Title
Authorize the Deputy Purchasing Agent for Natividad Medical Center (NMC) or his designee to execute amendment No. 2 to the agreement (A-12753) with Health Care Interpreter Network for shared interpreter services, extending the agreement an additional three (3) year period (July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2021) for a revised full agreement term of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2021, and adding $195,000 for a revised total agreement amount not to exceed $390,000.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended the Board of Supervisors:
Authorize the Deputy Purchasing Agent for Natividad Medical Center (NMC) or his designee to execute amendment No. 2 to the agreement (A-12753) with Health Care Interpreter Network for shared interpreter services, extending the agreement an additional three (3) year period (July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2021) for a revised full agreement term of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2021, and adding $195,000 for a revised total agreement amount not to exceed $390,000.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
We continue to experience an increase in interpreting requests by 28% for FY 2015-16 and another 29% for FY 2016-17, a total increase of 57% in this two-year period. Health Care Interpreter Network (HCIN) has been an invaluable support in language resources that allows NMC to keep up with the increasing demand. Approximately 48% of the patient population at NMC identify themselves as limited English proficient (LEP). The Joint Commission, the agency that accredits NMC, has standards which require effective communication for LEP patients through the use of competent qualified interpreters. The California and federal laws that regulate equal access to all patients, including Title VI of the Civil Right Act of 1964, as well as the HHS section 1557, prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin and require that healthcare be delivered with effective communication for non-English speakers. The provision of interpretation services he...
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