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 Remedy Medical Group, Inc. to Provide Pain Management Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Remedy Medical Group, Inc. to provide pain management services for the term of August 1, 2019, through July 31, 2020, for an amount not to exceed $200,000.
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BACKGROUND:
San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC) experiences a continuing need for chronic pain treatments and medical assessment. These services include caring for patients with concurrent substance abuse issues, chronic pain syndrome (e.g. back pain, headaches, and musculoskeletal pain), and disease-related diagnosis (e.g. cancer and rheumatologic pain). This need is being addressed through direct clinical services for patients, including history and physical assessment, treatment plans, and prescriptions.
Remedy Medical Group, Inc. (Remedy Medical Group), has provided SMMC with professional physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain management services for the past ten years.
DISCUSSION:
Remedy Medical Group has agreed to continue providing patient management services including physician supervision of a clinic for behavioral and psychological assessment, medical assessment, and interventional medication management associated with pain management services, at the SMMC main campus and clinic locations. This agreement enables a balanced approach to treating patients’ pain symptoms. Specifically, this approach reduces the chance of over-prescribing opioids and the possible risk of patient addiction, drug diversion, and trafficking. In addition, Remedy Medical Group, through Dr. Elaine Date, will also provide up to four educational lectures annually to SMMC’s medical staff addressing pain management and medicine.
County Administrative Memorandum B-1 provides that contracts for physicians are exempt from the Request for Proposals process.
The agreement and resolution have been reviewed and approved by County Counsel 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 agreement contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Healthy Community by providing County residents access to pain management services. It is anticipated that the number of patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with pain issues will be reduced to 3 patients per day.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2018-19 Estimated |
FY 2019-20 Projected |
|
Number of patients per day presenting to the ED with pain management issues |
5 patients |
3 patients |
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the agreement is August 1, 2019, through July 31, 2020. The amount of the agreement is not to exceed $200,000 for the one-year term. Funds in the amount of $183,333 will be included in the SMMC FY 2019-20 Recommended Budget. Similar arrangements will be made for future years.
The payment provisions of this contract differ from that of the previous contract. Specifically, there is a 3% increase in compensation rates due to the increased rates published in the 2018 Medical Group Management Association guidelines, used by SMMC to benchmark physician compensation.
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 are covered by the County’s General Fund contribution to SMMC, and are within the existing annual appropriation.