REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 5, 2026
FROM
ANDREW GOLDFRACH, ARMC Chief Executive Officer, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
SUBJECT
Title
Funding Increase to Master Subscription Agreement with Ovid Technologies, Inc. for Subscription to a Digital Library
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve a funding increase to Agreement No. 22-876 with Ovid Technologies, Inc., from a total contract amount of $70,382 to an amount not-to-exceed $52,000 annually, for additional licensing and subscriptions to add Ovid Synthesis - Nursing Premier to Ovid’s Discovery Service, the online platform used by healthcare professionals to search through a digital library, with no change to the contract term of the period beginning on the date the service is first accessed and continuing while any order remains in effect.
(Presenter: Andrew Goldfrach, ARMC Chief Executive Officer, 580-6150)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The annual not-to-exceed cost of $52,000 reflects an increase from the prior subscription level based on expanded services and content access. The cost is funded by the State Medi-Cal, Federal Medicare, private insurance, and other departmental revenues. Funding sources may change in the future pending any legislative activity related to the repeal and/or replacement of the Affordable Care Act. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s (ARMC) 2025-26 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The funding increase will allow ARMC to add Ovid Synthesis - Nursing Premier (Premier) to Ovid’s Discovery Service, an online platform used by healthcare professionals as a single search solution for their clinical needs. Premier is a widely used online research platform for medical, nursing, and scientific professionals. It provides integrated, high-quality content, including journals, eBooks, and databases like MEDLINE, designed to enhance research speed and precision for clinical decision-making. The single search solution provides and makes available all information up front; therefore, shortening search time and assisting with clinical decisions and patient care.
The recommended increase to $52,000 annually is based on the addition of Premier to Ovid’s Discovery Service, as well as supports expanded subscription services. To date, ARMC has had cumulative expenditures of $56,631.95 with annual expenditures of $30,159.60 in 2023-24, $13,067.73 in 2024-25, and $13,404.62 in 2025-26.
Subscription costs are based on vendor-established pricing tied to licensed user levels, selected content packages, and applicable order forms. Fees may be adjusted based on changes to authorized users, access levels, or services, in accordance with the vendor’s then-current pricing schedule as outlined in the agreement.
On October 4, 2022 (Item No. 12), the Board of Supervisors approved the Master Subscription Agreement No. 22-876 with Ovid Technologies, including non-standard terms, for the licensing and subscription to an online platform used by healthcare professionals to search through a digital library, in a not to exceed contract amount of $65,382 and one-time start-up fee of $5,000, for the period beginning on the date the service is first accessed and continuing while any order remains in effect.
The contract term is structured as an ongoing subscription service that remains in effect while services are utilized, which is standard for digital licensing agreements and allows ARMC flexibility to adjust subscriptions based on clinical needs.
ARMC recommends approval of the funding increase, as it will enable the hospital to provide for safety, health and social service needs of the county residents.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Bonnie Uphold, Supervising Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 20, 2026; ARMC Finance (Chen Wu, Finance and Budget Officer, 580-3165) on April 13, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Jenny Yang, Administrative Analyst, 387-4884) on April 20, 2026.