DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Dr. Vincent R. Nathan
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City- Wide
SUBJECT:
Authorizing an Agreement with STRAC for an Everbridge Software License and maintenance cost related to other medical response systems
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes an agreement between Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) to provide funding in an amount not to exceed $7,500.00 in support of a multiagency (Metro Health, STRAC, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and all hospitals throughout DSHS Region 8) funded license for Everbridge Software and maintenance cost related to other medical response systems for public health emergency preparedness activities. Funding for this agreement is available and budgeted within Metro Health's Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) FY 2016 - 17 grant.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In FY 2015 in response to decreasing Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Hospital Planning and Preparedness funds, Metro Health in conjunction with STRAC, DSHS Region 8 and the many hospital facilities throughout DSHS Region 8 initiated a multi-agency cost sharing plan to enhance efficiencies that would maintained medical response systems. Services provided are listed below:
• EverBridge Call-down System
• Seat at the Regional Medical Operation Center (RMOC) to include maintenance of IT Equipment, furniture, and supplies
• Compliance assistance with Texas Joint Commission requirements for All-Hazards exercises, Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) reviews
• STRAC-ID Badging for all Physicians affiliated with regional hospitals
• Coordination and participation in at least one Full Scale Exercise to meet HPP/PHEP exercise requirements
• Mobile Satellite Phone/Radio service and maintenance cost
• MEDCOM Communications Center assistance. Maintains operation of a central node for all request for assistance and ability to rapidly dispatch Ambuses, helicopters, and disaster response team assets 24/7
• Coordination of Meetings with other Preparedness/EOC Representatives from the community, best practices sharing
• Access to Subject Matter Expertise in a wide array of healthcare preparedness and incident management issues
ISSUE:
Metro Health is requesting City Council authorization of an agreement with STRAC to provide funding in an amount not to exceed $7,500.00 in support of a multiagency (Metro Health, STRAC, DSHS, and regional hospitals) funded license for the EverBridge Software used to notify medical staff in an emergency event and maintenance of services related to public health emergency preparedness and other medical response systems. This will allow Metro Health’s PHEP program to comply with grant deliverables with greater cost efficiencies and enhance medical response capabilities throughout DSHS Region 8.
ALTERNATIVES:
If this contract is not authorized, Metro Health’s PHEP program and other medical response agencies will be required to contract individually with multiple vendors at a higher cost and have medical response systems operate independently for each other with greater adverse effects during an emergency.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding for this agreement with STRAC is available and budgeted within Metro Health’s FY 2016-17 Public Health Emergency Preparedness grant. This agreement will have no impact to the General Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of an Ordinance authorizing an agreement with the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council to provide funding in an amount not to exceed $7,500.00 in support of a multiagency (Metro Health, STRAC, DSHS, and all regional hospitals) purchase of an EverBridge License used to notify medical staff in an emergency event and maintenance of services related to public health emergency preparedness.