San Mateo County Budget Proposal Would Add 88 Employees at County Medical Center
San Mateo County Manager John Maltbie's fiscal year 2005-2006 budget proposal would add 88 positions at San Mateo Medical Center, its clinics and the Burlingame Long Term Care facility, the San Mateo Times reports.
New positions at SMMC would help the facility meet state nurse staffing ratios, expand services, open a third operating room and increase patient safety. Maltbie's proposal would increase the medical center's budget by 7.9%, bringing the county's contribution to $54 million.
SMMC spokesperson Dave Hook said emergency department visits to the hospital have increased by 40% over the past four years. Patient discharges have increased by 25%.
The Burlingame facility, one of the few nursing homes in the county that accepts Medi-Cal, would gain 37 employees under the proposal. Hook said the facility will nearly reach its full capacity of 281 beds this year.
The county provides care to 95% of uninsured county residents and is hoping that private hospitals will agree to increase their share, Jerry Hill, a county supervisor and chair of the hospital board, said (Fancher, Oakland Tribune, 6/1).