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SR 24

URGING MAUI HEALTH TO COLLABORATE WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO ESTABLISH A FULL-TIME MEDICAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM ON THE ISLAND OF MAUI.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Lynn DeCoite and 2 co-sponsors

Hawaii legislature urges Maui Health to establish a full-time medical residency program on Maui to address physician shortages and improve healthcare workforce capacity.

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Bill Summary · SR 24

Legislative bill overview

SR 24 is a resolution urging Maui Health System to work with community stakeholders to develop and establish a full-time medical residency program on Maui. The resolution does not create binding requirements but rather expresses the legislature's intent and encouragement for the healthcare system to pursue this initiative.

Why is this important

Medical residency programs are crucial for training physicians and increasing the local physician workforce. Maui currently has significant physician shortages and healthcare access challenges; a local residency program could help retain medical graduates on the island, improve healthcare delivery capacity, and reduce the need for specialists to be imported from other islands.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost and feasibility: Establishing accredited medical residency programs requires substantial infrastructure investment, faculty recruitment, and partnership with medical schools—unclear if Maui Health has the financial capacity or existing infrastructure to support this
  • Accreditation challenges: New residency programs must meet rigorous Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) standards; Maui's smaller patient population and limited specialty services may struggle to meet clinical training requirements
  • Non-binding nature: As a resolution rather than appropriations legislation, the bill contains no funding mechanism or enforcement mechanism to ensure Maui Health actually pursues or completes this goal

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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