San Joaquin hospital staffing gap $9.4M

San Joaquin County’s public hospital is spending heavily to cover staffing gaps that hospital leaders say they have not been able to fill through regular hiring. On August 18, the county Board of Supervisors approved a $7,537,296 increase to the not-to-exceed amount for 10 supplemental staffing agreements at San Joaquin General Hospital, bringing the total ceiling to $18,775,785 for fiscal year 2025-26. The hospital in French Camp said the contracts are meant to keep critical services staffed while vacancies persist across clinical departments. County records and local reporting show the pressure is concentrated in hard-to-fill roles including imaging, respiratory care and speech therapy. ### Which hospital is at the center of the staffing problem? San Joaquin General Hospital is the county’s 152-bed acute-care hospital in French Camp and describes itself as the only county hospital in San Joaquin County. The hospital says it provides emergency, specialty, maternal-newborn and stroke services, and county documents describe some positions as requiring around-the-clock coverage. (sanjoaquincountyca.iqm2.com) Chris Woodyard of Stocktonia reported on August 26 that the hospital has struggled to recruit across operating rooms, radiology, social services, cardiology, the family maternity center, neonatal intensive care and the emergency room. A memo to the Board of Supervisors said recruitment has been “challenging due to chronic supply shortages,” according to the report. ### How large was the county’s latest approval? (stocktonia.org) The August 18 board action retroactively approved a $7.54 million increase to existing agreements, raising the overall cap from $11,238,489 to $18,775,785, according to the county legislative file. Stocktonia reported the county had awarded contracts totaling about $9.4 million to nine staffing firms the previous week, framing the move as a response to immediate shortages in critical healthcare positions. (stocktonia.org) The county board letter previously showed that supervisors had approved eight agreements and an increase to one agreement on June 17, 2025, with an overall not-to-exceed amount of $11.24 million for fiscal 2025-26. The August 2026 action expanded that authority as the hospital continued to rely on temporary workers. ### Which jobs are hardest to fill? San Joaquin General Hospital reported a 100% vacancy rate for its single MRI operator position, a 67% vacancy rate in speech therapy and a 40% vacancy rate among respiratory therapists, according to Stocktonia’s account of hospital data. (sanjoaquincountyca.iqm2.com) The same report said the hospital had only three CT technicians despite authorization for six full-time positions. (sanjoaquincountyca.iqm2.com) The vacancy table cited by Stocktonia also listed shortages in environmental services, radiology, registered nursing, physical therapy and dietary services. Registered nurse vacancies were reported at 19%, while radiology vacancies were listed at 20%. ### Why does the hospital say hiring has been difficult? Hospital officials told the county that San Joaquin General’s role as a trauma center requires some positions to be staffed at all hours, a burden that not all nearby facilities share. (stocktonia.org) The hospital also said private hospitals in the area offer more competitive pay. “These areas have struggled to successfully recruit due to the current rate that is paid by SJGH is significantly lower than the local market hospitals,” the memo said, as quoted by Stocktonia. Richard Castro, the hospital’s chief executive officer, told supervisors that contract labor had been even more extensive during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stocktonia reported Castro said the hospital at one point had about 320 contracted registered nurses, “costing us a fortune,” at nearly $300 an hour compared with about $70 an hour for a staff nurse. ### What happens next under the expanded contracts? (stocktonia.org) The county legislative file says the increased authority covers 10 supplemental staffing agreements and allows the purchasing agent to approve amendments and adjust related purchase orders. The action applies to fiscal year 2025-26 staffing support at San Joaquin General Hospital. San Joaquin General Hospital said on its website that it continues to operate as a 24/7 county facility serving San Joaquin County residents. (stocktonia.org) Future contract changes would return through county procurement and board processes as needed, under the authority outlined in the August 18 action. (sanjoaquingeneral.org) (sanjoaquincountyca.iqm2.com)