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 Crystal Chen, OD to Provide Optometry Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Crystal Chen, OD to provide optometry services for the term of November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2029, in an amount not to exceed $677,520.
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BACKGROUND:
San Mateo County provides necessary medical care to medically and financially vulnerable patients, including optometry services. Among the optometrists who provide care to the County is Dr. Chen, who has done so since 2011. Providing eye care to County patients is important to ensure that basic eye care is afforded to people who otherwise might not have access to it.
DISCUSSION:
Under the previous one-year agreement for optometry coverage, Dr. Chen agreed to provide up to 345 4-hour optometry clinics. She also agreed to receive and review diabetic camera images of patients' eyes from the County's primary care providers and respond to consultations regarding the possible presence of diabetic retinopathy. Under the previous agreement, Dr. Chen was compensated at a rate of $121 per hour for clinic coverage and $85 per hour for supplemental diabetic retinopathy reads and interpretations consulted by the County's primary care physicians. The proposed agreement would broaden Dr. Chen's annual clinic coverage to 432 4-hour optometry blocks, expand the term of the agreement to three years, and increase the hourly rate for Dr. Chen's clinic coverage to $125 per hour in agreement year 1, $129 per hour in agreement year 2, and $131 per hour in agreement year 3.
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 indu...
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