Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a First 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 Fund Revenue and Expenditures Budget for Fiscal Year 2016-17 by $246,048 from Alameda County 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: Jill Keimach, City Manager
Re: Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a First 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 Fund Revenue and Expenditures Budget for Fiscal Year 2016-17 by $246,048 from Alameda County 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 and testing the Program’s theories, the County of Alameda, working with the EMSA, will generate, collect, and analyze data that will be 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, 2016, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) extended the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program from two years to three 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 another one year extension is likely, so staff is working to identify additional funding for this potential second extension. The Department will return to City Council for additional authorization should OSHPD approve the second extension.
The agreement with the County of Alameda will be amended as follows:
• Increase the amount by $492,096, bringing the total contract amount to $1,742,096.
• Extend the term to end on November 30, 2017.
• Exhibit A-1 (Definition of Services) is added to the original Exhibit A and incorporates the revised end date and contract amount.
• Exhibit B-1 (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 either the funded period or throughout the term of the Pilot Program. 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 $492,096 in funding to continue the Pilot Program through November 30, 2017. The funding will be managed by the Fire Department and will be accounted for in the Grants Fund 220. The Grants Fund revenue and expenditures budget will need to be amended by $246,048 from Alameda County for fiscal year 2016-17. At the end of Fiscal Year 2016-17, any unspent appropriations will be carried over and re-appropriated in Fiscal Year 2017-18 and the remaining $246,048 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 City Manager to execute a First 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 Fund revenue and expenditures budget for Fiscal Year 2016-17 by $246,048 from Alameda County for costs associated with the extension of the Community Paramedicine Pilot Program.
Respectfully submitted,
Doug Long, Fire Chief
By,
Darci Vogel, Fire Admin Supervisor
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Community Paramedicine Contract - original, 2015
2. Community Paramedicine Contract - 1st amendment, 2017