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Chief Administrative Office, Emergency Medical Services Agency and Emergency Preparedness & Response Division (EMSA), recommending the Board:
1) Make a finding in accordance with Section 3.13.030 of Ordinance 5116 that the work requires special skills and qualifications not expressly identified in County Classifications that are involved with the performance of the work; and
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign perpetual Agreement 6159 with FirstWatch Solutions, Inc., for the implementation, maintenance, and support of proprietary software for the purposes of aggregating and analyzing data from disparate information systems and tracking and identifying key data points to be used in evaluating, maintaining and improving the EMS System in an initial amount of $327,971.81 for the first five (5) years.
FUNDING: Maddy's and Richie's Funds.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The mission of El Dorado County EMSA is to provide a cost-effective, sustainable, collaborative, and data-driven EMS system. Currently, EMSA has a number of sources of data, but no efficient and effective way of aggregating, analyzing, and verifying the data.
The FirstWatch System is an industry-standard in the EMS field for analyzing data and monitoring system performance. Implementing FirstWatch, specifically the Online Compliance Utility and FirstPass modules, will assist the EMS Agency in monitoring system performance, identifying trends (e.g. disease clusters, increases in specific types of calls, etc.), and improving continuous quality improvement processes, especially as they relate to the specialty systems of care. The Online Compliance Utility (OCU) module was specifically designed to automatically monitor contractual compliance in near real-time via a FirstWatch interface into Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) data. The OCU is created using a rules-based approach based upon contractual requirements that allow both contracted EMS providers, as well as the administrative oversight agency to mutually review incidents with response times outside of the OCU parameters, using a secure web-based approach. Exemptions, Exceptions, as well as requests for additional information, are handled within the secure OCU environment and submitted/reviewed on a daily or weekly (as needed) basis.
The FirstPass module enhances the core FirstWatch system functionality by automatically reviewing every ePCR (electronic patient care report) created by paramedics (during a prehospital patient encounter) in real-time and identifying deviations in the paramedics’ patient treatment procedures when compared against evidence-based medical protocols, procedures and directives. FirstPass ultimately improves the quality of care delivered to patients and mitigates potential risk by quickly identifying trends on high risk, low-frequency emergency medical interventions, like STEMI, Stroke, ACS/Cardiac, Trauma, and Airway Management.
FirstWatch is Patented Intellectual Property (IP) in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Therefore, FirstWatch is the single source for the acquisition, deployment, data source interface(s), installation, and support of the FirstWatch software/system.
Per Policy C-17, the Board of Supervisors must authorize any contract, initially and on an annual basis, that does not have a stated contract term, as well as approve any contract with an amount exceeding $100,000.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could decline to approve Agreement 6159 for the purchase, implementation, and support for FirstWatch; however, this would continue to leave the EMS Agency without an effective and efficient means of utilizing data to monitor, evaluate and improve the EMS System in El Dorado County.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The implementation and ongoing costs of the FirstWatch's services will be funded by the discretionary portion of the EMS Fund (Maddy’s Fund and Richie’s Fund) court Penalty revenues.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Please return a certified copy of the executed agreement to CAO Fiscal, ATTENTION Jeremy Apodaca for further processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Public Safety
CONTACT
Michelle Patterson, Manager/EMSA Administrator
Sue Hennike, Deputy CAO