To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Ori Tzvieli, Interim Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #23-457-23 with Health Care Interpreter Network
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Interim Health Services Director, or designee, to execute on behalf of the County Contract #23-457-23 with Health Care Interpreter Network, a non-profit corporation, in an amount not to exceed $4,277,500, to provide foreign language and sign language interpretation services via video conferencing for the Health Services Department facilities for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this Contract will result in contractual service expenditures of up to $4,277,500 over a two-year period and will be funded 100% by Hospital Enterprise Fund I revenues.
BACKGROUND:
Individuals with limited English proficiency are at risk of receiving lower quality health treatment because of language barriers. When an interpreter is not readily available patients may rely on family members, even children, to interpret health treatment instructions. California law has required hospitals to provide language assistance since 1990. The Healthcare Interpreter Network’s system allows physicians at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Contra Costa Health Centers and various Health Services Divisions to use a software program to route calls to a video conferencing device allowing in-house interpreters and interpreters at other hospitals or remote locations to be connected within seconds to a patient. The County has contracted with Healthcare Interpreter Network for these services since 2009.
This Contract is entered into under and subject to the following legal authorities: California Government Code §§ 31000. Public Health and Contra Costa Health Center’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. Health Services Personnel approved this Contract to ensure no conflicts with labor relations. This Contractor was approved by the Public Works Department’s Purchasing Division on May 7, 2025.
On June 27, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract #23-457-19 with Health Care Interpreter Network, in the amount not to exceed $1,577,500, for the provision of foreign language and sign language interpretation services via video conferencing, for the period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025.
On May 21, 2024 the Board of Supervisors approved Contract Amendment #23-457-21 with Health Care Interpreter Network, effective May 15, 2024 to increase the Contract Payment Limit by $1,800,000, from $1,577,500 to a new payment limit of $3,377,500, for the provision of additional foreign language and sign language interpretation services via video conferencing, with no change in the term ending June 30, 2025.
On January 14, 2025 the Board of Supervisors approved Contract Amendment #23-457-22 with Health Care Interpreter Network, to increase the Contract Payment Limit by $900,000, from $3,377,500 to a new payment limit of $4,277,500, for the provision of additional healthcare foreign language and sign language interpretation services via video conferencing for the Health Services Department, with no change in the term ending June 30, 2025.
Approval of Contract #23-457-23 will allow the Contractor to continue to provide qualified foreign language and sign language interpretation services via video conferencing through June 30, 2027.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this Contract is not approved, County will not be able to provide scheduled translation appointments to ensure the translator is available at a specific time.