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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 10181994 - IO.9 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS I O _g �`` 5.__;L•. Contra -, INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE �OS}a FROM: l County �•.,,r, DATE: � October 10 1994 sT�i`OiiN`� REPORT ON FUNDING FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO REGIONAL POISON CONTROL SUBJECT: CENTER SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1 . AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director to negotiate restoration of full public access for Contra Costa residents to the poison control hotline operated by the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Poison Control Center at a cost not to exceed $93, 397 for the 1994-95 fiscal year, costs to be paid by County Service Area EM-1 (Measure H) , and return the contract to the Board of Supervisors for further consideration. 2 . REMOVE this item as a referral to the Internal Operations Committee. BACKGROUND: On October 4, 1994, the Board of Supervisors referred the subject of funding for the Poison Control Center to our Committee, based on the following comments included in our Committee' s report to the Board on July 19, 1994 : "We trust that if events warrant, staff will make an appropriate report to the full Board of Supervisors, which may then decide to refer the report to one or another of the Board's Committees for further review. " X CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF.CO DMINISr RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE _T H MARK r)PqA1TT.NTPR SIGNATURE (S): ACTION OF BOARD ON October 1 R i 1994 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED _,,LSS, OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. OCT 18 1994 ATTESTED Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: County Administrator SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Health Services Director County Health Officer Director, Emergency Medical Services DEPUTY I .O.-9 Attached is a report from the Health Services Department which notes that since the July 19, 1994 report to the Board of Supervisors, the distribution of $4 million of a $5 million donation by Blue Cross for poison control center services statewide has enabled the San Francisco Poison Control Center to substantially reduce assessments to counties for public access to its poison hotline. The reduced charges will cover services provided for both the 1994-95 and 1995-96 fiscal years . The remaining $1 million will be used to fund a major statewide poison center study. The attached report requests authority for the Health Services Director to negotiate with the San Francisco Poison Control Center for restoration of full public access for residents of Contra Costa County to the poison control hotline. We are extremely pleased that the decision has been made to use the Blue Cross money for poison control programs, thereby allowing the Poison Control Center to reduce the charges to the County to not a great deal more than the County would be spending paying for each individual 9-1-1 call which is transferred to the Poison Control Center. We are also pleased to see that an overall study of the poison control system in California is being studied. We hope that staff from the Health Services Department will insure that they have adequate input to this study. 2 Contra Costa County The Board of Supervisors HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR Tom Powers, 1st District sE__L Mark Finucane, Director Jeff Smith,2nd District aE-�-_•- -..-,a Gayle Bishop,3rd District ;, `= 20 Allen Street Sunne 3191 Wright McPeak,4th District - ' 9 _ - - Martinez,California 94553 Tom Torlakson,5th District (510)370-5003 FAX(510)370-5098 County Administrator o {� Phil Batchelor °os;--- __•••"C' County Administrator a �out+f t October 5, 1994 To: Internal Operations Committee From: Mark Finucane, Director , Health Services Department Subj: Poison Control Center Funding Recommendation: Authorize the Health Services Director to negotiate restoration of full public access for Contra Costa residents to the poison control hotline operated by the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Poison Control Center at a cost not to exceed $93,397 for Fiscal Year 1993- 94, costs to be paid by CSA EM-1 (Measure H). Background: On July 19, 1994, the Board of Supervisors approved recommendations from its Internal Operations Committee that (1) the Health Services Department continue its arrangement for handling poison calls through the 9-1-1 system with payments to the San Francisco Poison Control Center for 9-1-1 transfers on a per call basis, (2) the Health Services Director report to the full Board of Supervisors when the Department's study of alternative approaches to handling poison control calls is completed, and (3) the poison control services item be removed as a referral to the Internal Operations Committee. Subsequently, Blue Cross of California committed $5 million as a one-time contribution to support poison control centers in California. This and other donations by Blue Cross were made in connection with a reorganization of Blue Cross involving elimination of tax exempt status. The Health Services Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) affiliate of the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California, and the National Health Foundation, an L.A. based 501(c)(3) corporation with ties to Hospital Council of Southern California are managing distribution of the poison center contribution. A committee assisting Merrithew Memorial Hospital&Clinics Public Health • Mental Health • Substance Abuse Environmental Health Contra Costa Health Plan Emergency Medical Services • Home Health Agency Geriatrics A-345 (2/93) . " t Internal Operations Committee R. October 5, 1994 Page 2 in this process includes representatives from the State Emergency Medical Services Authority, a local EMS agency, the Hospital Councils, the poison centers, and Blue Cross. A plan has now been approved to distribute $4 million of the $5 million Blue Cross funding directly to the existing poison centers and to use the remaining $1 million for a planning and research project on poison center services and funding. The $4 million poison center portion will be distributed over two years to augment the centers' FY 1994-95 and FY 1995-96 budgets. Based upon the distribution formula approved by the advisory committee and by Blue Cross, the San Francisco Poison Center will receive $337,911 each year for FY 1.994-95 and FY 1995-96. This, together with a State contribution of $157,000, has enabled the San Francisco Poison Center lower charge to counties for public access. Tile charge Contra Costa County for FY 1994-95, should the COUrIt_y want to restore public access, has been reduced from $157,465 to $93,397. Given (1) that the new charge of $93,397 is only slightly above the $80,000 currently budgeted under CSA EM-1 (Measure H) to.pay for 9-1-1 transfers to the poison center, (2) that the reduced charges will. be in effect at least through FY 1995-96, (3) that major reevaluation of statewide poison center services and funding is being undertaken, and (4) that Contra Costa will be continuing to conduct our State-funded study of alternative approaches to handling poison information calls, we believe it would be prudent to reestablish public access at this time. cc: William B. Walker, M.D., County Health Officer/Medical Director Claude Van Marter, Assistant County Administrator Art Lathrop, Emergency Medical Services Director