New Law Protects Emergency Healthcare Workers from Violence

Governor Lingle today signed into a law a bill that extends the protection of emergency medical service and health care personnel from violence, including assault and terroristic threatening.

House Bill 2349, introduced by Rep. Ryan Yamane (District 37 – Waipio Gentry, Mililani), protects Hawaii’s health care providers while they serve the people of the State of Hawaii. The bill expands the class of emergency services providers protected against assault and terroristic threatening by including physicians, physician's assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, respiratory therapists, laboratory technicians, radiology technicians, and social workers providing services in the emergency room of a hospital.

“Emergency room services provided by a range of workers in the ER are vital to our health care system in Hawaii,” said Rep. Yamane, chair of the House Committee on Health. “By protecting our emergency room personnel from violent acts we can ensure a safer environment for our health care workers and their patients during their greatest time of need.”

The new law goes into effect immediately.

Coming up - Hospital and ER care for sexual assault victims

What: Informational Briefing on the current system of care for sexual assault victims in Hawaii's hospitals and emergency rooms.

When: Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Where: State Capitol, Room 325

Committee: House Committee on Health. Chair: Rep. Ryan Yamane (District 37 - Waipio Gentry, Mililani), Vice Chair: Rep. Scott Nishimoto (District 21 - Kaimuki, Kapahulu, Waikiki, Ala Wai, Diamond Head)

Child Welfare Services to Receive Audit

A House Concurrent Resolution, HCR165, was recently passed by the Hawaii State Legislature; it requests the state auditor to conduct a program audit on the efficiency and effectiveness of Child Welfare Services in processing and investigating complaints of child abuse and neglect, and on the misuse of child support.

The resolution was introduced by Rep. Ryan Yamane (left), Chair of the House Committee on Health, after hearing the personal experiences of victims, including that past claims of child abuse and misuse of child support have been ignored.

The Department of Human Services testified that the audit was “an unnecessary waste of limited State resources” and that “the audit will also divert the time and attention of child welfare services staff…”

The Cyrus Belt case has recently drawn attention to alleged deficiencies in the program. Cyrus Belt’s father, David Belt has filed a lawsuit claiming negligence by the Child Welfare Services branch, and that the mother allowed Matthew Higa access to the child. Matthew Higa was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for throwing 2-year-old Cyrus off an H-1 freeway overpass to his death.

“Very often, children who are abused or neglected have no one to fight on their behalf, and the results can be tragic,” said Rep. Yamane. “After hearing compelling testimony from victims who claim that complaints are often ignored, I believe the audit at the state level is warranted, and I hope the Department will work with us to make the improvements that need to be made.”

One of the testifiers, at the time a member of Rep. Yamane’s session staff, came forward as a victim in support of the resolution. Her testimony read, in part:

“In 2005, when I was 17-years-old I called the Hawaii Department of Human Services Child Welfare Services Program for help. By that time, things had gotten so bad that I didn't think I would see my 18th birthday. But instead of helping me find a way to escape my mother's abuse or receive the monetary support that was rightfully mine, the Child Welfare Services Program only referred me to the Child Support Enforcement Agency, which was unable to help me. This not only reaffirmed my belief that I did not deserve the help I needed to escape my abuser, but it also left me helpless as the abuse intensified. The efficiency and effectiveness of the Child Welfare Services Program needs to be investigated and improved so that children do not have to suffer through abuse without receiving assistance.”

The Attorney General and the Administrator of Child Welfare Services, through the resolution, have been asked to cooperate fully with the state auditor. The Auditor must provide a report to the legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the 2011 legislative session.

Food on Fire!

Photo: Leah Ball, Midweek

Left to Right: Quentin Kawananakoa, Terry Seelig (HFD spokesperson), Rep. Ryan Yamane, Hon. City Managing Director and former State Rep Kirk Caldwell, Rix Maurer

On this occasion, that's a good thing. Rep. Ryan Yamane, District 37 - Waipio Gentry, Mililani, is a strong supporter of Hawaii's emergency services, including the Honolulu Fire Department. On December 1st, he attended the Signature Chefs Food Festival held at the HFD headquarters.

Hawaii Medical Association honors Lawmakers

The Hawaii Medical Association announced the winners of their 8th annual "Ola Pono Ike" (Health is knowledge) awards which will be presented on October 17th.

