{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"KZYX News","title":"County cross-examines contractor in search of key documents","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":389,"description":"March 28, 2022 — The Board of Supervisors and County Counsel cross-examined two principals of a former mental healthcare contractor last week in hopes of learning how to lay hands on documents the county needs to satisfy a state audit. The county is obliged to provide specialty mental healthcare to Medi-Cal patients, which it does using state realignment money as a 40% match for federal Medi-Cal funds that are distributed by the state. Last year, the county received about $9.5 million in realignment money, approximately three million of which was used for conservatorships.\r\nIt’s possible the state could withhold realignment money if the county can’t produce records to show that mental healthcare rendered almost ten years ago was billable according to state specifications, which could deprive the county of some of the match it needs to get Medi-Cal money. But the records were shredded two years ago, and the deadline to file legal action against the contractor is fast approaching. Last week’s cross-examination was conducted under a legislative subpoena, which compelled testimony about who else might have copies of those records, including subcontractors and the county itself.\r\nFrom 2013-2016, a contractor called Ortner Management Group provided oversight of contracts for mental healthcare for the county’s adult Medi-Cal patients. The mental health director at the time, Tom Pinizzotto, had previously been a member of Ortner. Pinizzotto’s connection to the group led to a 2014 Grand Jury report into the appearance of a conflict of interest, but stopped short at asserting that he had actually used insider information for his own benefit. Ortner and Pinizzotto both stepped down from working with the county in 2016. \r\nOrtner Management Group, or OMG, has since dissolved. However, at last week’s hearing, former CEO Tom Ortner and former CFO Melissa Lance, who used the name Melissa Callicott during the group’s years with the county, were represented by the same attorney,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/xZpAumwbhFUpJUYcwaQ1-q6snzOyqAm13l7cW6AWPCM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mMzkz/NjAwNjc2OWMyZmFk/YWY2YTdmYjI5M2Mz/YWMxNy5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}