DATE: February 26, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: David Pomaville, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: Salary Resolution Amendment
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve Amendment to the Salary Resolution deleting one vacant Senior Public Health Chemist position, one vacant Supervising Account Clerk I/II position, and two vacant Office Assistant I/II/III positions in the Public Health Org 5620, effective February 25, 2019, as reflected in Appendix E.
2. Approve Amendment to the Salary Resolution adding two Program Technician I/II positions and one Health Education Specialist position in the Public Health Org 5620, effective February 25, 2019, as reflected in Appendix E.
3. Approve Amendment to the Salary Resolution deleting one filled Clinical Laboratory Technologist position in the Public Health Org. 5620, effective March 25, 2019, as reflected in Appendix E.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended actions will allow the Department of Public Health to convert a Clinical Laboratory Technologist (CLT) position, a Senior Public Health Chemist (SPHC) position, a Supervising Account Clerk (SAC) position, and two vacant Office Assistant (OA) positions into two new Program Technician (PT) positions and one new Health Education Specialist (HES) position, with no Net County Cost. The recommended deletions and additions are a result of operational changes resulting from new technology, additional funding, future program delivery, and job assignment efficiencies. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board does not approve the recommended actions, the Org 5620 Salary Resolution will remain unchanged. The Department would reevaluate program operations to determine the most efficient use of existing positions.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The salary savings from the recommended deletion of the CLT, SPHC, SAC, and two OAs ($133,128) will offset the cost associated with the recommended addition of the two PTs and one HES for the remainder of FY 2018-19 ($73,680). Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5620 FY 2018-19 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
The Department has restructured the County’s Public Health Laboratory (Lab), Business Office, Public Health Nursing (PHN) Division, and the Office of Health Policy and Wellness Program (OHPW) resulting in the following position deletion and addition recommendations.
Deletions
Clinical Laboratory Technologist and Senior Public Health Chemist positions
Over the last year, the Department evaluated the future service capacity and staffing structure of the Lab. The Lab’s core function is to provide surveillance and detection of the presence of disease producing agents, which have the potential to adversely affect the health of the entire community. Through the Lab restructure, laboratory tests that are commonly performed by local private laboratories will no longer be offered. These tests are common, routine, and non-emergent. The Lab is non-operational due to a flood in the Brix-Mercer Building that occurred in October 2018. However, in line with the reduction in laboratory tests that will be performed by the Lab and staffing structure once it becomes operational, there will be no need for a SPHC position and a CLT position. Although the SPHC position has been vacant since January 14, 2019, the CLT position is currently filled and one incumbent will be affected by layoff. The Department is working in consultation with Human Resources to ensure the incumbent is assisted through the process in accordance with provisions of the Personnel Rules.
Supervising Account Clerk I/II position
The Department’s Business Office has two SAC positions. One position is filled and the other has been vacant for over six months. Due to the recent changes and job duty restructuring within the Business Office, the Department determined that the vacant position has become obsolete. The filled SAC will continue handling the day-to-day supervision of staff performing bookkeeping activities.
Two Office Assistant I/II/III positions
Both OA positions are vacant and assigned to the PHN Division. In July 2018, the division changed from pen-and-paper centric to an emergency medical record system, changing the nature of work from clerical to paraprofessional/technical. The Department determined that a second OA position is not necessary after an assessment of the job duties of staff assigned to the Child Health and Disability Prevention Program. Duties were consolidated; tasks were shifted, and resulted in the decreased need for clerical support in the division.
Additions
Two Program Technician I/II positions
Administration
A new PT position will be assigned the evaluation and drafting of policies and procedures, as well as build relevant fiscal reports. The Department’s Business Office has restructured and evaluated assignments to increase efficiency, cross training, and consistency. Recently, a new cashiering system and automation of business processes were implemented. The improvements created a demand for a more paraprofessional, technical position. The Department determined the PT is the best option to fulfill the needs created by the changes, including assistance with gathering statistical data, creating revenue reports, maintaining records, and training staff on new processes.
Public Health Nursing
The Department’s PHN Division implemented a new electronic medical record system in 2016. As of July 2018, all PHN home visitation programs use the system to document all client interactions, nursing assessments, interventions and plans of care including tracking of key data elements to measure outcomes. The system’s implementation transitioned the duties from pen-and-paper-centric to automation resulting in need for data maintenance, data set review for accuracy and cleaning, and preparation of data reports for funders and program supervisors. The Department determined the PT as a paraprofessional and technical position is more aligned the duties.
Health Education Specialist position
The new HES position in the Department’s OHPW will lead efforts to educate and facilitate community groups, educational institutions, city officials, apartment managers, and tenants on smoke-free multi-unit housing efforts. In 2016, California voters passed Proposition 56: Tobacco Tax Increase: increasing the cigarette tax by $2 per pack. Equivalent increases on other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes were also included. The Department’s Tobacco Prevention Program (TPP) from the State increased from $150,000 to over $1,000,000. With the added funding, there was an increase in responsibilities in the program’s scope of work.
With your Board’s approval, the CLT, SPHC, SAC and two OA positions will be deleted and the two PT and HES new positions will be added to the Department’s Salary Resolution, resulting in a decrease of two in positions for the Department.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Appendix E
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa