Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Colleen Chawla, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Chester J. Kunnappilly, MD, Chief Executive Officer, San Mateo Medical Center
Subject: Agreement with Hill-Rom Company, Inc. to Provide Nurse Call System and Services
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Hill-Rom Company, Inc. to provide a nurse call system and services, for the term of October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028, in an amount not to exceed $325,000.
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BACKGROUND:
A nurse call system enables patients to request assistance from clinical staff, which in turn enables clinical staff to provide a timely response while enhancing patient safety. This type of system also helps clinical staff prioritize and manage patient needs, reducing delays and operational burdens. San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC) has been utilizing Hill-Rom Company, Inc.’s (Hillrom) nurse call system since 2018.
DISCUSSION:
SMMC is requesting to continue services with Hillrom, given the existing infrastructure and the Hillrom system’s established integration with Epic. Replacing the current Hillrom system would introduce unnecessary operational issues and require significant investment. Staying with the current system allows SMMC to maintain stability while optimizing system functionality, integration, and call routing workflows. The proposed agreement was also sourced through the County’s group purchasing organization, Vizient, obtaining favorable pricing terms. This agreement is coming to this Board late due to prolonged negotiations.
The County Attorney has reviewed and approved the resolution and agreement as to form.
The resolution contains the County’s standard provisions allowing amendment of the County's fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 (in aggregate).
The Technology Services Department has reviewed and approved the IT component of this agreement.
It is anticipated that Hillrom shall respond to technical support requests within one business day for non-urgent issues and within one hour for urgent patient care-impacting issues 95% of the time.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2025-26 Actual |
FY 2026-27 Estimated |
|
Percentage of time Hillrom shall respond to technical support requests within one business day for non-urgent issues and within one hour for urgent patient care-impacting issues |
95% |
95% |
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Hillrom’s continued nurse call system and services will positively impact equitable health outcomes because real-time communication between patients and clinical staff reduces response times and supports quicker interventions at SMMC. SMMC’s patients span a wide spectrum of races, ethnicities, genders, and gender identities. Since November 1, 2024, half of the specialty care patients at SMMC were female and half were male, with the largest ethnic cohorts being Hispanic or Latino (58%) and primarily Spanish-speaking (48%).
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the agreement is October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028. The amount of the agreement is not to exceed $325,000 for the three-year term. Funds in the amount of $81,250 are included in the SMMC FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget. Funds in the amount of $108,333 will be included in the SMMC FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget.
The payment provisions and levels of services are the same as in the previous contract. The total value of the new contract does not have a year-over-year increase compared to that of the previous contract.
Expenses at SMMC are covered by fees for services or third-party payors whenever possible. The portion of expenses for services provided to the medically indigent or to those covered by programs that do not meet the full costs of care is covered by the County’s General Fund contribution to SMMC and is within the existing annual appropriation.