KINDER NAMED TO HEALTH FACILITIES REVIEW PANEL

JEFFERSON CITY -- Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, was appointed this week to the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee by Senate President James Mathewson.

The panel functions as administrator of the Missouri Certificate of Need program. Its primary function is to hold down unnecessary health care expenditures.

"I am especially pleased to be chosen by the president pro tem to serve on this committee," Kinder said. "The work of the review committee becomes even more important as we enter into a new era of health care delivery."

Kinder replaces Senate Minority Leader Franc Flotron of St. Louis County on the committee.

The Health Services Review Committee has nine select members: four state legislators and five individuals chosen from around the state. No more than five members can be of the same political party.

The committee addresses issues of quality, cost, and distribution of health services, and attempts to achieve cost containment by assuring that unnecessary duplications of expensive health care services are kept to a minimum.

Kinder explained that a series of public hearings are scheduled on a regular basis as part of the committee's deliberations.