DATE: June 18, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: David Luchini, RN, PHN, Director, Department of Public Health
Susan L. Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Agreement with Health Career Connection
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with Health Career Connection, for a health care management student internship program, effective July 1, 2024, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions ($0).
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will continue to permit Health Career Connection (HCC) junior and senior year college students to acquire practical knowledge in health care management through a 10-week internship program with the Departments of Public Health and Behavioral Health. Participation will be completed without monetary compensation between either party. Staff from both Departments will provide preceptorship and supervision of the interns. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the Departments of Behavioral Health and Public Health would be unable to offer HCC students an internship placement in health care management.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action or monetary compensation associated with the recommended agreement. If approved, HCC will ensure the interns obtain general, automobile, and professional liability insurance, as necessary. Public Health and Behavioral Health Department supervisory staff will provide supervision of the interns. Sufficient appropriations for supervision will be included in the Department of Public Health Org 5620 and Department of Behavioral Health Org 5620 FY 2024-25 Recommended Budgets and will be included in future budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
HCC is a national non-profit organization that recruits, screens, and funds internship placements for college students within health care organizations. Over the past 15 years, HCC has placed interns with the Department of Public Health and beginning in 2023 with the Department of Behavioral Health, making it possible for students to field-train in health-care management. Interns assist Department programs in providing health education, support and planning of educational meetings, events, and trainings. In addition, interns will assist in developing, collecting and analyzing survey data.
On June 18, 2019, your Board approved Agreement No. 19-291 with HCC for a health care management student internship program for five consecutive years, which included a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions. This Agreement expires on June 30, 2024. Under the current agreement, the Departments of Public Health and Behavioral Health have placed three interns each for a total of six.
The new recommended agreement with HCC will continue to provide internship placement opportunities for college students with the Departments of Public Health and Behavioral Health with no compensation. The recommended agreement deviates from County standard language, as it contains a reduced commercial general liability coverage as the departments and Human Resources - Risk deem the services under this agreement to be low risk. The agreement does not include automobile liability insurance due to interns not being permitted to operate County or personal vehicles and includes cyber liability coverage as interns will have access to County systems. The Departments have determined that acceptance of the non-standard terms are advantageous to the County, as the agreement will provide the interns experience in health care management activities and be exposed to future health care career opportunities with Fresno County.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #27, August 10, 2021
BAI #31, August 4, 2020
BAI #51, June 18, 2019
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with HCC
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander