To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #23-833-1 with Witt/Kieffer, Inc.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director, or designee, to execute on behalf of the County Contract #23-833-1 with Witt/Kieffer Inc., a corporation, in an amount not to exceed $500,000 to provide executive leadership recruitment services for the Health Services Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Contra Costa Health Plan (CCHP) Chief Operations Officer and the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (CCRMC) Chief Operations Officer, for the period January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This Contract will be funded as budgeted by the Department (67% Hospital Enterprise Fund I, 33% Contra Costa Health Plan Enterprise Fund II).
BACKGROUND:
Contra Costa Health (CCH) operates a complex integrated health system that includes CCRMC and CCHP, serving hundreds of thousands of residents. The CFO and COO roles are critical to ensuring financial stability, operational efficiency, and strategic leadership across this system.
Despite multiple previous executive searches, efforts to hire qualified candidates for these three positions have been unsuccessful. These roles are highly specialized and require experience in managing large, multifaceted health organizations.
Approval of Contract #23-833-1 will allow Witt/Kieffer Inc. to conduct three national executive searches, leveraging their expertise and network to identify and recruit top-tier candidates, through December 31, 2026.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this contract is not approved:
• CCH will continue to operate without permanent leadership in critical finance and operations roles.
• Lack of a CFO will jeopardize financial oversight, strategic planning, and compliance with fiscal regulations, potentially impacting revenue cycle management and long-term sustainability.
• Absence of COOs for CCRMC and CCHP will hinder operational efficiency, delay implementation of key initiatives, and compromise patient care coordination.
• Prolonged vacancies may lead to increased reliance on interim leadership, higher costs, and risk of operational disruptions, ultimately affecting the County’s ability to deliver high-quality healthcare services to residents.