A reader-submitted story in the Honolulu Advertiser is here.

Congratulations to the following, including a State Senator and three House Representatives!

Physician of the Year: Dr. Josh Green. Dr. Green is a State Senator representing District 3 - North and South Kohala, and North and South Kona. Prior to winning his senate seat, Dr. Green served as a state representative for two terms. He practices as an emergency room physician on the Big Island and is vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Health.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Richard T. Mamiya. Dr. Mamiya is retired cardiovascular surgeon, well known for his surgical innovations and his many contributions to the community.

Legislators of the Year: Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu, chairman of the House Judiciary committee; Rep. Ryan Yamane, chairman of the House Health committee; and Rep. Barbara Marumoto, as member of the Judiciary and Commerce and Consumer Protection committees. The House representatives were singled out for their strong support of legislation to benefit Hawaii healthcare.

Keiki Care makes national news

FOX News is in town doing a story on Keiki Care, Hawaii's initiative to provide basic health coverage for uninsured children. Today, reporter Griff Jenkins interviewed the House Health Chair, Rep. Ryan Yamane, and Jennifer Diesman from HMSA, Keiki Care private partner provider. They filmed at Kewalo Basin State Park.

Rep. Yamane also brought along his own keiki, 1-year-old Gavan.

Legislature passes bill helping private hospitals to receive $12.5 million in federal funds

State House and Senate lawmakers have approved a measure that will enable Hawaii’s private hospitals to receive $12.5 million of federal disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funding for the next two fiscal years. Senate Bill 423, approved in final floor sessions Thursday, appropriates $12,291,054 in matching state funds to secure the DSH allowance obtained by Hawaii's Congressional Delegation.

"Hawaii is the only state in the country that does not get automatic disproportionate share hospital payments," said Senator David Ige, Chair of the Senate Health Committee. "We must continue to work closely with our federal delegation, especially Senator Akaka, to ensure we maintain support for Hawaii's private hospitals."

The Medicaid DSH allowance assists hospitals that treat Hawaii's most vulnerable and poverty-stricken people. Without this matching state appropriation, the federal funds cannot be expended to the state. In order to ensure that Hawaii's residents receive continued access to basic health care, Senator David Ige and Representative Ryan Yamane, chairs of their respective Health Committees, made it a priority this legislative session to seek state funding to maximize the availability of federal assistance.

Hawaii hospitals that serve Med-Quest patients lose tens of millions of dollars each year in order to provide healthcare services to low-income patients. DSH payments help offset some of the cost of uncompensated care delivered by hospitals and addresses inadequate reimbursement by Medicaid. These payments are supplementary to the regular reimbursements hospitals receive for treating Medicaid patients.

"Hawaii residents face rising health costs every day, and this bill helps to ensure that hospitals continue to provide care for those in our community who can least afford it, said Rep. Ryan Yamane, chair of the House Health Committee. "Private hospitals depend on this revenue, and I'm very pleased that we were able to find state revenues that allow us to take advantage of millions of federal dollars."

Photos: Rep. Ryan Yamane, chair of the Committee on Health, held a press conference with other lawmakers and hospital officials to announce the passage of SB 423.

UPDATE: The Honolulu Advertiser supports passage of bill and calls for Governor's speedy release of the funds. Editorial 5/12/09.

Lawmakers revive Keiki Care

The Hawaii State Legislature approved a measure Thursday that would revive the Hawaii Children's Health Care program, best known as Keiki Care, which the governor terminated last October. The program ensures health insurance coverage for all of Hawaii's children, focusing on children who fall into the gap group of uninsured.

The legislation, House Bill 989, extends the Hawaii Children's Health Care program for three years, appropriating $200,000 for each year from 2009 to 2012. Representative Ryan Yamane (D-37 Mililani, Waipio Gentry), chair of the House Health Committee, introduced the measure this year to address the health needs of children whose parents are unable to afford health insurance or provide coverage through employment.

"We want to make sure that all our keiki under 18 years old receive insurance and quality care through public-private partnerships between federally qualified health centers, HMSA and government," said Rep. Yamane. "We can't let our children suffer."

In addition to restoring funding to the Keiki Care Program, HB 989 would require that primary health care services for participants be provided by a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC); this is generally located in an underserved area or population. FQHCs include all organizations receiving grants under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, certain tribal organizations and other FQHC look-alikes, and organizations that meet all requirements of the PHS Section 330 grant but do not receive grant funding.

