Clinics get grant expansion money

The district board voted 3-1 to approve the grant request from the county-operated San Mateo Medical Center.

Board members Don Horsley, Kim Griffin and Katie Kane approved the grant request while Jack Hickey voted against it. Boardmember Art Faro was not in attendance.

The money will go toward consolidating three clinics the county operates, Fair Oaks Children’s Clinic, Fair Oaks Adult Clinic and the Willow Clinic, into one larger facility that will cost about $17 million in total including construction. The three clinics provide services for the underinsured and Medi-Cal patients.

The San Mateo County Health System has experienced a 63 percent increase in enrollment in the Access and Care for Everyone program from 12,465 to 20,362 in the past six months, said Dr. Susan Ehrlich, chief executive officer of San Mateo Medical Center. The system has also seen a 19 percent increase in visits by working but uninsured residents who make too much too qualify for ACE, Ehrlich said.

Increased demand has highlighted the constraints in physical capacity the three clinics have in expanding the number of primary care appointments.

There are currently 4,100 people waiting for primary-care appointments in the county system, with waits being up to four months or longer to get an appointment. The emergency room at the county-run hospital has seen a 14 percent increase in visits, primarily due to the poor economy.

A larger, modern, efficient facility is proposed to be built in North Fair Oaks that would combine the services from all three clinics.

Griffin asked how the new facility would actually bring down costs for its patients from $255 a visit to $227 a visit.

Greater capacity would allow doctors to see more patients while reduced administrative costs will help bring down the costs, Ehrlich said.

The consolidation will call for the elimination of at least two full-time employees due to redundancy.

Total space will increase from 27,500 square feet at the three current clinics to about 36,000 square feet in the new facility. Exam rooms will increase from 39 to 52.

Visit volume will increase from 68,989 to an estimated 91,000 visits a year, Ehrlich said.

Sequoia Healthcare District partners with public and nonprofit community providers to improve the health of children, youth, adults and older adults in the southern part of San Mateo County. The district applies public funds to major health initiatives.

Bill Silverfarb can be reached by e-mail: silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.