SR 02-09-2016 3B
City Council
Report
City Council Regular Meeting: February 9, 2016
Agenda Item: 3.B
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Jory Wolf, Chief Information Officer, Software Systems, Information Systems
Department
Dennis J. Downs, Interim Fire Chief
Subject: Software Subscription Agreement for an Electronic Patient Care Records
System and Fire Records Management System
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP#37 to ESO Solutions, Inc, a Texas -based company for an Electronic
Patient Care Record System and Fire Records Management system;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a software subscription
agreement with ESO Solutions, Inc, at a cost of $121,890, with two additional
one-year renewal options, for total amount not to exceed $223,404 (including
10% contingency) over a five-year period, with future year funding contingent on
Council budget approval; and
3. Authorize budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
section of this report.
Executive Summary
The Fire Department is required to document all Emergency Medical Services (EM S)
provided by an Emergency Medical Technician or Paramedic to the public. These
incident reports are submitted to local, county, state and federal agencies. Under
federal guidelines, the City is required to implement a paperless certified Electronic
Patient Care Reporting (EPCR) system that meets the data guidelines, requirements
and standards implemented by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
(DHS) and the US Department of Health and Human Services Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) for collection transmittal and storage of
patient data. The City’s current system, FireMed Pro, is dependent on the collection of
patient information on paper forms, which does not meet federal guidelines. To comply
with the new guidelines effective December 2016, staff recommends executing a
software subscription agreement with ESO Solutions, Inc, to implement an EPCR and
Fire Records Management system at a cost of $121,890, with two additional one-year
renewal options, for total amount not to exceed $223,404 (including 10% contingency)
over five years.
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Background
On September 25, 2007 (Attachment A), Council authorized an agreement with Proper
LLC for the purchase of FireMed Pro software and equipment to implement an
EMS/Patient Care Tracking and Reporting System. On September 23, 2008
(Attachment B), Council authorized a first modification of the agreement to expand the
system by adding one FireMed Pro workstation. On September 8, 2015 (Attachment
C), Council authorized a second modification to the software license agreement for
maintenance and support, customizations and upgrade services. On November 10,
2015 (Attachment D), Council authorized a first modification to the software
maintenance and support agreement, as it was determined that the second modification
to the purchase and license agreement was not necessary.
Current federal mandate requires that all medical records in the United States be
collected and transmitted in an electronic format. FireMed Pro is dependent on th e
collection of patient information on paper forms, it does not meet the new federal
guidelines.
Discussion
The Fire Department responds to more than 16,000 fire and emergency medical
incidents annually. Incident reports are completed for every dispatc hed fire and
emergency medical response. Incident reports contain demographic information as well
as specific information regarding patient treatment. Reports also classify incidents by
type specified by federal standards as well as document the actions taken by field
personnel. The new system allows for better quality assurance reviews and quality
improvement mandates and meets HIPPA requirements . These incident reports are
transmitted to the County of Los Angeles, State Fire Marshal, Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) and National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).
This process is critical for local, state and national reporting and data analysis. It is
required to meet local, state and federal reporting mandates and for receipt of gra nt
funding. All of the Santa Monica Fire Department's reports are submitted to another
agency.
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The reports are used by the Fire Department for tracking, analyzing and improving the
quality of medical services and emergency response operations, including response
times and service effectiveness.
ESO Solutions, Inc. offers an integrated Electronic Patient Care Record System and
Fire Records Management system that allows fire personnel to prepare electronic
incident reports that meet the needs of the Fire Department, as well as the mandates for
local, state and federal electronic reporting. The ESO system utilizes software, which
enables the collection of information electronically from the incident location, reducing
errors in fire and emergency medical reporting and streamlining the communication of
patient care information to medical care facilities. Staff recommends executing a
software subscription agreement with ESO Solutions, Inc. to implement an EPCR and
Fire Records Management system at a cost of $121,890, with two additional one-year
renewal options, for total amount not to exceed $223,404 (including 10% contingency)
over five years.
Vendor/Consultant Selection
On July 8, 2015, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an Electronic Patien t
Care Records System and Fire Records Management System. The RFP was posted
on the City's on-line bidding site, and notices were advertised in the Santa Monica Daily
Press in accordance with City Charter and Municipal Code provisions. 918 vendors
were notified and 70 vendors downloaded the RFP. Three firms responded.
Responses to the RFP were reviewed by a selection panel of staff from the Fire and
Information Systems Departments.
Evaluation was based on the following selection criteria: experience, references, project
team, cost and an on-site demonstration. Staff then interviewed two shortlisted firms.
Staff recommends ESO Solutions, Inc. as the best qualified firm to provide a fully
integrated fire records management system and electronic patient care records system
based on their competitive pricing, ability to meet the business requirements of the Fire
Department and local, state and federal reporting mandates. ESO Solutions, Inc.
offered the lowest price product. Additionally, ESO Solutions, Inc. has a proven record
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of implementing similar systems nationwide including the City of Palo Alto, City of
Novato, and Marin County in California.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The Fire Department received a County of Los Angeles Measure B grant to fund up to
$87,500 of the total cost of the project. The grant requires a City match of $87,500,
which requires an appropriation of $27,500 in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
account C019048.589000. The grant related funding for the project totals $175,000.
The contract to be awarded to ESO Solutions, Inc. is for an amount not to exceed
$223,404. Funds in the amount of $121,890 are available in the FY 2015 -16 CIP budget
in accounts C209048.589000 ($87,500) and C019048.589000 ($34,390). Hardware
costs in the amount of $53,110 will be charged to account C019048.589000 once a
vendor is selected. Future year funding for this contract in the amount of $101,514 is
contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Benjamin Steers, Systems Analyst - Public Safety
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. September 25, 2007 Staff Report (web link)
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B. September 23, 2008 Staff Report (web link)
C. September 8, 2015 Staff Report (web link)
D. November 10, 2015 Staff Report (web link)
Reference:
Agreement No. 10249
(CCS)