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COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
Inter-Departmental Correspondence
Health System
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DATE:
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November 10, 2010
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BOARD MEETING DATE:
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December 14, 2010
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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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Jean S. Fraser, Chief, Health System
Susan Ehrlich, MD, MPP, Chief Executive Officer
San Mateo Medical Center
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SUBJECT:
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Agreement with Pacific Interpreters, Inc.
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RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a Resolution authorizing the:
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A)
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President of the Board to execute an Agreement with Pacific Interpreters, Inc. for telephonic medical interpreter services for the term January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2013, for a maximum obligation of $200,000; and
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B)
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Chief of the Health System or designee to execute contract amendments which modify the County’s maximum fiscal obligation by no more than $25,000 (in aggregate), and/or modify the contract term and/or services so long as the modified term or services is/are within the current or revised fiscal provisions.
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BACKGROUND:
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Based on the large number of languages spoken by patients and family members at San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC), a commercial vendor is required in order to provide remote telephonic interpretation for Medical Center patients with limited English proficiency and employees providing services to them at any hour of any day and in virtually any language. As SMMC approached the term of the previous contract with Language Line Services for this function, a Request for Proposals (RFP) process was conducted in conjunction with the Health Plan of San Mateo (HPSM), which partners with the County in the provision of interpreter services. The RFP resulted in proposals from four companies to provide telephonic interpretation. A structured review process was conducted, resulting in the choice of Pacific Interpreters, based on competitive pricing, staff qualifications, responsiveness, and information from other customers.
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DISCUSSION:
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This contract is with a vendor who will provide secondary interpreter services when interpreters from SMMC’s primary translation service system, the Health Care Interpreter Network (HCIN), are not available in the required language, primarily after hours or on weekends or when the HCIN interpreters are already engaged. Calls to HCIN that cannot be handled are automatically re-routed by the computer to the contractor. This contract is for telephonic interpretation, the most efficient method and growing standard of practice, rather than in-person interpretation. Quality control and compliance with HIPAA and regulations will be strictly enforced to assure high quality service to County residents.
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The Agreement and Resolution have been reviewed and approved by County Counsel as to form. The Contractor’s insurance has been reviewed and approved by Risk Management.
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The Contractor has assured compliance with the County’s Contractor Employee Jury Service Ordinance, as well as all other contract provisions that are required by County ordinance and administrative memoranda, including but not limited to insurance, hold harmless, non-discrimination and equal benefits.
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This Agreement contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Healthy Community by ensuring basic health and safety for all. It enables SMMC to provide access to safe, rapid and high quality medical care for residents of San Mateo County who have Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and are not able to communicate effectively with their medical provider or Medical Center staff. Additionally, it helps SMMC achieve its goals of improving patient safety and satisfaction by eliminating medication errors, improving patient understanding of treatment and diagnosis, and reducing healthcare disparities. It is anticipated that 80% of LEP patients surveyed will report their healthcare experience is improved by using interpreter services and 95% of requests for interpretation will be answered by Pacific Interpreters within three minutes.
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Performance Measures:
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Measure
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FY 2009-10
Actual
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FY 2010-11
Projected
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% of LEP patients surveyed who said their healthcare experience was improved by using interpreter services
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75%
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80%
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% of requests for interpretation answered by Pacific Interpreters within three minutes
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90%
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95%
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FISCAL IMPACT:
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The term of the Agreement is January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2013. The maximum fiscal obligation is $200,000. Funds in the amount of $40,000 are included in the SMMC Adopted FY 2010-11 Budget. Funds in the amount of $80,000 will be included in the SMMC FY 2011-12 Recommended Budget. Similar arrangements will be made for future years. Expenses at SMMC are covered by fees for services or third-party payors whenever possible. The portion of expenses for services provided to the medically indigent or to those covered by programs that do not meet the full costs of care are covered by the County’s General Fund contribution to SMMC.
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