DATE: June 18, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: David Luchini, RN, PHN, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: Master Agreement for Occupational and Physical Therapy Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a Master Agreement for Occupational and Physical Therapy Services, effective July 1, 2024, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $4,286,875.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the Department of Public Health to continue to utilize contracted pediatric occupational and physical therapists, a California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) mandated component of the California Children’s Services (CCS) Medical Therapy Program (MTP). County Human Resources and the Department of Public Health have had challenges filling permanent Physical and Occupational Therapist positions due to a lack of candidates and competition from local public and private employers. The proposed Agreement will be funded with DHCS and Health Realignment monies, with no Net County Cost. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the Department will continue to maintain a waitlist for approximately 290 children needing therapy services due to the lack of Physical and Occupational Therapists on staff.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The maximum compensation for the recommended agreement is $857,375 per fiscal year; $4,286,875 for the five-year term, funded by DHCS (50%) and Health Realignment (50%). Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues will be included in the Department’s Org 5620 FY 2024-25 Recommended Budget and will be included in subsequent budget requests for the duration of the term. Actual costs will be based on actual services provided.
DISCUSSION:
The MTP is a specialty program within CCS that provides medically necessary outpatient occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and medical therapy conference (MTC) services for children ranging in age from 0 to 21 with disabilities and special needs conditions, generally due to neurological or musculoskeletal disorders. The services are provided on-site at Medical Therapy Units (MTU) located at three county public elementary schools: Clovis, Powers-Ginsburg, and Storey. Currently, 691 eligible children receive services at the MTUs; services are provided by departmental employees and contracted providers, under master agreement for Occupational and Physical Therapy services Agreement No. 19-292.
Since 2014, the Department has utilized contracted OT and PT services. In 2019, the Department entered into master agreement No. 19-292 to expand the number of contractors available to address continued challenges in filling critical departmental OT and PT positions and provide therapy services to children on the MTP waitlists.
CCS MTP anticipates a continued need for pediatric OT/PT contracted services to address the number of CCS waitlisted children. The Department, in consultation with the Department of Internal Services - Purchasing Division, determined that the most effective method to establish a vendor list was a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ) for the establishment of a Master Agreement. Prior to the release of an RFSQ, the Department conferred with the Human Resources Department - Labor Division, which determined that no collective bargaining issue existed.
On March 25, 2024, the Department issued RFSQ No. 24-053 to solicit vendors capable of providing the necessary OT and PT services to MTP clients. The RFSQ notice was distributed to 14 local pediatric OT/PT agencies and published on the County’s Public Purchase site. The RFSQ closed on April 22, 2024 and received seven proposals from agencies specializing in healthcare staffing. All have submitted documentation and references as proof of their qualifications affirming their capability to provide the necessary OT and PT staffing services.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #52, June 18, 2019
BAI #35, March 7, 2017
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Master Agreement for Occupational and Physical Therapy Services
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald W. Alexander, Jr.