As the economy weakens, community health clinics, such as Kalihi Palama Health Center, have seen a significant increase in the number of uninsured residents needing health care. Many of them are people who have lost their jobs or received a reduction in their work hours.

"Federally qualified community health centers offer a model that delivers quality community-based care," said Dr. Emmanuel Kintu. "Hawaii's FQHCs are an integral part of the safety net. They have the expertise to deliver comprehensive quality care to the most medically vulnerable members of our community in a respectful and culturally proficient manner. With this investment we will have healthier children. They will miss fewer days of school and parents will miss fewer days of work."

The Department of Human Services (DHS) will also be required to report various findings and recommendations to the Legislature before the 2010 regular session to ensure that children who qualify for free health insurance through Medicaid can take that route.

In addition, the managed care plan partner in the program will be required to establish payment plans with FQHCs to cover the costs of the participants' primary health care services.

HMSA entered into a contract with DHS to offer the Keiki Care plan and began providing services in April 2008 until the governor decided to eliminate funding for the program in October. The health insurance provider decided, with few days' notification of the programs halt, to fund Keiki Care through the remainder of the year. They also engaged in an extensive outreach program to help families find quality health care for their children.

"There are children in Hawaii without health insurance, and it's more than just a family problem," says Cliff Cisco, HMSA senior vice president. "It's a community problem. It requires a community-based solution where public and private sectors work together. That is what Keiki Care is all about, and HMSA is proud to be part of any effort that improves the health and well-being of the youngest in our community."

"The need to provide coverage to our uninsured children is vital," added Rep. Yamane. "I'm grateful for the response and collaborative efforts of our community health centers and HMSA to assist in providing the care for these children. The Keiki Care program is a valuable asset in our efforts to provide health care and coverage for all of the keiki of Hawaii."

The Legislature this session also put back a portion of funds, which provide health care services to immigrants, requested by Governor Linda Lingle, to be cut from the budget. In the state budget, $275,000 of the $550,000 cut requested by the administration was restored to assist health care providers, such as KPHC, serving large immigrant populations.

Photo Top: Rep. Ryan Yamane and Senator David Ige talk about the importance of the governor approving HB989 and releasing funds for Keiki Care during a press conference at Kalihi Palama Health Center. Pictured are (L-R): Speaker Calvin Say, Jennifer Diesman of HMSA, Sen. David Ige, Rep. Ryan Yamane, Beth Giesting, CEO of Hawaii Primary Care
Association and Dr. Emmanuel Kintu of KPHC.

Photo Bottom: Rep. Ryan Yamane and Senator David Ige with keiki patients of the KPHC and parents who will benefit from the passage of HB989.

Honoring Hawaii's People - Part 1

Yesterday was the last day for floor presentations to honor individuals and groups that have contributed to improving the social, educational, cultural and economic welfare of the State of Hawaii as well as those who have accomplished amazing feats.

I will be posting a series of photos and descriptions of a handful of the final floor presentations in the past month.

Let's start with two recipients who were acknowledged on March 30, 2009 for being exemplary role models; one of the honorees for his many years of dedication to education and the other for his hard work and commitment to healthy living.


Photo: Rep. Ryan Yamane, chair of the Health Committee, Dallas Carter and family, and Rep. Marilyn Lee, who represents the Mililani area.

Rep. Marilyn Lee and other house members introduced offered House Resolution 295, which recognizes and commends Dallas Carter as an outstanding role model for good health. Dallas, a resident of Mililani, lost 130 pounds over three years through good nutrition and regular exercise. He recently won Beachbody.com's Million Dollar Body Game Giveaway and received $250,000. The father of two began his quest to get into shape after the birth of his daughter. He was unable to pick her up and knew then that he had to do something about his weight in order to take care of his family.


Everyone knows Frank De Lima! I bet you've probably gone on a Buta hunt with funnyman Frank or helped him make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The House honored the comedian for his outstanding service to Hawaii's youth through the "Frank De Lima Student Enrichment Program. Rep. Gene Ward, member of the House Minority, introduced House Resolution 296.

In Photo (L-R): Rep. Gene Ward, Frank De Lima, and Rep. Marcus Oshiro, Finance chair.

Riding backseat

Hundreds of social service advocates today gathered at the Rotunda of the Hawaii State Capitol in response to the Lingle administration's budget proposal to eliminate the Healthy Start program. The cut would save the state $23.2 million dollars over the next two fiscal years. The rally began immediately after the Governor's State of the State address.

Former State Rep. Alex Santiago, chief executive officer of PHOCUSED, an advocacy group for health and human services, took issue with what Governor Linda Lingle said about social-services programs in her address to the people of Hawaii.

After praising the Dept. of Human Services and its community partners for their substantial progress in child welfare services, Lingle pointed out that, because of recent reductions in revenue, balancing the state budget will take precedence over anything else, even notable services and programs.

"…they and other worthy programs will take a back seat to our more immediate need to balance the budget. Today's struggling economy has created a deep hole in our budget that we need to dig out of this session," Lingle said.

Santiago kicked off the human services rally under the volcanic opening of the state capitol with a bold statement firing back at the governor's comments and igniting cheers and applause from a swarm of social service advocates clad in neon green t-shirts.

"We take a backseat to no one," he announced. "You [Lingle administration and Legislature] will not balance the budget on the most vulnerable people of this state."

Rep. Ryan Yamane, chairman of the House Health Committee, has been quoted in a recent Honolulu Advertiser article saying that lawmakers will try to find money for the program. However, he did also relate the difficulties that this will entail.

"We're going to try," said Yamane, a social worker. "The difficult part is, when we give one dollar to one place, it means somebody else is not going to get that dollar. So the question comes down to looking at what are the core services of state government in the health area and looking at ways to help support valuable programs."

Getting over the yuck factor

Photo: House members and staff practice compressions during the first of two American Heart Association Heartsaver and Automated External Defibrillator training courses.

Put my mouth where? On whom? These types of questions flash through the minds of many people during a situation in which someone may need CPR assistance. Germs. Disease. Saliva. Cooties. The "yuck factor," as an Associated Press story put it.

Would the yuck factor deter you from jumping in to help save a stranger's life? I hate to admit it to myself, but I don't know if I would be willing to get fresh with Mr. Joe-next-door if I was placed in that situation. It's a terrible thing to admit, but it's the truth.

Yesterday, twenty-eight of my colleagues and I, including Rep. Ryan Yamane, chair of the Health Committee, and his staff, attended an American Heart Association Heartsaver and Automated External Defibrillator training course at the Hawaii State Capitol. Guess what we found out? Giving mouth-to-mouth is soooo last year. We learned that the American Heart Association (AHA) revised their CPR guidelines last March to include Hands-Only CPR as a possible method for people "unwilling or unable" to give two quick breaths.


Photo: Rep. Ryan Yamane prepares to give the mannequin two breaths with a resuscitation device.

Here's the gist of how to handle a situation: 1.) Send someone to call 911 or, if alone, call 911 yourself. 2.) Send someone to retrieve an AED, 2.) Push hard and fast in the middle of the chest (100 compressions per minute).

That's it. Not too tough on the hippocampus, eh?

During the two-and-a-half-hour course, we were also trained in traditional HeartSaver CPR and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), or " the shock machine," as I call it. It was by far the quickest, easiest and most effective CPR training that I have ever signed up for. I doubt that I will ever forget what I learned during this course. It was fun, informative and hands-on the entire time. The training was led by Pam Foster of the AED Institute.

The House of Representatives will soon have three PowerHeart AED machines that will be located with the fire extinguishers on the Mauka side of the third and fourth floors and the Ewa side of the basement level. The blue and white AEDs automatically turns on once the lid is opened. House Sergeant-at-Arms warns that "there are severe penalties for anyone playing with the machines if not used for emergency purposes."

This is the first year that the House has offered CPR/AED training to representatives and permanent staff. Concerned about the health, welfare and safety of House members, staff, and visitors, Speaker Calvin Say authorized the training to get as many employees as possible certified by the AHA for a two year period.

The next training date will be on January 20, 2009.

"At the conclusion of this training next week, over 50 members and staff will be ready to kokua in time of emergency," said Kevin Kuroda, House Sergeant-at-Arms.

Photos: Rep. Ryan Yamane looks on as Lon Paresa, House assistant sergeant-at-arms, finishes off two minutes of compressions on a mannequin before the next shock from the AED.