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Approve a contract with the SIMI Group, Inc. for $656,226 to facilitate reporting of public health data for the period of December 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 through reinstatement of the SIMI Group system with any new development subject to the Department of Information Technology’s approval that County security requirements have been met; and Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the contract and any subsequent amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, up to an aggregate of $74,999
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Published Notice Required? Yes ___ No X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ___ No X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Health and Social Services recommends that the Board of Supervisors approve a contract with the SIMI Group, Inc. for $656,226 to facilitate reporting of public health data for the period of December 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 through reinstatement of the SIMI Group system with any new development subject to the Department of Information Technology’s approval that County security requirements have been met, and delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the contract and any subsequent amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, up to an aggregate of $74,999.
SUMMARY:
Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations requires Solano County Public Health Division to receive and investigate all reportable diseases and conditions, including infectious diseases, and transmit that information to the State of California. This contract provides services to facilitate this requirement.
Additionally, Solano County Public Health Division has partnered with the Solano County Behavioral Health Division to identify and address youth and adults in the hospital setting experiencing a mental health crisis. The data collected as part of this contract will significantly assist in those activities.
The recommended contract includes new system development which will not be initiated prior to the Solano County Department of Information Technology certification that the existing system meets County security requirements.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Appropriations for this contract are included in the Department's FY2024/25 Working Budget and will be funded with Public Health Realignment. There is no impact on the County General Fund.
DISCUSSION:
All healthcare providers, laboratories, and other mandated reporting agencies are required to report infectious diseases and various conditions that are defined as a threat to the public health, per Title 17, California Code of Regulations (CCR) §2500, §2593, §2641.5- 2643.20, and §2800-2812. As such, Solano County Public Health Division must receive, investigate, and work to prevent the spread of diseases and conditions that could cause serious harm to the public's health. Examples of such diseases and conditions include the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), tuberculosis (TB), syphilis, foodborne illnesses, and over 80 additional diseases or conditions.
The objective of this contract is to receive, process, transmit, and analyze cases, immunizations, laboratory results, healthcare encounters, and other surveillance data that report the occurrence and spread of reportable diseases and conditions. In addition to processing approximately 120,000 case reports, 125,000 immunization records, 500,000 laboratory results, and over 3.3 million other types of encounter and surveillance records, the contractor will assist in analyzing those data. The enhanced capacity that is gained by conducting data analyses across multiple facets of the healthcare continuum allows the County to:
(1) Identify surges and outbreaks before the State reveals those trends (for example, Solano County Public Health often noticed outbreaks and surges in COVID-19 before the State reported those data),
(2) Isolate trends in “breakthrough cases” where an individual contracts a disease they have been vaccinated against, and
(3) Ascertain unmet needs based on socioeconomic and ethnic variables that the State cannot access (for example, many State systems do not track ethnic groups such as Filipino).
On June 27, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved and accepted a new revenue agreement from the California Department of Public Health to participate in the Youth Suicide Reporting and Crisis Response Pilot Program. Since this action, the Solano County Public Health and Behavioral Health Divisions have created a workgroup, logic model, and workflow to identify and quickly respond to any attempted suicides or individuals presently in the hospital setting with other mental health issues. Additionally, this program now offers postvention support for the family and friends of those who have committed suicide.
This contract also provides data reporting support to the public health laboratory, as the Napa-Solano-Yolo-Marin Public Health Laboratory must report laboratory results to the State. And as a healthcare provider, the Solano County Family Health Services Division operates a federally qualified health clinic (FQHC) responsible for reporting communicable diseases and reportable conditions. The Simi Group contract supports the submission of reportable diseases and conditions, immunizations, and other critical healthcare data to the State of California. This contract also supports the enhanced analyses of those data, including identifying strategies to improve the level of care provided to Family Health Services’ patients, which also increases the likelihood of receiving Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) funding.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve this contract. This is not recommended as the County is mandated to receive, investigate, and report various diseases and conditions that may pose a significant threat to the public's health.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Department of Health and Social Services is working with the Department of Information Technology and the Simi Group to meet all network privacy and security standards.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the contract for legal sufficiency.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION