SUBJECT
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Approve the first amendment to the contract with Winter Haven Hospital, Inc. for uncompensated inpatient psychiatric services. (Not to exceed $2,000,000 annually).
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DESCRIPTION
Winter Haven Hospital, Inc. (WHH) provides inpatient psychiatric services within the Winter Haven Hospital Center for Psychiatry, located on the main campus of Winter Haven Hospital (the Hospital). Patients admitted to the facility for services have access to counseling, behavioral health and supervision, crisis support, and acute detox while hospitalized.
As the national, state, and local health care systems continue to struggle with health care provider shortages, recruitment and retention are ongoing challenges with an increase in demand in mental health and substance use/abuse providers. And, as the fastest growing county in the state and one of the highest in the nation, Polk's population growth has further exacerbated the already constrained local behavioral health system.
WHH is one of two Polk County hospital systems that operates a receiving facility and provides critical services to Polk's most medically vulnerable residents.
This funding provides financial support to WHH for uncompensated inpatient psychiatric services. Services eligible for reimbursement under this contract are for Polk County residents whose income is at or below 200% of the FPL guidelines and who are uninsured including Polk HealthCare Plan members. A fee schedule has been established to reimburse WHH an agreed upon rate per patient per diem.
Currently, the contract is effective from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2024 with a funding amount of $200,000 annually. Upon exhaustion of current contracted funds in 90 days of service, it was determined additional funding would be necessary to support these critical behavioral health services. This first amendment will be effective retroactive to October 1, 2023 and will increase annual funding to $2,000,000 and extend the term of the contrac...
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