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Sierra County approves $134,333 interoperability setup for behavioral-health records
Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved an initial $134,333.33 payment to join a state-backed behavioral-health interoperability program so county providers’ records can be shared with hospitals; the director said ongoing costs are expected and the funds do not come from the general fund.
The Sierra County Board of Supervisors voted to contract for an interoperability service to allow the county’s behavioral-health electronic records to exchange with hospitals and other providers.
Cheryl Prince McMillan, the county’s director of behavioral health, told the board the work is required by state and federal interoperability standards and that the county will pay an initial amount “not to exceed $134,333.33” to begin implementation. “This is a new requirement… interoperability,” she said, adding the initial payment gets the county started and that there will be ongoing expenses.
Prince McMillan said the county will partner with an established state vendor and a third party that helps smaller counties set up the required systems and staff training. A board member pointed out the contract language indicates the expenditure will not come from the county’s general fund; Prince McMillan confirmed the department budget contains the funds to cover the payment.
The board approved the contract by roll-call vote. The action funds initial technical work to connect the county’s off-site electronic-health-record system to statewide exchange services and authorizes staff to proceed.
The county still will face recurring costs to maintain interoperability and training, Prince McMillan said. The board did not set a timeline for the full cutover but approved the initial contract to meet upcoming state requirements.
