To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Payment for services provided by Health Care Interpreter Network
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Auditor-Controller, or designee, to pay Health Care Interpreter Network in an amount not to exceed $351,761.78, for providing qualified foreign language and sign language interpretation services via video conferencing in good faith for the period January, May, and June 2023, as recommended by the Health Services Director.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This payment in an amount of $351,761.78 is funded 100% by 100% Hospital Enterprise Fund I.
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 will allow 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 connection within seconds to a patient. The County has contracted with Healthcare Interpreter Network for these services since 2009.
On June 8, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract #23-457-18 with Health Care Interpreter Network, in the amount not to exceed $1,577,500 for the provision of consulting and technical assistance on the Healthcare Interpreter Network System including, but not limited to: providing qualified foreign language and sign language interpretation services via video conferencing, for the period from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023.
Due to a higher anticipated volume of service, there are insufficient funds to cover...
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