Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Louise F. Rogers, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Chester J. Kunnappilly, MD, Chief Executive Officer, San Mateo Medical Center
Subject: Agreement with Tarunpreet Bains, MD to Provide Hematology Oncology Services
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Tarunpreet Bains, MD to provide hematology oncology services for the term of August 1, 2024 through July 31, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $1,479,114.
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BACKGROUND:
San Mateo County is responsible for providing necessary medical care to its medically indigent population as well as access to services to its general population. Dr. Bains has been providing hematology oncology services at San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC) since 2017.
DISCUSSION:
Hematology oncology services address the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of blood cancers and blood-related disorders. Dr. Bains is providing the same quantity of services as she provided under her prior agreement.
The rates in the new contract are within fair market value according to VMG Health, a nationally recognized medical services valuation firm that relies upon multiple industry-standard provider compensation surveys and aggregates that data.
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).
It is anticipated that Dr. Bains will document and perform advanced care planning during ambulatory clinic visits for patients 65 years and older 95% of the time. It is anticipated that Dr. Bains shall review incoming referrals within one (1) business day for urgent cases and three (3) business days for routine cases 100% of the time. It is also anticipated that 85% of patients who complete the Patient Satisfaction Survey would recommend Dr. Bains as a provider.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2024-25 Estimated |
Projection For Future Fiscal Years |
|
Percentage of times Dr. Bains will document and perform advanced care planning during ambulatory clinic visits for patients 65 years and older |
95% |
95% |
|
Percentage of times Dr. Bains shall review incoming referrals within one (1) business day for urgent cases and three (3) business days for routine cases |
100% |
100% |
|
Percentage of patients who complete the Patient Satisfaction Survey would recommend Contractor as a provider |
85% |
85% |
EQUITY IMPACT:
Dr. Bains’s continued hematology / oncology coverage will positively impact equitable health outcomes because delivery of services at SMMC, a public safety net hospital, addresses community need. Specifically, in the past 12 months, 68.3% of SMMC’s patients were enrolled in Medi-Cal, with an additional 6.1% of SMMC’s patients enrolled in the “Access to Care for Everyone” (ACE) program. SMMC’s patients span a wide spectrum of races, ethnicities, gender, and gender-identities. Within the past 18 months, the largest cohorts of specialty care patients at SMMC were female (56%), Hispanic or Latino (58%), and primarily Spanish speaking (55%). SMMC strives to eliminate bias in the medical profession by providing culturally competent training to its physicians and by following up with patients to ensure that they continue to have access to specialized care. SMMC specifically tracks physician satisfaction survey results and requires Dr. Bains to meet with SMMC and discuss patient feedback to improve patient satisfaction and remove potential barriers to care.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the agreement is August 1, 2024, through July 31, 2027. The amount of the agreement is not to exceed $1,479,114 for the three-year term. Funds in the amount of $493,038 are included in the SMMC FY 2024-25 Recommended Budget. Similar arrangements will be made for future years.
Compared to the prior three-year agreement, the present agreement will cost 13% more in total. The increase is a result of arm’s length negotiation with Dr. Bains for the continuation of her services and result from an increase in her hourly rate from $248.50 per hour to $273.00 per hour for her clinical services, in addition to an increase in her on-call stipend from $16.67 per hour to $33.00 per hour.
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.