DATE: April 25, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: David Luchini, RN, PHN, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: Retroactive Agreement with Pinnacle Training Systems, LLC
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Make a finding that it is in the best interest of the County to suspend the competitive bidding process consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual or extraordinary circumstances for COVID-19 and Flu mobile vaccination services, as Pinnacle Training Systems, LLC is the only organization that has the capacity and has been providing such services at various Fresno County locations for the last two years; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive Agreement with Pinnacle Training Systems, LLC, for the provision of COVID-19 and Flu vaccination services from January 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024 total not to exceed $637,500.
REPORT
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended actions will allow the County to continue partnering with Pinnacle Training Systems, LLC (PTS) to continue providing on-call COVID-19 and Flu vaccine administration services. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There are no viable alternative actions. Should your Board choose to not approve the recommended actions, PTS will no longer be able to serve as one of Fresno County’s on-call mobile COVID-19 and Flu vaccine administration vendors, reducing the capacity to support vaccine administration services and events within Fresno County.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
The Department’s request to suspend the competitive bidding process is consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual and extraordinary circumstances as PTS has demonstrated its ability to be a reliable partner with Fresno County through providing mobile and on-call COVID-19 and Flu vaccination services to Fresno County residents under Agreement No. A-21-067 and A-21-454 since February 15, 2021, and Agreement A-22-282 since July 1, 2022. PTS is one of two contractors that has been providing vaccine services to County residents. However, PTS is the only provider that has the capability to provide mobile services at various County locations, allowing for increased vaccine administration services countywide. The Internal Services Division - Purchasing concurs with the Department’s request to suspend the competitive bidding process.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The recommended agreement is retroactive to January 1, 2023. PTS was providing services under Agreement No. A-22-282 which expired on December 31, 2022. Based on the continued need for COVID-19 vaccination services within the County and to protect against possible future surges in COVID-19, the Department determined there was still a need for the services being provided. During the ending period of the agreement term, vacancies occurred in the Department’s management staff that did not allow for this agreement to be brought to your Board prior to expiration. There are currently three pending invoices in the amount of $52,500. Approval of the recommended actions will allow for payment of pending invoices and continue the needed services through May 31, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The agreement is funded by the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) Enhancing Detection Expansion funds and the Immunization Cooperative Agreement funding. The maximum payable under this contract is $637,500. Sufficient appropriations were included in the Department’s Org 5620 FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget and will be included in the Department’s Org 5620 FY 2023-24 budget request.
DISCUSSION:
On March 9, 2021, your Board made a finding that it was in the best interest of the County to suspend the competitive bidding process in an emergency when goods or services are immediately necessary for the preservation of public health, welfare, safety, or the protection of County property, consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34, for urgent and necessary COVID-19 vaccination services for Fresno County employees. At that time, your Board executed a retroactive agreement (No. A-21-067) with PTS for COVID-19 vaccination services to County of Fresno employees. On July 13, 2021, your Board approved the First Amendment to the Agreement with PTS to expand vaccination portability to all Fresno County residents by allowing PTS to provide services to clinics held through community medical clinics/vaccination events or through employers. On November 2, 2021, your Board approved the Second Amendment to the Agreement to add the provision of flu vaccination services, extend the length of the agreement, and increase the total compensation to accommodate the provision of new and existing services through June 30, 2022. On June 21, 2022, your Board approved the Third Amendment to the Agreement to extend the agreement term through December 31, 2022.
PTS and the Regents of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) are the only contractors that remain in the County to provide the residents of Fresno County with on-call vaccine administration services. As COVID-19 cases continue to exist in the community, vaccine administration teams are still needed and must be readily available to provide vaccine services to Fresno County residents should the need arise. PTS has been an essential partner to the Department in providing COVID-19 vaccination services and continues to possess the mobilization capability enabling them to be highly effective and consistently utilized. As of December 31, 2022, PTS has participated in over 160 clinics and administered over 6,241 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the community.
Approval of the recommended actions will allow PTS to continue to serve as one of Fresno County’s contractors to provide vaccine administration services through May 31, 2024 as the need arises.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #67 June 21, 2022
BAI #37 November 2, 2021
BAI #41 July 13, 2021
BAI #31 March 9, 2021
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Acquisition Request
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Pinnacle Training Systems, LLC
CAO ANALYST:
Ron Alexander