Agenda

Return

D.4

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	William Walker, M.D., Health Services Director
Date:	March 21, 2017

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Payment and Contract #26-644-18 with MGA Healthcare, Inc.

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 03/21/2017

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

ABSENT:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor

Contact:	Anna Roth, 370-5101
cc:	Tasha Scott Marcy Wilhelm

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: March 21, 2017
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

Approve and authorize the following:
(1) Auditor-Controller, or designee, to issue payment in an amount not to exceed $378,430 to MGA Healthcare, Inc. for temporary medical staffing services rendered to the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers from January 1, 2017 through March 21, 2017; and



(2) Health Service Director, or designee, to execute Contract #26-644-18 with MGA Healthcare, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $216,000 for the period from March 22, 2017 through April 30, 2017.

RECOMMENDATION(S): (CONT'D)

These recommendations will ensure appropriate medical staffing services at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers while the County negotiates a new agreement with significantly reduced services (strictly relief staffing of permanent positions), effective May 1, 2017.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Upon approval of both actions, Hospital Enterprise Fund I revenues will entirely offset the $378,646 total payment limits. These actions do not include an increase to the rate schedule.

BACKGROUND:

On January 5, 2016, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract #26-644-15 (as amended by Amendment Agreements #26-644-16 and #26-644-17) with MGA Healthcare, Inc., for the provision of temporary medical staffing services at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers and the Detention Facility, including nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, laboratory technicians and clinical laboratory scientists, through December 31, 2016. On December 6, 2016 the Board rescheduled the Department’s request to renew this contract for the period from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, to a future meeting date to address the concerns brought to their attention by Teamsters Local 856. This union represents LVN, pharmacist, laboratory technician, and clinical laboratory scientist classifications in Contra Costa. The County has engaged in three (3) meet and confers (December 20, 2016, February 13, and 16, 2017) with Teamsters Local 856 to discuss this contract and the need to continue providing services to our patients while the Health Services Department works to fill its vacant positions. The next meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, March 29th and Friday, April 7th.

Since December 6, 2016, despite significant efforts to permanently fill vacant positions, the Health Services Department continues to face a shortage of permanent personnel and per diems to cover necessary shifts, requiring the use of temporary medical staff. Therefore, the Department is resubmitting a request to the Board of Supervisors, to pay the Contractor for services rendered through March 21, 2017, and a short term contract for the period from March 22, 2017 through April 30, 2017 while the County continues to negotiate with Teamsters.

If this contract is not maintained, the County will not be able to provide necessary medical services. The County has implemented various efforts to minimize the utilization of this contract, which includes prioritizing LVN, laboratory tech, and clinical laboratory scientist hiring. As of February 27, 2017, the Department has made 31 permanent LVN job offers. Additionally, the Department is actively working through various hiring processes to fill the remaining 19 LVN vacancies, which are all either currently open for bid or have interviews scheduled. This contract is critical to ensuring that services throughout the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, Health Centers and Detention Facility are not interrupted while the Department works through the entire hiring process. Even with all of these positions filled, there will be an ongoing need for these services to prevent disruption of clinical patient care at health facilities.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If this amendment is not approved, the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, Health Centers and Detention Facility will not be able to provide necessary medical services to patients and the Contractor will not be paid for services rendered.