COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Department

DATE:

March 25, 2005

BOARD MEETING DATE:

April 12, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

none

VOTE REQUIRED:

Four-fifths

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Charlene A. Silva, Director, Health Department

SUBJECT:

Correctional Health appropriation

RECOMMENDATION:

Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) in the amount of $150,000, transferring funding from Correctional Health Other Charges, County Hospital Charges, to Services and Supplies, Outside Hospital Charges

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Ensure basic health and safety for all

Goal(s) Residents have access to healthcare and preventive care.

Approval of the Appropriation Transfer Request contributes to this goal by assuring payment for critical medical care.

BACKGROUND:

Correctional Health is responsible for providing health care to inmates housed in County correctional facilities. Care is provided in the correctional facility to the extent possible. If specialty clinic or hospital care is required, inmates are transported to San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC). In some cases, when SMMC cannot provide the type of care required or in emergencies, inmates are transported to other hospitals or specialty clinics.

DISCUSSION:

The County has one inmate who faces serious charges and was severely injured in a car accident when he was arrested in late 2003. Due to the nature of his injuries, much of his care has been provided at Stanford Medical Center. Payments to date for this inmate’s care at Stanford Medical Center have totaled $476,924

At this point, Correctional Health has exceeded its budget for outside hospital services due to the costs of caring for this one inmate. As a short-term measure, the Health Department is proposing the transfer of funding from the County hospital charges account to cover the unanticipated costs for outside hospital services. The County hospital charges account is under-spent year to date.

Health Department representatives will be meeting with staff from the County Manager’s Office, the Sheriff’s office, and County Counsel to resolve the funding issues arising from this unique case and to develop a long-term solution.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The ATR transfers $150,000 in funding from Correctional Health’s budgeted Other Charges, County Hospital Charges account, to Services and Supplies, Outside Hospital Services account. There is no impact on net county cost associated with this action.