Board’s advice to county: Privatize home health care
by Heidi Rowley on Apr. 16, 2008, under Edge, LocalThe Pima County Board of Health voted Wednesday to recommend transitioning the Pima Health System’s home health program to 21 private Tucson companies.
The program helps disabled and homebound clients with nonmedical needs, such as getting out of bed, bathing and light housekeeping.
At a public meeting Wednesday, board member Dr. Vincent Fulginiti said he believed the program’s clients did not show sufficient opposition to the plan during three public meetings held over the past three months.
Board member Carolyn Trowbridge, said the 275 people who showed up – clients, care workers and family members of clients – made a good case against privatization.
The board voted 4-3 to recommend the transition to the county Board of Supervisors. Trowbridge voted against the recommendation and Fulginiti voted for it.
The supervisors decided in December to hold public hearings on the issue, which would affect about 350 clients and 350 to 375 part-time workers.
The majority of people who showed up at the meetings asked that the program be left as it is. Clients expressed concern that they would not get the same level of care from the companies as they now receive.
“Does this mean the other people are happy (with the transition)?” Fulginiti asked during board conversations.
“These people fear the transition very much,” Trowbridge said. “These agencies have a history of turning away clients.”
Over the past several months, Trowbridge has worked with Supervisor Richard Elías, who opposes the transition.
Robin Gwozdz, manager of the attendant care program, said that when the transition was proposed in December, the Pima Health System had 557 matches (of workers and clients) in its program. Since then, the number has dropped to 370 matches as people have turned to private companies on their own.
Some have been recruited by companies to switch services.
Workers in the county system have spoken to 97 people who left, Gwozdz said. Of that number, five reported problems, which Gwozdz said had been resolved.
Part of the funding for such services comes from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. When the county program started, there were no other agencies offering such services, Gwozdz said.
The county system is set up as an insurer, not a provider.
