Come find out why a new law will help ease Hawaii's doctor shortage

A national expert and a leading local doctor will take a deep look at how Hawaii will benefit from working together with other states

from Grassroot Institute, June 28, 2023

Hawaii just took a major step toward resolving its longstanding doctor shortage with the adoption of SB674 — and at two luncheons early next month sponsored by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, two prominent medical experts will explain why.

The luncheons, on Maui and Oahu, will feature:

>> Marschall Smith, executive director for the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission, which is the national organization that is central to the new law. 

>> Dr. Elizabeth Ann Ignacio, statewide interventional radiologist and president-elect of the Hawaii Medical Association, who has long campaigned for tax and regulatory reform to help improve access to healthcare in Hawaii.

The purpose of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact — which the new law allows Hawaii to join — is to enable doctors from member states to more easily practice across state lines, without having to deal with costly, time-consuming and redundant obstacles.

For Hawaii, membership in the IMLC — which the Grassroot Institute championed — could go a long way toward alleviating its doctor shortage, currently estimated at nearly 800. 

Indeed, the Grassroot Institute already has heard from doctors in other states who have expressed a sincere interest in moving to Hawaii to set up medical practice.

In addition to discussing the compact for physicians, Smith will talk about the benefits Hawaii could receive from joining interstate compacts for other healthcare workers, such as nurses, emergency medical services personnel, psychologists and physical and speech therapists. 

Ignacio will discuss other reforms Hawaii could adopt to improve its healthcare system, such as exempting medical services from the state’s general excise tax and removing many of the state’s cumbersome “certificate of need” laws.

The Maui event will be on Thursday, July 27, at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes parking and lunch. Joe Kent, executive vice president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, will moderate.

The Oahu event will be Friday, July 28, at a private club in Honolulu, also from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is $30 and includes parking and lunch. Keliʻi Akina, president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, will moderate.

For both events, doors will open at 11:30 a.m., and the formal presentations will begin at noon. There will be time for audience members to ask questions.

To register for the Maui event, go here; for the Oahu event, here — or click on the appropriate buttons below.

Seating is limited for both presentations, so please register early. For more information, contact Sean Mitsui at 808-864-1776 or info@grassrootinstitute.org. 

>>> MAUI REGISTRATION <<<

>>> OAHU REGISTRATION <<<

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The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational institute devoted to promoting individual liberty, economic freedom and accountable government. Its goal is to improve the quality of life in Hawaii by lowering the cost of living and expanding opportunities for all.

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