Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Louise F. Rogers, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Subject: Agreement among County of San Mateo, AMI Expeditionary Healthcare and Dignity Community Care DBA Sequoia Hospital for Intensive Care Unit Bed Mobilization
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution ratifying an agreement among the County of San Mateo, AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, and Dignity Community Care DBA Sequoia to increase the number of available intensive care unit beds for the Coastal Region for the term of December 26, 2020 through January 25, 2021, in an amount not to exceed $4,800,000.
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BACKGROUND:
San Mateo County and the State of California are currently in the midst of a “surge” of critically ill COVID-19 positive patients. This surge has resulted in diminished intensive care unit (ICU) capacity below the 15% threshold set by the State of California. This shortage is indicative of an extreme crisis in ICU capacity, which could lead to the imposition of crisis standards of care. The recent increase in COVID-19 cases could potentially overwhelm ICU capacity in the County and the region known as “California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Mutual Aid Region II”, hereinafter referred to as “Coastal Region”, threatening the health and safety of County and greater Bay Area residents.
On December 18, 2020, the County Director of Emergency Services enacted Director’s Emergency Regulation No. 2 (confirmed by this Board on January 5, 2021). This Emergency Regulation temporarily authorizes the Director, acting in consultation and coordination with the Chief of San Mateo County Health and the County Counsel, to enter into agreements on behalf of the County, in any amount, for medical services to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency, notwithstanding otherwise applicable County contract procedures and requirements. The Emergency Regulation provides that any such agreement that is entered into shall be presented to the Board of Supervisors for ratification as soon as is practicable and, in any event, within thirty (30) days after the date of execution of such agreement by the Director.
DISCUSSION:
This agreement among the County, AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (AMI) and Dignity Health’s Sequoia Hospital (Sequoia) makes additional ICU capacity available to San Mateo County and the Coastal Region by providing staffing and other required resources to support the mobilization of up to 10 licensed ICU beds at Sequoia for a 30-day period. Specifically, AMI will provide licensed medical professionals and other durable medical equipment at Sequoia Hospital, thereby allowing the hospital to mobilize up to 10 licensed ICU beds for use for COVID-19 positive patients in increments of 5-bed pods. This increased capacity will benefit San Mateo County and the Bay Area region.
Medical personnel from AMI, which mobilizes clinical resources for healthcare disasters and emergencies around the world, have supported other County Health operations throughout the pandemic, including COVID-19 testing and clinical services support at congregate care facilities.
AMI will supply ICU doctors, registered nurses, program managers, logisticians, and respiratory therapists to appropriately staff Sequoia’s expanded ICU capacity. The placement of patients into these supplemental ICU beds will be coordinated by San Mateo County’s Medical Health Operational Area Coordinator.
The agreement and resolution have been reviewed and approved by County Counsel as to form.
The resolution contains the County’s standard provisions allowing amendment of the County fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 (in aggregate).
It is anticipated that 100% of committed personnel will be delivered by the contractor.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2020-21 Estimated |
FY2021-22 Projected |
|
Percentage of committed personnel delivered by the contractor |
100% |
100% |
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of this agreement is December 26, 2020 through January 25, 2021, with a not to exceed amount of $4,800,000. Five days before the end of each thirty-day period, County will determine whether to renew the contract services in whole or part for a subsequent thirty days. Funding will come from a combination of funding such as Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) dollars and Net County Cost, and has been included in the County’s FY 2020-21 Adopted Budget.