Special Notice / Hearing: None
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Colleen Chawla, Chief, San Mateo County Health
David McGrew, Interim Chief Information Officer, San Mateo County Health
Subject: Seventh Amendment to the Agreement with NextGen Healthcare Inc. to Extend the Mirth Connect Interface Engine & Mirth Appliances
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to the Agreement with NextGen Healthcare Inc. to extend the Mirth Connect Interface Engine & Mirth Appliances, extending the term one year for an amended term of March 28, 2017 through June 30, 2026, and increasing the amount by $62,400 to an amount not to exceed $5,184,110.
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BACKGROUND:
Since 2014, San Mateo County Health (SMCH) has been working to address client safety issues related to the accessibility of patient information at the point of service. The Health Information Technology division issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Health Information Exchange services in October 2015 and selected NextGen Healthcare Inc. to provide the services.
On December 13, 2022, this Board approved an agreement with Epic Systems Corporation (Epic) to provide the Electronic Health Medical Record (EHR) system for SMCH. With the implementation of the new EHR system, SMCH must contract directly for a third-party interface engine (an interface to connect third-party applications with Epic), which has already been in place with NextGen Healthcare Inc’s Mirth Connect application.
DISCUSSION:
SMCH is now requesting this Board’s approval for a one-year extension of NextGen’s Mirth Connect Interface Engine. This extension will provide a continuation of critical interface engine services during the post-live Epic implementation phase and allow time for SMCH to develop and release an RFP for future services.
The County Procurement Department has approved the wavier to extend the agreement.
The amendment and resolution have been reviewed and approved by the County Attorney as to form.
The Information Services Department has reviewed and approved the IT component 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 NextGen, EHR communication will be available to all systems and platforms for patients/clients 100% of the time.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2025-26 Estimated |
FY 2026-27 Projected |
|
Percentage of time EHR communication is available to all systems and platforms for patient/client. |
100% |
N/A* |
*N/A The extension is only for one year.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
By serving as a central hub for data integration, the interface engine enables disparate systems, such as EHRs, labs, imaging centers, pharmacies, and billing systems, to exchange critical health information securely and accurately. An interface engine ensures that providers across different care settings receive timely and consistent patient data. This seamless data flow reduces information silos, leading to better-coordinated care, reduced medical errors, and improved patient outcomes.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of this amended agreement is from March 28, 2017, through June 30, 2026. This amendment increases the amount of the agreement by $62,400 to an amount not to exceed $5,184,110.
Funds in the amount of $62,400 are included in County Health’s FY 2025-26 Recommended Budget and funds. Future 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.