DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
StarLIMS Upgrade
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes a contract with Abbott Informatics, Inc. to upgrade the City’s existing StarLIMS Public Health software application for the San Antonio Metro Health District for a total contract value of $429,006.39 over a five-year period. Funding in the amount of $337,170.00 for the system and application upgrade and associated professional services is available through the FY 2020 - FY 2021 Capital Improvement Program. Annual system maintenance and support in the amount of $18,367.28 is funded from the San Antonio Metro Health District Operating Budget. Funding for subsequent years of the contract will be requested as part of the SA Metro Health annual budget process.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The San Antonio Metro Health Laboratory Services Division utilizes the StarLIMS software application as an information management system to process laboratory data in accordance with federal regulatory requirements, Meaningful Use requirements, and interoperability needs for Metro Health District. StarLIMS directly supports Metro Health infectious disease surveillance programs for sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, rabies, drinking water quality, and Milk and Dairy regulatory testing. This software application has been in use for over ten years and is at the end of its life. There is a need to upgrade these software products in order to continue receiving support from Abbott Informatics, Inc. The opportunity to perform a full system upgrade allows the City to create a multi-environment solution providing a robust development and support platform for StarLIMS.
The software application upgrade from StarLIMS Public Health 10.6 to the PH12.0 version introduces new functionality and provides out of the box functionality that will replace customizations performed during the previous implementation. Other customizations will be moved to the new version, including user data, in order to ensure operational processes are not impacted. The upgraded application provides the opportunity to improve process flows and supports integration with the diagnostic instruments used in the laboratory today. Additional functionality will reduce redundant test order and demographic data entry requirements.
Integration of the laboratory instruments is included in the scope of this upgrade which will leverage the automation capabilities of the instruments working with the laboratory information management system (LIMS), thus improving processes in place today.
ISSUE:
This contract with Abbott Informatics, Inc. will provide for upgrades from StarLIMS Public Health 10.6 system to the StarLIMS software application PH12.0 for the San Antonio Metro Health District, Laboratory Services Division.
This contract is sole source and exempt from competitive bidding and is excluded from the scope of the SBEDA program.
This award is an exception to the Local Preference Program.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program does not apply to goods/supplies contracts, so no preference was applied to this contract.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this contract not be approved, the San Antonio Metro Health District (SAMHD) would not be able to upgrade the current StarLIMS system application system. Without this upgrade, the vendor has stated that they cannot continue to support the current application and SAMHD would have to revert to manual processes (paper based) which would make SAMHD non-compliant with HIPAA regulations.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes a contract with Abbott Informatics, Inc. in the amount of $429,006.39 over a five-year period. Funding for upgrades to the current StarLIMS Public Health software application in the amount of $337,170.00 for the system and application upgrade and associated professional services are available through the FY 2020 - FY 2021 Capital Improvement program. Annual system maintenance and support in the amount of $18,367.28 is funded from the San Antonio Metro Health District Operating Budget. Funding for subsequent years of the contract will be requested as part of the SA Metro Health annual budget process.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the contract with Abbott Informatics, Inc for upgrades to the StarLIMS Public Health software application and annual system maintenance for a total contract value of $429,006.39 over a five-year period.
This contract was processed citing a Sole Source Exemption and a Contracts Disclosure Form is not required.