REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 4, 2025
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Student Internship Agreement with the Department of State Hospitals - Patton
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial agreement (State Agreement No. 25-30104-000) with the Department of State Hospitals - Patton, including a non-standard term, for student interns to gain required field experience, commencing upon Department of State Hospitals approval through June 30, 2030.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The recommended agreement is non-financial in nature. However, the Department of Public Health (DPH) has agreed to pay the costs for the Department of Justice background clearances for students, which are estimated to be $480 over the five-year period (dependent upon the number of student placements), as this student volunteer workforce is beneficial to DPH. The costs will be funded by the Women, Infant, and Children grant funding. Adequate appropriation and revenue for these costs have been included in DPH’s 2025-26 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DPH provides learning opportunities for students, teachers, and volunteers by qualified public health professional staff, in a variety of areas including nursing, physical therapy, epidemiology, nutrition, health education, environmental health, social work, and administration. Under the supervision and guidance of DPH staff, student interns from the Department of State Hospitals - Patton (Patton) will earn required internship hours, gain valuable experiences, and acquire necessary skills in the dietetic field, while providing a volunteer workforce to DPH.
DPH has utilized Board of Supervisors (Board) approved internship template agreements with various education institutions for similar services since August 2006. However, Patton utilizes a customized agreement, which requires Board approval. Approval of this item will allow dietetic student interns to gain knowledge and clinical practicum experience commencing on the date of Department of State Hospital approval through June 30, 2030.
The agreement with Patton includes the following term that differs from the standard County contract terms:
The agreement does not require Patton to meet the County’s insurance or indemnity standards as required pursuant to County Policy 11-07.
• The County standard contract requires contractors to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the County’s Risk Management Department.
• Potential Impact: The agreement does not include County standard insurance or indemnity requirements. However, both Patton and the County are self-insured public entities for purposes of Professional Liability, General Liability, Automobile Liability, and Workers’ Compensation and Patton agrees, through the agreement, to indemnify the County from liability arising from Patton’s acts or omissions which is sufficient to protect the County against liabilities arising out of the performance of the terms, conditions, or obligations of this agreement.
DPH recommends approval of this agreement, including the non-standard term, to implement a collaborative effort with Patton for student internships.
Patton will cooperate with DPH in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of this student internship agreement and comply with any and all reporting requirements established by this agreement. Either party may terminate the agreement by giving 30 days’ written notice to the other party.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Daniel Pasek, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 9, 2025; Risk Management (Stephanie Pacheco, Staff Analyst II, 386-8655) on October 23, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4205) on October 14, 2025.