Special Notice / Hearing: None
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Louise F. Rogers, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Stephen Dean, Chief Information Officer, San Mateo County Health
Subject: Amendment to the Agreement with Zen Healthcare IT to Provide Technical and Strategic Consulting for Health Information Exchange
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to the agreement with Zen Healthcare IT to provide technical and strategic consulting for Health Information Exchange, extending the term through June 30, 2026, and increasing the maximum amount by $790,071 to an amount not to exceed $1,836,818.
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BACKGROUND:
In April 2018, San Mateo County Health (SMCH) launched San Mateo County Connected Care (SMCCC), a Health Information Exchange (HIE), utilizing the combination of a secure user interface and data exchange solutions provided by NextGen Health. The HIE centralizes medical data from multiple electronic medical record systems allowing for interoperability and access across multiple systems used in Health divisions. SMCH required technical and strategic consulting assistance to support the HIE, improve data quality, and expand services. Zen Healthcare IT (Zen) was selected through the Request for Information process to provide technical and strategic consulting, data integration project completion, user interface modifications, data integrity support, and technical support for the HIE. Additionally, Zen is the only third-party professional services organization approved by the HIE vendor to provide the data quality integration support needed for their proprietary system.
SMCH has expanded the capabilities of SMCC, which can now provide access to the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System, Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, and medication history data.
On May 14, 2019, the Chief Information Officer of SMCH approved an agreement with Zen to provide technical and strategic consulting services for the HIE for the term of May 14, 2019, through May 13, 2020, in an amount not to exceed $98,000. The agreement was subsequently amended to extend support and services through May 31, 2023, and to increase the maximum amount to $1,046,747.
DISCUSSION:
SMCH’s need for an HIE will soon shift significantly with the implementation of the Epic electronic health record in late 2024. To prepare for this, SMCH will be separating requests for the HIE’s user interface and data exchange solutions.
An RFP is being prepared for the user interface, which is planned for release in early FY2023-24. The data exchange solution is needed for the implementation of Epic.
An RFP for the data exchange solution is planned for May 2025, allowing for stabilization after the Epic implementation.
The proposed three-year extension for Zen’s services is required to provide ongoing support for the County’s current combination of solutions making up the HIE.
County Health requests this Board to waive the Request for Proposals process to allow Zen to continue providing its proprietary services and increase the funding through the end of the extended term.
The amendment and resolution have been reviewed and approved by County Attorney as to form.
The County’s Contract Compliance Committee has approved a waiver request to extend the agreement to a seven-year term.
The Information Services Department has reviewed and approved the IT components of this agreement.
The resolution contains the County’s standard provisions allowing amendment of the County’s fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 (in aggregate).
It is anticipated that by continuing to contract with Zen, the HIE will be able to meet the California Data Exchange Framework and Federal Interoperability requirements by supporting connections to 6% of community-based organizations (CBOs) and local physician practice staff.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2022-23 Estimated |
FY 2023-24 Projected |
|
Percentage of CBOs and local physician practices staff supported by HIE |
3.5% 28/806 CBOs and physician practices staff |
6% 50/830 CBOs and physician practices staff |
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of this agreement is May 14, 2019, through June 30, 2026. The amendment increases the contract amount by $790,071 to an amount not to exceed $1,836,818 for the seven-year term.
Funds in the amount of $11,083 are included in County Health’s FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget, and funds in the amount of $132,996 are included in County Health’s FY 2023-24 Recommended Budget. Future year costs will be covered by proportional contributions from all County Health divisions, which may include some Net County Cost, depending on the composition of each division’s contribution.