Title
Authorize the Chief Executive Officer for Natividad Medical Center (NMC) or his designee to execute Amendment No. 5 to the Agreement with Huffmaster Crisis Response, Inc., for nurse and allied professional staffing services in the event of an emergent staffing crisis at NMC, to add staffing professions to the scope of services, with no change to the total agreement amount not to exceed $9,901,988 until the conclusion of the staffing need.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize the Chief Executive Officer for Natividad Medical Center (NMC) or his designee to execute Amendment No. 5 to the Agreement with Huffmaster Crisis Response, Inc., for nurse and allied professional staffing services in the event of an emergent staffing crisis at NMC, to add staffing professions to the scope of services, with no change to the total agreement amount not to exceed $9,901,988 until the conclusion of the staffing need.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Huffmaster Crisis Response, Inc. is a nationally recognized healthcare staffing agency that offers emergency and strike staffing solutions for healthcare clients, including hospitals. By providing clinical personnel during emergencies, hospitals can maintain their essential operations.
Throughout the year, NMC may face significant challenges, including extreme increases in patient census, a high rate of staff turnover, a surge in staff absenteeism, and difficulties in recruiting experienced specialty staff. These factors jeopardize NMC’s ability to comply with licensure requirements and maintain appropriate nursing and allied health professional-to-patient ratios in hospital units.
Traditional registry agencies require a minimum two-week onboarding process to meet compliance requirements, making Huffmaster Crisis Response, Inc. an ideal solution for addressing short-term staffing challenges. Amending the existing agreement with Huffmaster Crisis Response, Inc. to include provisions for emergent short-term staffing crises will ensure that, by the following day, NMC can provide the appropriate staffing levels of nurses and allied professionals needed to meet the healthcare needs of its patients.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Office of County Counsel has reviewed and approved Amendment No. 5 in form, and the Auditor-Controller has reviewed and approved it in payment provisions. The Amendment No. 5 has also been reviewed and approved by NMC’s Finance Committee and by its Board of Trustees on July 11, 2025.
FINANCING:
There is no additional cost to the total Agreement amount associated with this Amendment No. 5.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
The services rendered in this agreement contribute to assisting NMC in the care and treatment of patients.
__ Economic Development
__ Administration
X Health and Human Services
__ Infrastructure
__ Public Safety
Prepared by: Janine Bouyea, Human Resources Administrator, 783-2701
Approved by: Charles R. Harris, Chief Executive Officer, 783-2553
Attachments:
HuffMaster Crisis Response, Inc. Amendment No. 5
HuffMaster Crisis Response, Inc. Amendment N. 4
HuffMaster Crisis Response, Inc. Amendment No. 3
HuffMaster Crisis Response, Inc. Amendment No. 2
HuffMaster Crisis Response, Inc. Amendment No. 1
HuffMaster Crisis Response, Inc. Agreement
Attachments on file with the Clerk of the Board