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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08122003 - C.105 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra •a FROM: William B. Walker, M.D., Health Services Director •, Costa DATE: August 12, 2003 County SUBJECT: Response to Grand Jury e-AL SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION($)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: Accept the Health Services Department's responses to follow-up questions concerning audits of the Department. BACKGROUND: On January 7, 2003, the Board requested additional information concerning audits that had been commissioned to examine the Health Services Department in response to Grand Jury findings. The following two items were directed to Health Services for response: 9. "ACCEPT Health Services Department responses dated October 15, 2002 to the recommendations of The Lewin Group regarding the management and organization of the Health Services Department, with the following additions and clarifications: a. Staff of the Health Services and Human Resources Departments should continue to develop plans and procedures to improve the recruiting, se- lecting and classifying of Health Services Department employees, par- ticularly "market sensitive" positions and positions that reduce costs." CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: _X_„_YES SIGNATURE: l/OI�++►"c ---- --__-.-- w------------------------------------------------_----_----------------------------- --------------- _ ------- " RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE -b''APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S)__ ACTION OF B R ON AUGUST 12, 2003 APPROVE AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT NM ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE AYES: NOES: SHOWN. ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ATTESTED AUGUST 12. 2003 CONTACT: Patrick Godley m 370-5007 JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR CC: William B.Walker,M.D. Health Services Department BY : % c' '� � DEPUTY -2- Resgonse Staff of Health Services and the Human Resources Department continue to meet monthly to review priorities and status of current and pending re- cruitments and projects. This has proven to be an excellent means of communication and has resulted in faster submission of personnel requests (exams and P-300s)for action. Some of the specific issues we are working on, or have addressed are: * Health Services staff have been trained to input the test scores from the RN and LVN application screening process. This is done on a weekly basis, and the names promulgate the following day. This has significantly expedited the hiring process for these two classifications. * Human Resources has assisted us in revising the availability forms for the classifications of RN and LVN to more specifically define the candidate's area of interest, This has decreased the amount of time the nurse Program Managers spend combing through the cer- tifications searching for candidates in their specialty area. (Each permanent appointment made by the hiring managers reduces the use of registry staff and overtime.) * Human Resources is currently working on a similar revision to the Clerk availability form. The intent is to identify those candidates that want to work in Health Services. Again, this will reduce the amount of time managers spend combing through the eligible list searching for candidates that want to work in a clinical setting. * Human Resources is currently working on some salary comparisons for clinical classifications that have been difficult to fill. * Human Resources is presently reviewing our request to add two more examinations to the list of those with delegated authority. We continue to review the list for which we currently have delegated authority to make certain that each exam on that list is still neces- sary. 2. "ACCEPT Health Services Department responses dated October 17, 2002 to the recommendations of Pacific Health Consulting Group regarding its "Assessment of Enrollment and Retention in Healthy Families and Medi-Cal for Children," and DIRECT the Health Services Director and County Administrator to work toward establishing a partnership with local school districts to finance the casts of outreach In the Healthy Families Program and Medi-Cal for children in recognition of the benefits accruing to schools from the Increased average daily attendance that results from these programs." ,Response.- Through e onseThrough special grant funding that is no longer available, Health Services established partnerships with the West Contra Costa Unified School District and Mt. Diablo Unified School District to conduct Healthy Families and Medi-Cal outreach and enrollment activities. With the conclusion of the outside funding in 2002, school-based activities diminished. During the past six months, budget reductions and budget uncertainties on both sides have made it impossible to mare any progress with a school partnership to finance Healthy Families/Medi-Cal outreach expenses. -3- The situation is changing with the introduction of the CHDP Gateway. The Gateway program began on July 1, 2003. It provides presumptive Medi- Cal eligibility for up to 60 days for children up to age 19 based on a simple declaration of income. During the 60-day time period, CHDP is funded by the State to workwith the families and medical providers to more fully evaluate eligibility and facilitate enrollment into the appropriate program. CHDP is planning to work with schools, especially those in low-income neighborhoods, to inform parents about the Gateway program and link them to application assistance. While program personnel are still sorting out the details of how this will work, they expect the work with the schools will begin in the fall. It will include information for parents about immunization, as well. Another resource for working with schools is Express Lane Eligibility, a State program that is being piloted in six school districts in California, although none in Contra Costa County. Express Lane Eligibility uses eligibility for the federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program as the beginning link to Healthy Families/Medi-Cal eligibility. Health Services staff are monitoring the progress of Express Lane Eligibility in order to become involved once the State decides when and how it can be implemented in other counties.