REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
January 11, 2022
FROM
LEONARD X. HERNANDEZ, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with EndPoint EMS Consulting LLC for Development of an Emergency Ground Ambulance and Interfacility Transport Services Procurement and Contract
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Contract with EndPoint EMS Consulting, LLC for the development of an emergency ground ambulance and interfacility transport services procurement, negotiation of resulting contract(s) and emergency medical consulting services, in a total amount not to exceed $214,250 for the period of January 3, 2022 through March 31, 2023.
(Presenter: Leonard X. Hernandez, Chief Executive Officer, 387-5417)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
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 may result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Any necessary budget adjustments will be presented in a future quarterly report to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for approval.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
During the October 26, 2021 Board meeting (Item No. 92), the Board directed staff to initiate the competitive process for the provision of emergency ground ambulance transportation and interfacility transport in the eight Exclusive Operating Areas (EOAs) currently under Contract No. 12-254 with American Medical Response (AMR) and directed staff to research and meet with stakeholders for the potential inclusion of other EOAs in the competitive process.
Additionally, on October 26, 2021 (Item No. 80), the Board approved Amendment No. 9 to Contract No. 12-254 with AMR for ground ambulance services in various County EOAs, extending the contract term by two years, for a total contract term of July 1, 2012 through March 31, 2024, allowing time for completion of a new procurement for these services. This amendment included additional requirements regarding mechanisms for enhanced compliance and contract monitoring, quality improvement, linkage with CONFIRE dispatch, on-time performance requirements and establishment of a County facilitated contract Performance Committee. This contract contains a cancellation provision with 90 days’ written notice, which includes notice in the event of the successful completion of the procurement process resulting in a contract(s) award during the contract term.
In preparation of the new procurement process for emergency ground ambulance and interfacility transport services, the County has taken a balanced approach of engaging content experts and various stakeholders throughout this process.
The County is recommending a contract with EndPoint for the development of an emergency ground ambulance and interfacility transport services procurement and negotiation of the resulting contract(s) for the exclusive operating areas of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5b, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12a.
In addition, the County has engaged Citygate and Associates, LLC (Citygate) for consulting services for technical and peer review of the emergency ground ambulance and interfacility transport services procurement and proposal review and evaluation. Citygate will participate in regular meetings throughout the procurement process and provide technical review and evaluation of proposer documents and resulting contract(s). The contract with Citygate will be executed under Purchasing authority, based on the total contract amount. Both EndPoint and Citygate have recent history with the County in assessment of the current Emergency Medical Services (EMS) environment and stakeholders, bringing knowledge and expertise vital to the development and completion of the emergency ground ambulance and interfacility transport services procurement.
Under the terms of the recommended contract, EndPoint will assist the County and the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA) in development of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for emergency ground ambulance and interfacility transport services, will assist in obtaining the State EMS Authority review and approval of the RFP, provide support throughout the procurement process, and continue to provide EMS consulting services to the County and ICEMA. As part of the RFP development process, EndPoint will facilitate stakeholder input meetings with the Emergency Medical Care Committee on system enhancements and will identify data from existing providers necessary for the development of the RFP. EndPoint will assist in establishing a non-biased proposal review committee and provide support throughout the entire procurement process, resulting in award of the new contract(s) for EOA emergency ground ambulance and interfacility transport services. EndPoint will also continue provision of EMS consulting services, as needed.
EndPoint is uniquely suited to continue providing EMS consulting services due to its specialized involvement over the past two years. The contract is retroactively effective January 3, 2022, ensuring that RFP development begins as expeditiously as possible. This item is being presented at this time as this is the first available date following the required operational, fiscal, and legal reviews. Approval by the Board at this time will not impact services or activities.
In 2020, EndPoint evaluated the following eight EOAs under Contract No. 12-254 with AMR for emergency ambulance and interfacility transport services generally within: West End Rancho Cucamonga and Upland - EOA 1; Montclair and Chino - EOA 2; Ontario and Chino Hills - EOA 3; Fontana and Lytle Creek - EOA 4; Rialto - 9-1-1 calls in unincorporated areas; inter-facility calls in entire area - EOA 5; San Bernardino - EOA 6; Grand Terrace - EOA 7; Loma Linda - EOA 9. The evaluation process included interactive industry-stakeholder outreach and meetings, Board workshops, and EMS data gathering, analysis and comparative analysis to ultimately provide a recommendation for system-wide improvements.
On February 11, 2020 (Item No. 30), the Board approved Agreement No. 20-74 with EndPoint to evaluate the eight EOAs currently under contract with AMR, in the amount of $140,399, for the period February 12, 2020 through February 11, 2021. This process included interactive industry-stakeholder outreach and meetings; Board workshops; and EMS data gathering, analysis and comparative analysis to ultimately provide a recommendation for system-wide improvements in areas that promote improved service parameters, fee structure, and performance-based outcomes as part of a final report and recommendation to the Board on components necessary for a new ambulance provider contract. On February 9, 2021 (Item No. 24), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to the agreement with EndPoint, adding a new scope of work in which EndPoint served as Project Manager at the direction of the County Administrative Office to oversee the research and development of a private/public partnership for emergency ambulance services by a third party, increasing the total by $48,625, from $140,399 to a total not to exceed $189,024, and extending the agreement term through December 31, 2021.
PROCUREMENT
Agreement No. 20-74 with EndPoint, approved by the Board on February 11, 2020 (Item No. 30), was the result of a successful competitive procurement. The scope of the recommended contract is a continuation of the EMS consulting services previously provided by EndPoint under Agreement No. 20-74.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (John Tubbs II, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on December 21, 2021; Purchasing (Michelle Churchill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on December 21, 2021; County Administrative Office (Pamela Williams, Chief of Administration, 387-4377) on December 22, 2021; Finance (Stephenie Shea, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on December 21, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on December 21, 2021.