Title
Recommendation to Authorize the Acting City Manager to Execute a Second Amendment to the Agreement with the County of Alameda Extending the Term of the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program; and
Adoption of Resolution Amending the Fire Grant Funds Budget for Fiscal Year 2017-18 by $142,000 for Costs Associated with the Extension of the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program. (Fire 220)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Elizabeth Warmerdam, Acting City Manager
Re: Recommendation to Authorize the Acting City Manager to Execute a Second Amendment to the Agreement with the County of Alameda Extending the Term of the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program; and Adoption of Resolution Amending the Fire Grant Funds Budget for Fiscal Year 2017-18 by $142,000 for Costs Associated with the Extension of the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program
BACKGROUND
The State of California Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA) began accepting letters of intent for their two-year Community Paramedicine Pilot Program on July 18, 2013. The Pilot Program seeks to achieve efficiencies and enhance services in community-based health care by providing training to Paramedics in 11 jurisdictions throughout California. On October 24, 2013, the City of Alameda Fire Department was provisionally accepted by the EMSA to represent Alameda County in the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program. On July 29, 2014, City Council authorized the Fire Department to participate in the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program, add an additional Division Chief and two Community Paramedic Firefighter positions, and to backfill regular fire staff, including the hiring of three limited term firefighters. On January 22, 2015, the City Manager entered into a funding agreement with the County of Alameda, which initiated the Fire Department’s participation in the Pilot Program.
DISCUSSION
The goal of the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program is to determine whether Paramedics working in an expanded role will help improve overall health systems integration, efficiency and/or fill identified healthcare needs. By participating in this Pilot Program and testing the Program’s theories, the County of Alameda, working with the EMSA, generates, collects, and analyzes data that are being used to examine the practice of community paramedicine and serve as a basis to recommend changes to existing statute and regulations. The Alameda County Pilot Program includes two of the six aspects identified for the EMSA Program. They are:
1. Identify frequent callers of the 911 system and assist them in accessing primary care and social services; and
2. Provide follow-up-care for persons recently discharged from the hospital and at increased risk of a return to the Emergency Room or readmission to the hospital.
On November 14, 2017, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) extended the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program from three years to four years in order to collect additional data needed to fully analyze the outcomes of the Pilot Program, as well as determine the future of Community Paramedicine in the State. OSHPD has indicated that this is likely the last year of the pilot study. The study will end on November 13, 2018.
In response to the extension of the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program, the City of Alameda, the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (HCSA), and the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Agency met to discuss continued funding of the program. The parties tentatively agreed to commit equal funding through the expected end of the pilot program.
The agreement with the County of Alameda will be amended as follows:
• Increase the amount by $355,000 bringing the total contract amount to $2,097,096;
• Extend the term to end on November 30, 2018;
• Exhibit A-2 (Definition of Services) is added to the original Exhibit A and incorporates the revised end date and contract amount; and
• Exhibit B-2 (Terms of Payment) is added to the original Exhibit B and incorporates the revised end date and contract amount.
There is no funding commitment to the City or expectation on the part of Alameda County that funding for the three positions will continue at the conclusion of the funded period. Therefore, once the funding concludes, the additional Division Chief and two Firefighter positions are deemed eliminated from the Fire Department’s authorized staffing.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Alameda County is providing $355,000 in funding to continue the Pilot Program through November 13, 2018. The funding will be managed by the Fire Department and will be accounted for in the Grants Fund 220. The existing Grants Fund revenue and expenditures budget for Fiscal Year 2017-18 will need to be amended by $142,000. At the end of Fiscal Year 2017-18, any unspent appropriations will be carried over and re-appropriated in Fiscal Year 2018-19 and the remaining funds will be appropriated as part of the biennial budget.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines section 10561(b)(3) as there is no possibility that this action may have a significant effect on the environment.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the Acting City Manager to execute a Second Amendment to the Agreement with the County of Alameda extending the term of the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program; and adoption of resolution amending the Fire Grants Funds revenue and expenditures budget for Fiscal Year 2017-18 by $142,000 from Alameda County for costs associated with the extension of the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program.
Respectfully submitted,
Edmund Rodriquez, Fire Chief
By,
Ricci Zombeck, Deputy Fire Chief
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Edwin Gato, Acting Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Community Paramedicine Contract - original, 2015
2. Community Paramedicine Contract - 1st amendment, 2017
3. Community Paramedicine Contract - 2nd amendment, 2018