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Commissioners approve multi-year contract for employee health center with performance guarantees
Summary
The board approved a multi-year contract with the county’s employee health‑center provider that adds staffing and quarterly performance measures that can trigger financial penalties and allow termination if response-time targets are not met.
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners voted May 19 to approve a multi‑year agreement with the county’s employee health‑center provider that increases staffing and adds explicit performance guarantees.
Finance staff presented a revised offer from the incumbent clinic operator (ProactiveMD). Staff said the proposed contract increases clinic staffing to include two full‑time nurse practitioners, two full‑time licensed practical nurses and a full‑time office manager. As part of negotiations, ProactiveMD agreed to quarterly performance metrics with financial consequences: the firm agreed to a schedule target for appointment access (80% of sick/acute visits scheduled within one business day and 80% of non‑acute visits scheduled within 10 business days). If those metrics are not met for a second consecutive quarter, the provider will forfeit $30,000 of program fees for that quarter and the county will have an option to terminate the contract without penalty.
County staff told commissioners ProactiveMD will need about 90 days to recruit to the revised staffing levels; the performance metrics will apply after staffing is in place. Commissioners asked about confidentiality of patient feedback and staff said county staff would work with the provider to implement post‑visit email surveys that are not routed through clinic staff and would not be used to identify individual employees.
The board voted to approve the contract with the added performance measures and termination option. The vote followed questions from commissioners seeking assurance of accountability and timely access to appointments.
Why it matters: county employees rely on the health center for primary and acute visits; commissioners sought stronger performance protections after complaints about access. The added metrics and financial penalties give the county formal leverage to require timely appointment scheduling.
What’s next: staff will finalize the contract with ProactiveMD, the provider will begin recruiting to the expanded staffing model and the county will implement a quarterly monitoring process tied to the contract’s performance guarantees.
