LOS MEDANOS COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE DISTRICT

STRATEGIC PLAN

Part III

Los Medanos Community Healthcare District
Key Goals and Strategies For 2002-2003

Based on conclusions drawn from the evaluation of the District’s purposes and Legislative mandate and the healthcare environment enveloping its residents, the Board of Directors has developed goals for its strategic plan with a focus on the five key targets in the Strategic Plan 2000 to 2002 and adding one additional goal. Weighing heavily on the development of these Key Goals was the need to work within limited financial resources and yet pursue goals articulated through the first strategic plan.

A two year scope of plan was again chosen in order to develop a credible set of goals with readily accessible outcomes and measures of accomplishment. The District has evaluated the Pathways and Grants priorities and effectiveness and concluded a successful beginning has been accomplished. Further, the District has gained post bankruptcy revenue and expenditure experience with success. The next two years of this strategic plan will see the original 1977 Building Bond debt being paid in full in February 2004. We have therefore succeeded to date in the establishment of budget stability. The Board has recently become involved in effective health center development and operations oversight and this will continue in the future. The development of the Tri District Contra Costa Healthcare Authority was initiated and proved successful in the beginning but then each district’s priorities resulted in the meetings being discontinued in November 2001. However, it is felt that the valuable exchange of information and program evaluation is important and the District sees the need to reestablish communication and meetings between the three district boards.

In summary, all five goals in the 2000 Strategic Plan will be carried over as follows: (1) The Pathways to Health Program will be carried over with revisions to focus on children and geriatric issues; (2) the Community Grants Program has been a success and will be carried over; (3) the Board agreed that Budget Stability has been achieved and will be carried over; (4) Health Center Development and Operations Oversight concerning involvement in the Health Center and activities will be carried over; and (5) the Tri-District Healthcare organization will be carried over as the exchange of information during these meetings has proved beneficial. The following wording was approved for the five carryover items:

GOAL: Implementation of the Pathways to Health Program

The first element of the Program is the ongoing monitoring of the health profile and status of the residents of the District with active public participation in the annual update process. Another key element is the District Community Outreach Committee designed to create a broad based community vehicle for the monitoring and multi-organizational pursuits of the Pathways Program. The Program specifically envisions cooperative efforts with Contra Costa County and topics of study focused on Pittsburg Health Center and its operations.

The Pathways Program has been revised and the District Health Profile is being compiled for 2002. The next steps will be Board recruitment and appointment of the Community Outreach Committee and the setting of hard dates for the workshops and forums set forth in the Program document.

The Program will be developed by volunteer efforts sponsored by the District and should be sustained on a volunteer basis and with a paid Project Coordinator. By the end of the two year scope of this Plan the District will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the Pathways Program.

GOAL: Implementation of the Community Grants Program

The Grants Program, modeled upon those adopted by other healthcare districts and community health organizations, grew out of the stark realization that with limited financial resources the District could not, until additional revenues were generated or partnerships developed, engage in direct health services. The most efficient means of meeting community needs and fulfilling the District’s Legislative mandate is to support existing organization efforts to provide health services to the residents of the District. Beyond the second two year scope of this Plan, the District hopes the Grants Program will evolve into direct District health service programs. The District can envision engaging in direct services benefitting residents including revenue producing partnerships (e.g., with the County and other providers), and optimally supplementing Pittsburg Health Center services based at the District’s campus. The District’s role as facility owner, landlord, and advocate for services of the Health Center, should act as a springboard for evolution of the District into a direct health services provider.

In the interim, within the next two year period for development under this Plan, the District will be able to assess the effectiveness of the Grants Program and evaluate the District’s ability to engage in direct healthcare services.

GOAL: Budget Stability

The Board has successfully implemented bankruptcy plan payments (from taxes and rent), which is the main priority of District financial planning. The Board will now be able to continue to establish a stable budget for planning purposes for the 2003 and 2004 budget cycles. The District has engaged competent and experienced CPAs and auditors to assist in maintaining this plan goal.

The District has responsibility for the legacy of the bankruptcy plan and at the same time must establish a post bankruptcy basis for financial planning and stability. The year 2000 was the first year the District was able to experience the implementation of the bankruptcy plan payments and gaining confidence in the projected and budgeted availability of unrestricted revenues and actual maintenance expenditures. The LAFCO proceeding dictated suspending implementation of the Grants Program and some other activities pending resolution of the LAFCO process. The program was again suspended in 2001 pending the outcome of a Board resolution to authorize a forensic audit from 1998 to date. The eight-month review of this resolution and the resulting conclusion revealed an audit was unnecessary. Health and education programs were reactivated in 2002 with very satisfactory results. Further, audits have been conducted for the District post-bankruptcy and all have shown very satisfactory accounting and financial planning and processing.

Although financial resources remain limited (projected $200 to 250 thousand in unrestricted tax revenue due to increased tax base), the District has reached a degree of financial stability that was not available when it operated the hospital. The District’s revenues and normal expenditures are now fairly predictable and stable. The ability to successfully implement bankruptcy plan payments (from taxes and rent) will remain the main priority of District financial planning and the District will continue to establish a stable budget for planning purposes for the 2003-2004 budget cycle.

GOAL: Health Center Oversight

The goal to firmly establish the District’s role as owner, landlord, and advocate within the next two years will be met by three action steps. First, the Board of Directors will create a Building and Lease Oversight Committee. Second, and corresponding therewith, the Committee will sponsor regular public Pittsburg Health Center forums devoted to Health Center activities and planning to assure resident access and input to County and District officials involved in the operations of the Health Center. The third facet of implementing this goal will be District organization of the Community Advisory Committee called for under the lease. The unstated but always present fourth facet of implementing the District’s oversight/landlord role is the ability of the District to enforce the terms of the lease with Contra Costa County.

GOAL: Development of the Tri District Contra Costa Healthcare Board

The Tri-District effort represents a planning effort on two levels. One level is exploring the potential for joint health care services programs, including education programs or other services benefitting residents of the Districts but productively aimed at residents of the entire County. The second level of planning focuses on the possible cooperation in relation to healthcare issues common to the residents of the three Districts and the County generally. Within the two year scope of this Plan, the District believes an assessment of the Tri-District’s ability to successfully implement the two levels of planning envisioned can be accomplished.

GOAL: Health Program Partnerships Located in the District Building

The Board recognizes the need for health program partnerships located in the District building. This future goal work will be to pursue programs that the Board can partner with Contra Costa County or others that are children-oriented and located in the District building. The Board is currently pursuing a new program with the County on N.E.W. (Nutrition, Exercise and Wellness) KIDS PROGRAM which focuses on childhood obesity. The Board is also investigating the possibility of recruiting and hiring a staff person part-time or full-time to work with healthcare programs and partner with organizations as a representative of the Board. The Board is also investigating a children’s nutrition program which could also be linked to seniors. The Board is emphatic that it must be a partner in healthcare programs and not just a monetary funder. The next two year cycle will allow the Board to expand and develop new partnership programs.

STRATEGIC PLAN2003
November 15, 2002