REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 5, 2023
FROM
WILLIAM L. GILBERT, Director, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
SUBJECT
Title
Funding Increase to Contract with Open Text Inc. for the Utilization of Cloud-Based Electronic Faxing Solution
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve a funding increase to Contract No. 21-755 with OpenText, Inc. in the amount of $250,000 increasing the total approved amount from $100,000 to $350,000, for utilization of a cloud service to send facsimile documents from desktop computers, with no change to the contract term of October 4, 2021 through October 3, 2026, thereafter automatically renewing for one-month periods until terminated by either party.
(Presenter: William L. Gilbert, Director, 580-6150)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Services Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The increase of $250,000 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. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) 2023-24 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The funding increase will allow ARMC to continue sending facsimile (fax) documents from desktop computers through the services provided by Open Text, Inc.’s (Open Text) RightFax solution (RightFax), an automated document delivery system, which integrates most desktop and business applications to maximize employee productivity, improve information security, and decrease paper-related costs and security risks from stand-alone fax machines. ARMC utilizes RightFax to send faxed documents quickly and efficiently from desktop computers. RightFax automatically sends prescriptions to pharmacies, referral letters to referring providers, and patient information to health care providers.
Initially, ARMC estimated a cost of $1,500 per month for use of RightFax by one department within ARMC. However, the services have expanded to other ARMC departments resulting in an increase in usage and costs. Funding on the existing contract has been exhausted. The additional funding will cover the costs for the remainder of the contract period.
An amendment to the contract is not appropriate because the existing contract does not provide any terms which set a not-to-exceed amount limit. Contract terms only require a minimum commitment of $1,250 per month. Because there is no limit on the contract amount, Open Text is not required to agree to add a not-to-exceed amount to the existing contract.
On September 21, 2021 (Item No. 5), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved an On-Demand Messaging General Terms and Conditions Contract No. 21-755 with Open Text, for a cloud service for sending facsimile documents from desktop computers, in the not to exceed amount of $100,000, for a 60-month period effective upon the connect start date, and thereafter automatically renewing for one-month periods until terminated by either party.
ARMC recommends the approval of the funding increase to continue services to provide for the safety, health and social service needs of the County residents by fulfilling legal obligations in a timely manner and ensure ARMC provides continuity of care when requests for patient documents are received from other medical facilities.
PROCUREMENT
The contract was awarded to this vendor as the result of an informal, competitive solicitation. Of the three quotes that were received, Open Text’s RightFax solution best met the needs of ARMC. The Purchasing Department continues to support the competitive nature of this procurement.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Bonnie Uphold, Supervising Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 18, 2023; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 777-0722) on November 6, 2023; Finance (Chen Wu, Finance and Budget Officer, 580-3165) on November 9, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387- 5423) on November 14, 2023.