Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Colleen Chawla, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Chester J. Kunnappilly, MD, Chief Executive Officer, San Mateo Medical Center
Subject: Agreement with Propio LS LLC to Provide Interpretation Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Propio LS LLC to provide interpretation services for the term of August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2031, in an amount not to exceed $10,000,000.
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BACKGROUND:
San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC) has been using voice and video medical interpreting for its patients since 2007. A commercial vendor is required to provide language interpretation and translation services so that SMMC and other San Mateo County Health (SMCH) divisions’ staff may communicate with their limited English proficiency patients and clients. In April 2025, SMMC completed a Request for Proposals for a vendor to provide these services.
DISCUSSION:
SMMC continues to have a critical need for voice and video medical interpretation. Propio LS LLC (Propio) was elevated due to their services aligning with SMMC’s commitment to improving our systems to be more effective, efficient, less expensive, and less burdensome to our staff, allowing SMMC to better support patients. Propio also has years of experience working with other healthcare organizations such as Bay Area Community Health and Sutter Health and brings tailored expertise in medical interpretation services. Finally, Propio’s broad suite of services will also help reduce the number of interpretation vendors needed to meet our patients’ needs for medical interpretation, further reducing costs.
Language access services are a requirement for Joint Commission accreditation, ensuring that SMMC remains compliant with regulatory standards. Providing effective interpretation services is a fundamental component of the Joint Commission’s Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-Centered Care standards, reinforcing the need for continued investment in language services.
The County Attorney has reviewed and approved the resolution and agreement as to form.
The resolution contains the County’s standard provisions allowing amendment of the County fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 (in aggregate).
The Technology Services Department has reviewed and approved the IT component of this agreement.
It is anticipated that Propio will fulfill 99.5% of requests across Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Tagalog languages.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2025-26 Estimated |
FY 2026-27 Projected |
|
Percentage of fulfilled requests across Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Tagalog languages |
99.5% |
99.5% |
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Propio’s medical interpreting services will positively impact equitable health outcomes by ensuring that SMMC, a public safety net hospital, can meet the community’s linguistic needs. SMMC’s patients span a wide spectrum of races, ethnicities, gender, and gender-identities. Since November 1, 2024, half of the specialty care patients at SMMC were female and half were male, with the largest ethnic cohorts being Hispanic or Latino (58%) and primarily Spanish-speaking (48%).
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the agreement is August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2031. The amount of the agreement is not to exceed $10,000,000 for the five-year term. Funds in the amount of $1,769,167 are included in the SMMC FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget. Funds in the amount of $64,167 are included in the SMCH FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget. Funds in the amount of $1,930,000 will be included in the SMMC FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget. Funds in the amount of $70,000 will be included in the SMCH FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget.
The payment provisions and levels of services in this contract differ from those of the previous contract due to the increase in demand for video and voice medical interpretation. The total value of the new contract represents a 2% increase compared to that of the previous contract.
Expenses at SMMC are covered by fees for services or third-party payors whenever possible. The portion of expenses for services provided to the medically indigent or to those covered by programs that do not meet the full costs of care is covered by the County’s General Fund contribution to SMMC and is within the existing annual appropriation.
ATTACHMENT:
RFP Matrix