BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT - A. YAMAMOTO

Approve contract with Sumo Medical Staffing for Psychiatry Services for the period of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, for a maximum annual total of $374,440.00.

SBC FILE NUMBER: 810

Sumo Medical Staffing provides recruitment and placement of high quality physician, M.D. specialists, including psychiatrists. The Behavioral Health Department has multiple contracts with similar organizations as there is never a guarantee these organizations can successfully source a psychiatrist for our department and for the time periods we require. Because psychiatrists are in such high demand and considered to be in the category of healthcare professional shortage, it is prudent that we have multiple psychiatry sourcing entities under contract to allow us to be in the best position to ensure no lapse in essential service areas such as psychiatry.

Many county mental health departments in the Bay Area and other parts of the state utilize the services of multiple Locum Tenen’s organizations to fill their need for Psychiatry services. Retaining the services of Sumo Medical Staffing adds to our ability to expand psychiatry time and to ensure ongoing psychiatry coverage at a time of psychiatry resource scarcity. We are experiencing an impaction of need for the already scarce resource of Psychiatrists as healthcare organizations throughout California are aggressively recruiting Psychiatrists. They are also offering high rates of pay that make it very difficult for small counties to compete. Also the continued growth of MHSA funded programs and increased MediCal and Insurance coverage that includes access to Behavioral Health care has increased the volume of clients requiring psychiatry medication services, so additional Psychiatry time has been a necessary resource to acquire for all counties. This contract will be funded through MHSA funds, MediCal revenue generation, already existing realignment funds that were previously designated for the purchase of psychiatry services and also some private insurance payment.

1)    Approve the contract with Sumo Medical Staffing for the contract term of   FY 2016-17 for a maximum annual total of $374,400 and;