Agenda Report
TO:
FROM:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
Pasadena Police Department
June 13, 2022
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO A 3 YEAR CONTRACT WITH
VITAL MEDICAL SERVICES, LLC TO PROVIDE NON-EMERGENCY
MEDICAL SERVICES, LLC TO INMATES FOR AN AMOUNT NOT-TO
EXCEED $832,000
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find that the proposed contract is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption);
2. Authorize a 3-year contract with Vital Medical Services, LLC for an amount not-to exceed $832,000 which includes a 10% contingency of $76,000 to provide non emergent medical services to inmates housed in the Pasadena City Jail. Competitive Bidding is not required pursuant to the City Charter Section 1002(F), Contracts for professional or unique services; and
3. To the extent this could be considered a separate procurement subject to the Competitive Selection Process, it is further recommended that the City Council grant the contract an exemption from the Competitive Selection Process pursuant to Pasadena Municipal Code Section 4.08.049(8), contracts for which the City's best interests are served.
BACKGROUND:
The Pasadena City Jail books and houses approximately 5,000 to 6,000 inmates annually, many of which require a medical examination to determine if they are medically fit to be booked in a jail facility. A provision of Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations includes a framework for a "Minimum Standard for Local Detention Facilities" which outlines the requirement for providing medical services to any inmate complaining or exhibiting indications of illness or injury who is housed in the facility.
Available off-site vendors who provide medical services, require an officer being taken MEETING OF __ 0_6_/_l _l /_2_0_2_2_· AGENDA ITEM NO. __ l_l __ _ Contract Authorization with Vital Medical Services, LLC for Non-Emergent Medical Clearances to Inmates Housed in the Pasadena City Jail Facility.
June 13, 2022
out of the field for extended periods of time so that the inmate can be transported to the medical facility for examination by a medical professional. This is the same process required for court ordered blood draws and it has been the Pasadena Police Department's (PPD) experience that this process takes several hours and depending on what facility is available, the costs associated with taking a prisoner are exorbitant.
Furthermore, Exer Urgent Care who previously provided these medical services to the City of Pasadena, opted to end the contract with the City due to a lack of desire of having prisoners in their medical facility.
Vital Medical Services, LLC has been the sole provider of medical services for the Pasadena City Jail's inmate population since 2015. Vital is the only vendor currently available to provide on-site, not-emergency medical services, including pre-booking medical clearances screenings for Type 1 jail facilities in Los Angeles County. This has been confirmed through market research pertaining to on-call medical services for Type I jail facilities. Additionally, due to guidelines set by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASO) in response to the recent COVID pandemic, an increased number of inmates are required to be assessed and medically cleared before being transferred to any LA County Jail facility to minimize the exposure risk in the County's jail system.
These guidelines mandate any inmate exhibiting symptoms or who has expressed a potential for being exposed to COVID-19, be medically cleared prior to transfer to their facility. Many of the same pandemic guidelines followed at the LA County facilities also apply to inmates remaining in the Pasadena City Jail.
The previous purchase order with Vital Medical Services, LLC was approved by City Council in May of 2020 and was originally established not-to-exceed $600,000. Two consecutive, annual increases in the amount of $100,000 were approved by City Council in May of 2021 due to the increase costs associated with COVID, which brought the total amount to $800,000 over the .three year term.
Vital Medical Services, LLC monthly fee is based on the total number of estimated service calls their medical professional would potentially respond to for the Police Department. The company provided current quotes for varying services levels and the costs ranged from $19,500/month to $39,500/month.
Although they offer other services, the two primary types of medical services Vital provides the PPD are medical booking clearances and blood draws. After conducting an analysis of service occasions from previous years, it was determined PPD averages close to 30 booking clearances and 15 blood draws per month. The quotefrom Vital Medical Services, LLC for this level of service is $21,000/month.
An internet search was conducted for vendors who provide similar, on-site medical services for Type 1 jail facilities. Larger jails facilities such as Los Angeles County Jail, employ their own medical staff. Vital is the only vendor in the LA County area who services smaller jail facilities such as the Pasadena City Jail. This was confirmed after conducting a survey of other Type 1 Jail facilities in LA County.
Contract Authorization with Vital Medical Services, LLC for Non-Emergent Medical Clearances to Inmates Housed in the Pasadena City Jail Facility.
June 13, 2022
This medical services contract will continue to provide the Police Department with a mechanism to better control the actual costs associated with medical clearances and blood draws via the flat rate charged by Vital Medical Services, LLC unlike the various costs associated with a medical service based system similar to what is found at Huntington Health Hospital. As such, it is in the best interest of the City to move forward with a 3-year contract with Vital Medical Services, LLC.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
The proposed purchase order contract with Vital Medical Services, LLC is consistent with the City Council's Strategic Planning Goal to maintain fiscal responsibility and ensure public safety by providing medical care (sick call) to inmates as required in Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations, "Minimum Standards for Local Detention Facilities."
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The proposed contract is exempt from CEQA per section 15061(b) (3), the common sense exemption (formerly the "general rule") that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in\ question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. The proposed action is to enter into an agreement with a contractor to provide non-emergency medical services to inmates housed in the Pasadena City Jail Facility. No construction or other direct physical changes in the environment would occur. Any indirect effects (e.g., emissions from vehicle use associated with the service) would be immeasurably small and would be equal to or less than the indirect effects caused by the current practice.
Contract Authorization with Vital Medical Services, LLC for Non-Emergent Medical Clearances to Inmates Housed in the Pasadena City Jail Facility.
June 13, 2022
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of this action will be $756,000 over a three year period plus a 10% contingency of $76,000 for a total not-to-exceed amount of $832,000. Funding will be addressed by the utilization of existing and future budgeted appropriation in the Police Department General Fund's Jail operating budget account 10133016. There are no indirect and support costs associated with this contract.
Respectfully submitted,
Prepared by:
William Gris fe
Acting Police Command
Approved by: