DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Dr. Thomas Schlenker
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Authorizing an Amendment to the STRAC Agreement
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes an amendment to an agreement between Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) to provide additional funding in the amount of $7,500.00 to a total amount not to exceed $37,500.00 for the purchase of a license for the Visual Dx diagnostic and training tool from Logical Images Inc. and an EverBridge License used to simultaneously notify medical staff of an emergency event. Funding for this agreement is available and budgeted within Metro Health's Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) FY 2015 grant.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In April of 2007, Metro Health initiated a piloted program for Visual Dx and currently maintains the cost of the program. Visual Dx is a diagnostic and training tool that allows physicians to more rapidly diagnose rare diseases or agents associated with bioterrorism and pandemics. In 2008, STRAC and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Region 8 became partners in a multi-agency implementation plan to equip hospitals with the Visual Dx software throughout the region. In 2011, the program was expanded to all Bexar County physicians through the Bexar County Medical Society (BCMS).
In November 2014, City Council authorized an agreement with STRAC to provide funding in an amount not to exceed $30,000.00 in support of a multiagency funded license for Visual Dx software from Logical Images Inc. for Bexar County. Through this contract, STRAC maintains the Visual Dx Software across DSHS Region 8. As part of our Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) grant deliverables, Metro Health is required to train physicians and medical responders on how to rapidly identify and diagnose patients that present themselves to hospital emergency departments and physician offices.
Visual Dx is versatile in that it will train physicians as necessary and can be used in real-time situations to make a rapid diagnosis. Although funding from the Metro Health PHEP grant will go specifically towards the cost for a Bexar County license, our partnership with DSHS Region 8 and STRAC, who are sharing a portion of the financial cost, will expand the coverage of this service across the South Central Texas Region. Maintaining this license will provide the web-based Visual Dx Software to all Bexar County hospitals and physicians via BCMS.
Through the proposed amendment Metro Health will provide STRAC additional State of Texas funds in the amount of $7,500.00, which along with supplementary funding by all forty-nine regional hospitals located in the DSHS Trauma Service Area P, which includes twenty-two counties (regional hospitals) and local agencies, will provide for the purchase of an EverBridge License used to notify medical staff in an emergency event and maintenance of services related to public health emergency preparedness.
ISSUE:
Due to a 38% funding cut in the STRAC's Hospital Preparedness and Planning (HPP) Grant, a cost sharing mechanism was devised among all regional hospitals and public health agencies to collectively share cost for essential services needed for hospital and public health preparedness and response. Without the cost sharing approach, each agency/facility will need to contract individually for these services which will greatly increase the total cost.
ALTERNATIVES:
If this contract amendment is not authorized, Metro Health's PHEP program would not be able to participate in the established cost sharing mechanism for all regional hospitals and local and regional public health agencies to minimize preparedness and response cost among all emergency/first responder health and medical agencies.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding for this amendment with STRAC is available and budgeted within Metro Health's FY 2015 Public Health Emergency Preparedness grant and will have no impact to the general fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of an Ordinance authorizing an amendment to the agreement with the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council to provide additional funding in an amount not to exceed $7,500.00 for the purchase of an EverBridge License used to simultaneously notify medical staff of an emergency event.