Stanislaus County Officials Announce Plan To Address Health Services Agency Budget Deficit
Stanislaus County officials on Wednesday announced that they will close the public health complex on Scenic Drive in Modesto and relocate the urgent care and family practice facilities as early as 2006 as part of a three-year plan to address an $8.8 million budget deficit for the Health Services Agency this year, the Modesto Bee reports.
County officials plan to split the Scenic Drive clinics among the county's three other Modesto clinics and those in Ceres, Hughson and Turlock and then sell the complex to pay for moving Behavioral Health and Recovery Services to an undetermined location.
The proposal asks supervisors to allocate $16.8 million in general funds to HSA over the next three years, with $9 million this year to pay for annual operating costs.
The reorganization plan includes provisions to seek financial sponsors for the Stanislaus Family Medicine Residency Program, which loses about $700,000 annually. The plan does not call for service reductions to the program.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to consider the plan on Sept. 13 (Hood, Modesto Bee, 8/25).