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 Howard Belfer MD to Provide Neurology Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Howard Belfer MD to provide neurology services for the term of May 1, 2022 through April 30, 2023, in an amount not to exceed $250,000.
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BACKGROUND:
San Mateo County is responsible for providing necessary medical care to its medically indigent population. For more than 20 years, Dr. Belfer has provided neurology services for San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC). Neurology is a non-surgical specialty area that addresses many of the root causes for neurological disorders, nerve damage, and pain.
DISCUSSION:
Under this agreement, Dr. Belfer has agreed to provide a minimum of 72 clinics serving 10 to 12 patients per clinic, half of the on-call coverage, and 36 reading blocks dedicated to performing and reviewing electroencephalograms and electromyograms for 20 to 24 patients per month.
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).
It is anticipated that 50% of electromyogram wait times will be reduced from nine weeks to four weeks.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2021-22 Estimated |
FY 2022-23 Projected |
|
Percentage of electromyogram wait times reduced from nine weeks to four weeks |
N/A* |
50% |
*This is a new agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the agreement is May 1, 2022 through April 30, 2023. The amount of the agreement is not to exceed $250,000 for the one-year term. Funds in the amount of $163,496 are included in the SMMC FY 2022-23 Recommended Budget.
The payment provisions in this contract differ from that of the previous contract. Due to an increase in compensation listed in the 2020 data (released in 2021) for Neurology from Medical Group Management Association, which SMMC uses to benchmark its contracted provider compensation and productivity, the payment provisions have increased from the prior contract. The total value of the new contract represents a 4% increase compared to that of the previous agreement.
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.