To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #26-140-9 with East Bay Audiologists, A Professional Corporation
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director, or designee, to execute on behalf of County Contract #26-140-9 with East Bay Audiologists, a professional corporation, in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000, to provide audiology evaluation services and audiological supplies including hearing evaluations, hearing aid evaluations, fittings, dispensing and procurement of hearing aids at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (CCRMC) and Health Centers for the period of September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2029.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this contract will result in budgeted expenditures of up to $3,000,000 over a three-year period and will be funded 100% by Hospital Enterprise Fund I. (Rate increase)
BACKGROUND:
Due to the limited number of specialty providers available within the community, CCRMC and Contra Costa Health Centers rely on contractors to provide necessary audiology specialty health services to its patients. County has been contracting with East Bay Audiologists for audiology evaluation services and supplies since September 2015.
This Contract is entered into under and subject to the following legal authorities: California Government Code §§ 26227 and 31000; Health and Safety Code § 1451. Health Services Personnel approved this Contract to ensure no conflicts with labor relations. CCRMC’s Quality Management, Utilization Management and Contract Monitor Staff meet on a regular basis to ensure monitoring and performance measures in the Contract are upheld. Per Administrative Bulletin 600.3, CCRMC Physician services are exempt from solicitation requirements.
On August 15, 2023 the Board of Supervisors approved agenda item to execute Contract #26-140-7 with East Bay Audiologists, a professional corporation, in the amount of $2,205,000 to provide audiology evaluation services and supplies including hearing evaluations, hearing aid evaluations, fittings, dispensing and procurement of hearing aids at CCRMC and Health Centers for the period of September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2026.
On August 6, 2024 the Board of Supervisors approved agenda item to execute Contract Amendment #26-140-8 to increase the payment limit by $750,000 to a new payment limit of $2,955,000 with no change to the original term through August 31, 2026.
Approval of Contract #26-140-9 will allow the contractor to continue to provide audiology services and audiological supplies at CCRMC and Contra Costa Health Centers through August 31, 2029.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this agreement is not approved, patients requiring audiology services would face significantly increased wait times or would need to be referred to outside providers at higher cost, potentially impacting compliance with Medi-Cal access-to-care standards and CCRMC's ability to deliver timely specialty care. The County may also incur additional costs through emergency procurement of alternative audiology services.