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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 07131993 - 1.14 (2) STATE OF CALIFORNIA—HEALTH AND WELFARE AGENCY PETE WILSON, Governor EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AUTHORITY 1930 9TH STREET, SUITE 100 SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 (916) 322-4336 FAX (916) 324-2875 RECEIVED June 21, 1993 '023 CLERK BOARD OF 3 Thomas Torlakson, Chair COCA COS qP�O IS . Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors - 651 Pine Street, 11 th Floor Martinez, CA 94553 Dear Supervisor Torlakson: I am writing to advise you that the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Poison Control Center (PCC) has requested permission from the California Emergency Medical Services Authority to restrict poison control services to only those counties within its region which contribute funding to support these services and to further advise you that the EMS Authority has approved this request, effective August 1, 1993. Due to serious fiscal constraints, within the next few weeks the City and County of San Francisco will eliminate several staff positions from the PCC. This reduction in staffing will prevent the center from assuring efficient service to the ten-county region and permit the center to guarantee services only to San Francisco, unless each county in the region contrib- utes to funding the cost of providing services to their county. In the past, the EMS Authority has not granted San Francisco's request to restrict the service area and provide services to the ten-county region only to the extent counties in the region contribute to funding the cost of services. However, the current fiscal environment necessi- tates our approval of this most recent. request, and approval has been given, effective August 1, 1993, to permit affected counties time to consider the PCC's request for funding. In view of the State's comi-nitinent to the availability of PCC servic;,s to the people Of California, this decision was reached with some reluctance. The San Francisco PCC administration has assured the EMS Authority that if counties begin to contribute to the operation of the center to the extent that they use the services, those services will resume. Poison center services have proven to be cost effective. It is estimated that they save $7 in unnecessary emergency visits for each $1 cost of operation. Seventy to 80% of patient exposure calls can be safely advised to remain at home rather than come into a hospital gnificant number of emergency visits, lessens emergency department. This avoids a si hospital overcrowding, reduces health care costs, and is an appropriate use of resources. I urge you to seriously consider the request from the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Poison Control Center concerning county contributions to the regional poison control center. Sincerely, 1 Josep Morales, MD Director