REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 24, 2024
FROM
ANDREW GOLDFRACH, ARMC Chief Executive Officer, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
SUBJECT
Title
Purchase Bus Passes from OmniTrans and Victor Valley Transit Authority for Patient Transportation
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Authorize the purchase and distribution of prepaid bus passes from OmniTrans and Victor Valley Transit Authority, in an amount not to exceed $42,000, for use by Arrowhead Regional Medical Center patients from December 1, 2024 through November 30, 2026.
(Presenter: Andrew Goldfrach, ARMC Chief Executive Officer, 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 this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The cost of $42,000 is funded by State Medi-Cal, Federal Medicare, private insurances, and other departmental revenue. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) 2024-25 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
The recommended authorization will enable ARMC to purchase bus passes during the period of December 1, 2024 through November 30, 2026 from the following transportation vendors in the following amounts:
|
Transportation Vendor |
Amount per Card |
Card Quantity |
Total Amount |
|
OmniTrans (One-Way/ All-Day) |
$2/$6 |
5,000 |
$30,000 |
|
Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA) (Daily) |
$4 |
3,000 |
$12,000 |
|
Grand Total |
$42,000 |
In accordance with the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector’s “Internal Control and Cash Manual,” the purchase of prepaid gift cards, under which bus passes are classified, of an amount greater than $2,500 requires approval from the Board of Supervisors (Board). ARMC will maintain and ensure adherence to internal policy and procedure.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The ARMC Clinical Social Services and Behavioral Health Departments provide patients with bus passes to assist in accessing necessary appointments at ARMC and its associated Family Health Centers (FHCs). ARMC provides one-way and all-day bus passes to patients for the following purposes: follow-up appointments, return transportation to their residence, transportation to homeless emergency shelter services, as well as transportation to counseling, medication, and other support services for continuing stability. The type of bus pass provided is dependent upon the needs of the patient. For example, an all-day bus pass would be given to a patient with multiple appointments in various locations within the same day.
Distribution of bus passes supports fiscally-responsible and business-like operations as the bus passes are much more cost effective than the alternatives of medical transport. Medical transportation shuttles have an average cost of $251 per trip, and taxis can cost up to $50 per one-way trip depending on the destination. Purchasing bus passes to facilitate the patient’s transportation to their residence, appointments, social services, and other resources supports the safety, health, and social service needs of County residents by ensuring that these patients receive necessary care and follow up services. It also decreases the possible occurrence of readmission to ARMC’s Emergency Department. ARMC has been distributing bus passes to patients since the hospital opened its current location in March 1999.
On November 15, 2022 (Item No. 8), the Board approved the purchase and distribution of prepaid bus passes from OmniTrans and Victor Valley Transit Authority in a total amount not to exceed $100,000 for use by patients from December 1, 2022 through November 30, 2024.
ARMC recommends approval of the purchase and distribution of prepaid bus passes to patients, to provide for the safety, health and social service needs of County residents and allow continued patient care.
PROCUREMENT
County Purchasing approves the sole source non-competitive justification for the purchase of bus passes from Omnitrans and the VVTA. Omnitrans and VVTA are the local bus transit companies for the areas serviced by ARMC, and are therefore, the sole source providers of public bus transportation services within these areas.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Charles Phan, Supervising Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 20, 2024, 2024; Purchasing (Veronica Pedace, Buyer III, 387-2464) on August 20, 2024; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Denise Mejico, Chief Deputy Auditor, 382-3183) on August 27, 2024; ARMC Finance (Chen Wu, Finance and Budget Officer, 580-3165) on August 30, 2024; Finance (Jenny Yang, Administrative Analyst, 387-4884) on September 3, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on September 9, 2024.