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COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
Inter-Departmental Correspondence
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San Mateo Medical Center
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DATE:
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April 13, 2007
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BOARD MEETING DATE:
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May 22, 2007
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SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:
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None
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VOTE REQUIRED:
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Majority
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TO:
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Honorable Board of Supervisors
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FROM:
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Nancy J. Steiger, Chief Executive Officer, San Mateo Medical Center
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SUBJECT:
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Resolution authorizing the Controller to pay non-contract physicians.
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RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a Resolution authorizing the Controller to pay non-contract physicians an additional $50,000 for a total of up to $250,000 through June 30, 2007.
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VISION ALIGNMENT:
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Commitment: To Ensure Basic Health and Safety for All.
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Goal 5: Provide residents access to healthcare and preventive care.
The Resolution contributes to this commitment and goal by addressing the need for highly specialized medical services to County patients.
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Performance Measure(s):
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Measure
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FY 2006-07
Projected
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FY 2005-06
Actual
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Percentage of patients referred to non-contract physicians for specialty care services
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3.5%
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3.5%
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BACKGROUND:
From time to time, it is necessary to augment the county contracted physicians with non-contract physicians because there is not sufficient coverage for specialty care. Examples of shortages include, but are not limited to, pediatric on-call coverage, gastroenterology, neurosurgery and dermatopathology. These specialists provide emergency backup services to our patients when no other contracted medical coverage is available. Since November 8, 2005 your Board of Supervisors has authorized the Controller to pay non-contract physicians who provide medical services to our patients. This Resolution will allow the Controller to pay non-contract physicians who have recently increased the level of their services to the County.
In a Resolution adopted on November 8, 2005, this Board authorized the Controller to pay up to $200,000 to non-contracted physicians for the period from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2007.
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DISCUSSION:
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All patients referred to non-contract physicians for specialty care services must be authorized by San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC), and utilization review is concurrently provided by the Case Management Department at SMMC.
Due to the increase in referrals and the unpredictability of the expensive diagnostic procedures that the patients require and the increase in clinic utilization over the past two years, demand for these services increased beyond the projected average of $100,000 per year to approximately $125,000 per year.
Therefore, SMMC requests that the Board adopt a resolution authorizing the Controller to expend up to an additional $50,000 for non-contract physicians through June 30, 2007.
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FISCAL IMPACT:
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The attached Resolution increases the maximum amount by $50,000, from $200,000 to $250,000. The term of the Resolution is from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2007. Funds are included in the San Mateo Medical Center’s FY2006-07 Adopted Budget.
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