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C. 49

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	David Twa, County Administrator
Date:	June 9, 2015

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Support for $2 million appropriation in State Budget for LifeLong Community Clinic

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 06/09/2015

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor

ABSENT:

Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

L. DeLaney, 925-335-1097

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: June 9, 2015
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

RATIFY the position of "Support" for the State Budget appropriation of $2 million to the Department of Health Care Services to be allocated to LifeLong Community Clinic for the purpose of supporting extended hours for urgent care services, as recommended by the Chair of the Board.

FISCAL IMPACT:

$2 Million of State General Fund revenues was proposed by the Assembly Budget Committee.

BACKGROUND:

West Contra Costa Health Care District closed its Doctor’s Medical Center (DMC) hospital on April 20th of this year due to unsustainable operating losses, primarily due to low Medi-Cal reimbursement rates. DMC was the only “public” hospital located in West Contra Costa serving the community’s low-income population. The only other hospital in this area is a small Kaiser facility. The Contra Costa County Regional Medical Center is located about 20 miles away and, therefore, the travel time to its emergency room is much longer.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

The County and the community asked LifeLong Medical Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center in the area, to open an urgent care facility at its health center site across the street from DMC. Stakeholder partners from Kaiser and John Muir committed start-up costs for build-out of the facility, equipment, and start-up subsidy. Contra Costa County and the West Contra Costa Health Care District provided in-kind support and planning assistance. LifeLong was able to open a smaller version of the planned urgent care on April 19, 2015, the day before DMC closed its doors. The Urgent Care Center has been opened on a schedule of noon to 8 p.m., seven days per week.

The Urgent Care clinic in West Contra Costa can provide access to walk-in services for most of the former DMC Emergency Department users. Services are being coordinated closely with the Kaiser emergency room in the area and with Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Services. LifeLong budget estimates project the need for a $2 million subsidy to keep the Urgent Care open 12 hours per day which would capture up to 80% of former DMC users.

The appropriation of $2 million in the State Budget to the Department of Health Care Services would be allocated to LifeLong Community Clinic for the purpose of supporting extended hours for urgent care services at LifeLong.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Contra Costa County would not have a position on this issue.