Title
Authorize the Deputy Purchasing Agent for Natividad Medical Center (NMC) or his designee to execute a License Agreement with Cross Cultural Communications for the purchase and licensure of proprietary teaching and textbook materials for use in the training of NMC interpreters with a not to exceed of $30,000 and with an agreement term December 15, 2016 through December 14, 2021.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Authorize the Deputy Purchasing Agent for Natividad Medical Center (NMC) or his designee to execute a License Agreement with Cross Cultural Communications for the purchase and licensure of proprietary teaching and textbook materials for use in the training of NMC interpreters with a not to exceed of $30,000 and with an agreement term December 15, 2016 through December 14, 2021.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
This agreement will allow NMC to purchase and use the vendor’s proprietary teaching and training materials in the training of NMC’s bilingual staff to become Qualified Interpreters (QI’s). With the implementation of the new language access rule of the ACA Section 1557 July 2016, our medical staff must be “qualified” as interpreters to assist providers with interpretation and not simply bilingual.
Presently, NMC has approximately 60 trained dual staff qualified interpreters (QI’s) that perform interpretations as dual staff employees in their own departments. This compliments and maximizes resources of the Interpreter Services department at NMC, whose resources are limited. It also allows staff and patients to communicate more freely since the QI’s are generally already in the units. Many of the bilingual staff is already called on to perform interpretations and by training them, NMC is fully compliant with Federal and State laws as well as the Joint Commission recommendations.
The training consists of a 40-hour course that is recognized by the interpreting profession and is used nationally to train healthcare interpreters. It covers topics such as Ethics and Standards as well as Cultural Competencies and Medical Vocabulary and incorporates adult learning strategies to better prepare candidates. It goes without saying that this training will benefit first and foremost NMC’s Limited English Patient (LEP) who will have the benefit of receiving services from staff that have been educated and well trained to communicate with them.
There is no cost for the License Agreement and the only costs incurred are for the purchase of the required textbooks mandatory for each staff member attending the trainings.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel has reviewed and approved as to form and legality but not as to risk, and the Auditor-Controller has reviewed and approved as to payment provisions. The agreement has also been reviewed and approved by NMC’s Finance Committee on September 22, 2016 and reviewed and approved by the NMC Executive Committee meeting on October 19, 2016.
FINANCING:
The cost for this agreement is $30,000 of which $6,000 is included in the Fiscal Year 2016-17 Adopted Budget. Amounts for remaining years of the agreement will be included in those budgets as appropriate. There is no impact to the General Fund.
Prepared by: Victor Sosa, Interpreter Services Manager, 796-1612
Approved by: Gary R. Gray, DO, Chief Executive Officer, 783-2504
Attachments:
Cross Cultural Communications License Agreement
Attachments on file with the Clerk of the Board