REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF INLAND COUNTIES EMERGENCY MEDICAL AGENCY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 25, 2024
FROM
DANIEL MUÑOZ, Interim EMS Administrator, Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency
SUBJECT
Title
Memorandum of Understanding with Consolidated Fire Agencies for Data Collection
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency, approve a Memorandum of Understanding with the Consolidated Fire Agencies to continue emergency medical services data collection, for the period of July 1, 2024 through September 30, 2034.
(Presenter: Daniel Muñoz, Interim EMS Administrator, 388-5823)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will not result in the use of any additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The financial relationship between Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA) and Consolidated Fire Agencies (CONFIRE), regarding the scope of this MOU, has been established via Contract No. 23-1282. This estimated revenue under Contract No. 23-1282 includes an initial, one-time, reimbursement amount of $100,850 and annual estimated reimbursements of $197,356, paid by CONFIRE to ICEMA, for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data collecting platform costs. The revenue has been included in ICEMA’s 2024-25 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
ICEMA, as the Local Emergency Medical Services Agency (LEMSA), is responsible for ensuring effective EMS for the Counties of San Bernardino, Inyo, and Mono. ICEMA administers State and local codes and regulations governing the provision of emergency medical care to the sick and injured at the scene of an emergency and during transport to a care hospital. ICEMA ensures an effective system of quality patient care and coordinated emergency medical response by planning, implementing, and evaluating an effective EMS system including pre-hospital providers, specialty care hospitals, and hospitals.
Data related to EMS in California is compiled locally by EMS provider agencies and Trauma Centers, as required by Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. In San Bernardino County, this data is transferred to ICEMA, the LEMSA, which is responsible for the administration of EMS in accordance with Division 2.5 of the California Health and Safety Code.
ICEMA provides data collection and maintenance of statewide EMS and trauma data. ICEMA tracks and evaluates pre-hospital patient care quality and efficiency using third-party platforms, ImageTrend Inc. (ImageTrend) and FirstWatch Solutions, Inc. (FirstWatch). These platforms compile electronic patient care record (ePCR) data and provide analysis based on ICEMA standards. This analysis is used to identify areas of opportunity of the EMS system, where ICEMA can focus case review and continuous quality improvement efforts, for transport provider contract compliance, and to satisfy mandatory State reporting requirements.
On January 27, 2015 (Item No. 83), the ICEMA Board of Directors (Board) approved MOU No.15-66 between ICEMA, CONFIRE, and Information Services Department (ISD) to establish a relationship between all parties, regarding data collection, for a period beginning January 27, 2015 through June 30, 2024.
On June 23, 2020 (Item No. 101), the Board approved Contract No. 20-521 with ImageTrend in the amount of $819,149 for ePCR software support for the period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2025. On December 19, 2023 (Item No. 100), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 20-521 with ImageTrend, including nonstandard terms, increasing the total contract amount by $2,926,997 from $819,149 to $3,746,146, for ePCR software, support, and cloud hosting. The transition from an ICEMA self-hosted environment (via Innovation and Technology Department [ITD], formerly ISD) to an ImageTrend cloud hosted environment effectively removed ITD’s involvement in this business function.
On October 4, 2022 (Item No. 53), the Board approved Agreement No. 22-987, including nonstandard terms, with FirstWatch in an amount non to exceed $175,500, to allow for real time monitoring of pre-hospital ambulance providers, for a five-year term beginning October 4, 2022 through October 3, 2027. On February 27, 2024 (Item No. 59), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 22-987 with FirstWatch, increasing the total not to exceed amount by $40,000, from $175,500 to $215,500, for additional data reporting and display capabilities, with no change to the term of the agreement.
On December 5, 2023 (Item No. 80), the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved Contract No. 23-1282 with CONFIRE for ground ambulance medical transportation services for an initial five-year term beginning October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2029, with an option to extend the contract for a second five-year term.
ICEMA recommends approval of this MOU to continue to define the relationship between CONFIRE data, ICEMA collection and reporting responsibilities, and provide management guidelines of ImageTrend and FirstWatch software and related adjunct software programs.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (John Tubbs II, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 20, 2024; Risk Management (Gregory Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst II, 386-9008) on May 21, 2024; Innovation and Technology (Cody Barnes, IT Finance Officer, 388-5524) on May 30, 2024; Finance (Carl Lofton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5404) on June 10, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on June 10, 2024.