REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 18, 2021
FROM
WILLIAM L. GILBERT, Director, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
SUBJECT
Title v
Amendment to the Contract with Premier Medical Transportation, Inc., for Non-Emergency Transportation Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1 to the Contract No. 19-321 with Premier Medical Transportation, Inc., for non-emergency medical transportation services, to extend the contract period by two years, for a total contract period of May 21, 2019 through May 20, 2024, and increase the total contract amount by $150,000, for a total not to exceed contract amount of $450,000.
(Presenter: William L. Gilbert, Director, 580-6150)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommendation will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as the additional cost of $150,000 is funded by State Medi-Cal, Federal Medicare, private insurances, and other departmental revenue. Funding sources may change in the future pending any legislative activity related to the repeal and/or replacement of the Affordable Care Act. Sufficient appropriation and revenue are included in the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) recommended 2021-22 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Approval of this recommendation will allow ARMC to continue contracting with Premier Medical Transportation, Inc. for non-emergency medical transportation services, which includes gurney and wheelchair services. Such transportation is conducted in specialized vans that can accommodate patients in gurneys and wheelchairs. These vans are not designed for emergency transportation and are not considered ambulances.
State and federal law mandates specialized healthcare facilities (e.g. those providing inpatient, rehabilitation therapy, radiation therapy, and skilled nursing care) to accept a patient with higher or specialized level of care upon the request of an admitting hospital that is unable to provide the necessary care. To facilitate the transfer of patients, ARMC contracts with medical transportation companies to ensure a smooth transition of the patient from ARMC to the facility. ARMC is financially responsible for the patient until the patient has been received by the identified facility.
On May 21, 2019 (Item No. 20), the Board entered into a three-year agreement with Premier Medical Transportation, Inc. following an RFP with a total not to exceed amount of $300,000.
Approval of the recommendation will extend the term of the agreement by two additional years through May 20, 2024, and increase the not to exceed contract amount by $150,000.
PROCUREMENT
Procurement of non-emergency transportation was competitively bid through the Request for Proposals process on February 22, 2019. Premier Medical Transport was one of three qualified vendors awarded an agreement. ARMC is extending the agreement with Premier Medical Transportation for an additional two years, with the increase in contract amount, as ARMC has relied heavily on Premier Medical Transport due to their twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week schedule, their ability to both transport patients in and out of the county, and transfer COVID positive patients.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Charles Phan, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5465) on April 26, 2021; Purchasing Department (Ariel Gill, Buyer, 777-0722) on April 30, 2021; ARMC Finance (Chen Wu, Finance Budget Officer, 580-3165) on April 26, 2021; Finance (Yael Verduzco, Administrative Analyst, 387-5285) on April 28, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on May 2, 2021.