Report 2014-111 Recommendation 10 Responses
Report 2014-111: California Department of Public Health: It Has Not Effectively Managed Investigations of Complaints Related to Long-Term Health Care Facilities (Release Date: October 2014)
Recommendation #10 To: Public Health, Department of
To protect the residents in long-term health care facilities from potential harm, Public Health should ensure that its district offices have adequate staffing levels for its licensing and certification responsibilities, including staffing levels that allow prompt investigations of complaints. Specifically, by January 1, 2015, Public Health should establish a time frame for fully implementing the recommendations that its consultant identified related to the processing of complaints about long-term health care facilities.
1-Year Agency Response
The 2015-16 Budget Act increased CDPH's funding for 240 positions and $14.85 million for LA County to conduct L&C work.
The Center for Health Care Quality has developed a staffing model to identify the needs of each district office, and has used this model to allocate the new 240 new positions.
CDPH's work plan for implementing the consultant's recommendations is available at the link below. The work plan includes a timeline for each recommendation.
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Documents/Amended%20August%202015%20Remediation%20Work%20Plan%20Update.pdf
- Completion Date: July 2015
- Response Date: November 2015
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented
6-Month Agency Response
The Governor's 2015-16 Budget, updated at the May Revision, includes a request for funding for 237 state positions and $14.85 million for LA County to conduct L&C state and federal work. These requests were based on an analysis completed and documented in L&C's November Estimate.
- Estimated Completion Date: 12/31/2016
- Response Date: June 2015
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
60-Day Agency Response
CDPH agrees with this recommendation but not the January 1, 2015 timeline.
On November 7, 2014, CDPH posted on our website a work plan for implementing the assessment report recommendations.
The work plan includes anticipated timelines for the initiation and completion of each recommendation. On November 13, 2014, CDPH held a stakeholder meeting to discuss and receive feedback on the work plan. CDPH will update the work plan monthly with progress reports and any changes to the timeline.
- Estimated Completion Date: 12/31/16
- Response Date: December 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
Public Health did not provide any documentation to support the activities it outlines in its response. It also does not specify when it expects to establish a time frame for fully implementing the recommendations that its consultant identified in August 2014. We believe that Public Health should establish a time frame as soon as possible.
All Recommendations in 2014-111
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.