TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement, and any necessary documents including any necessary amendments, with Platt College Los Angeles, LLC, of Los Angeles, CA, to facilitate student internship opportunities with the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department, Animal Care Services Bureau, at no cost to the City, from December 1, 2021 through November 30, 2026.
(District 5)
DISCUSSION
On December 1, 2017, the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department (PRM) entered into Agreement No. 34891 with Platt College Los Angeles, LLC (Platt), to host student internships at the Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) facility to provide services at no cost to the City of Long Beach (City). The current four-year agreement is expiring on November 30, 2021 and PRM is requesting to enter into a new agreement.
The proposed action enables PRM and Platt to continue providing interns with an opportunity to perform various professional skills and tasks of competence under direct supervision of a Registered Veterinary Technician or a licensed Veterinarian. Clinical training is an integral component of the Veterinary Technology program curriculum at Platt. Interns assist LBACS technicians and doctors with a wide variety of clinical tasks, including preparing animals for surgery, monitoring anesthesia, support animals’ physical exams, collecting and analyzing laboratory samples, performing shelter rounds, assisting with taking X-rays, performing treatments and vaccinations, cleaning, walking and feeding animals, preparing surgical instrument packs, and sanitizing hospital work areas. These skills are essential for students to master to be successful in their clinical career as veterinary technicians.
Interns are an invaluable asset to the LBACS medical team, who consistently have a large caseload. PRM benefits from the additional help interns provide to keep animals healthy and enhance operations. All Platt students who have interned or rotated with LBACS have provided positive feedback on their experience as they enjoy the abundant opportunities for hands-on learning and they find the work with shelter animals to be rewarding. Hosting interns also allows shelter medical staff an opportunity to share knowledge through teaching and encourages the staff to stay current on clinical knowledge. Shelter medicine is a lesser known field within the veterinary profession, and students may have a negative perception of what shelter medicine is like. The staff at LBACS take pride in exposing students to shelter medicine. Through this internship program, staff use this opportunity to expose students to a high standard of medical care at the shelter, thus sparking interest in the field. LBACS will directly supervise each intern and submit information on time worked and performance reports to Platt. Platt will remain responsible for providing all interns with an orientation, placements, and the provision of liability and workers’ compensation insurance.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Anita Lakhani and Budget Analysis Officer Greg Sorensen on October 7, 2021.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on November 9, 2021, to enable the execution of the agreement so that Platt may continue placing interns at LBACS.
FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation has no fiscal impact, and all costs will be borne solely by Platt. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. It is anticipated that there may be a temporary positive job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
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Respectfully Submitted,
BRENT DENNIS
DIRECTOR
PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER