City Wants to Increase Nursing Fees

City Council will consider establishing fees for certain nursing services in their 3-20-18 meeting.  City staff omitted the Health Department is/has been the recipient of state and federal grant funds intended to help members of the public get access to affordable healthcare services.  In some cases the city has to match state and federal funding with local dollars.  The resolution for Nursing Services omits this major funding subsidy. 

Proposed language in the resolution would have City Council ignore this major consideration.

WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed staff’s accounting of Health Services
Department, Nursing Division, patient related services costs and revenues, and desires to establish fees for patient services that reasonably reflect the cost to the City of providing the services

The Health Services department is in a substantial five year surplus as of the end of FY 2016-17.  The City's Bluebook shows a five year surplus for Nursing of $195,924 and $492,531 for the Section 1115 Waiver grant which funded the re-opening of the city's Sexually Transmitted Disease clinic. Combined the two areas had excess revenues over expenses of $688,455 over the five year period ending 9-30-17. 

Staff failed to reference the major funding for Nursing Division is public grant money, thus they left out an important consideration City Council needs to make appropriate fee decisions. 

Also, the city is up over $800,000 year to date on Sales Tax Revenue.  For these reasons it seems prudent for Council to deliberate with excess grant funding as a major part of the public discussion.

Update 3-20-18:  City Staff did not bring up the five years in a row of excess revenue for both Nursing and the Section 1115 Waiver grant and City Council remained mum on this fact despite my writing every member in the limited window after agenda/background packet publication.  Council approved the proposed fee structure despite a disjointed and contradictory presentation by staff.