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County to restore 15 health‑clinic positions after state payment‑rate delay buys a year of funding
Summary
County Health Department told supervisors a deferred state payment‑rate change will avert an estimated $6.6M revenue loss for one year, allowing restoration of 15 jobs — including nurses and medical assistants — to improve clinic productivity; the board approved the staffing revisions.
Santa Barbara County health officials told the Board of Supervisors on July 7 that a one‑year delay in a state prospective payment change now allows the department to recover an estimated $6.6 million in revenue for FY2026–27 and restore 15 positions that otherwise faced elimination.
Director Hamami described plans to restore 6–7 nurses (raising provider‑to‑nurse ratios), four administrative/operations positions, and two medical assistants to float across five county clinics. The shift is intended to increase scheduling efficiency and billable productivity while reducing reliance on the general fund.
"This will buy us an extra year of funding as long as we can still see the [UIS] population," Director Hamami said, urging a focus on redesigned workflows and centralized scheduling pilots to meet the revised productivity targets.
Supervisors pressed staff about whether restored positions would be temporary; staff said the delay buys one year during which the department must increase efficiency, after which the county will reassess funding. Chair Nelson asked staff to evaluate whether some general fund backfill could be recaptured next year if revenues materialize. The board approved staff recommendations unanimously.
What happens next: Health staff will implement the rehiring and initiate centralized scheduling pilots in the North County and return with a fuller budget impact assessment in August.
