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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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June 25, 2007
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BOARD MEETING DATE:
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July 24, 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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Sang-ick Chang, Interim 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 up to $300,000 from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009.
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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.
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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 2006-07
Projected
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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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4.0%
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BACKGROUND:
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From time to time, it is necessary to augment the physicians with whom the County of San Mateo contracts 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, including San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC) staff. Since November 8, 2005 your Board of Supervisors has authorized the Controller to pay non-contract physicians who provide medical services to our patients.
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This Resolution will allow the Controller to pay non-contract physicians who provide their services to the County for the period from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009.
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DISCUSSION:
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All patients referred to non-contract physicians for specialty care services must be authorized by SMMC, and utilization review is concurrently provided by the Case Management Department at SMMC. Due to the increase in referrals, the unpredictability of the costs of certain diagnostic procedures that some 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. The trend is growth in pediatric clinics and surgical services. Therefore, SMMC requests the Board adopt a resolution authorizing the Controller to expend up to $300,000 from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009.
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FISCAL IMPACT:
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The Resolution provides for $300,000 in reimbursement, a $50,000 increase over the last fiscal year Resolution. This increase is a result of higher projected utilization. The term of the Resolution is from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009. Funds are included in the SMMC’s FY2007-08 Recommended Budget and will be included in the FY2008-09 Proposed Budget.
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