CCRMC and Contra Costa Health Centers have an obligation to provide medical staffing services to patients. Therefore, the County contracts with temporary help firms to ensure patient care is provided during peak loads, temporary absences, vacations and emergency situations where additional staffing is required. The County has been using the contractor’s temporary staffing services since July 1, 2005.
June 22, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract #26-347-39 with Cross Country Staffing, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $5,500,000, for the provision of temporary medical staffing services, including registered nursing, and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) nursing services at CCRMC and Contra Costa Health Centers for the period from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.
November 23, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved Amendment Agreement #26-347-40 with Cross Country Staffing, Inc., to modify the contract to include travel, urgent, and crisis rates for temporary lactation consulting services with no change in the payment limit of $5,500,000 or term through June 30, 2022.
This amendment includes services provided by represented classifications and the County has met its obligations with the respective labor partner(s).
Due to Contra Costa County still being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, CCRMC and Health Centers continue to experience a shortage in nursing staff due to multiple staff taking time off for COVID-19 isolations and illnesses. The County is challenged by the lack of agency nurses being available and willing to work on current billed rates, therefore the division is requesting to amend this contract to increase the crisis rates to retain agency nursing staff at CCRMC and Health Centers.
Approval of Amendment Agreement #26-347-41 will increase the crisis rates for nurse staffing and allow contractor to continue providing temporary staffing services through June 30, 2022.
If this amendment is not approved, crisis rates will not increase and hard to fill nursing positions will continue to go unstaffed.