DATE: March 6, 2018
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Margaret Mims, Sheriff-Coroner
SUBJECT: Budget Transfer for Purchase of One X-Ray Lodox Machine
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Clerk to the Board to execute Budget Transfer No. 14 ($600,000) transferring appropriations within the Sheriff-Coroner Org 3111, from Account 7281 (Data Processing) to Account 8300 (Equipment) for the purchase of a X-Ray Lodox Machine; and
2. Make a finding that it is in the best interest of the County to waive the competitive bidding process consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual or extraordinary circumstances for the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office to purchase a X-Ray Lodox Machine as Lodox Systems Propriety Limited Company is the only manufacturer of a radiographic system.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with these actions. The Sheriff-Coroner’s Office will use savings from Services and Supplies to purchase one X-Ray Lodox Machine with installation and extended warranty. The purchase may include removal and disposal of the current General Electric (GE) Light Speed Computed Tomography (CT) machine. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing will put the current machine on a County auction website to garner interest with a starting bid of $5,000. All proceeds for the auction of this machine will be returned to the County General Fund. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board does not approve the recommended actions, the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office will not be able to purchase an X-Ray Lodox Machine and dispose of the current GE Light Speed CT machine. The current machine is not in good working condition and requires costly repairs and maintenance. This machine also takes one to two hours to warm up, which results in delayed scheduling for the Forensic Pathologist and Deputy Coroners working on the autopsies.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
The Sheriff-Coroner’s Office recommends your Board waive the formal competitive bidding process under Administrative Policy No. 34 as Lodox Systems Propriety Limited Company (PTY) is the only manufacturer of the radiographic system and Radiologic Specialists Inc. (RSI), of Van Nuys, CA is the only authorized company to represent their products and services in the State of California. The X-Ray Lodox Machine is a full-body, high-speed digital radiology solution for forensic pathology. The low-radiation format makes Lodox imaging safer and easier for staff use and could improve the work flow in a very busy morgue. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing concurs with the Sheriff-Coroner Office’s request to waive the competitive bidding process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with this action, as savings from Services and Supplies in the Sheriff-Coroner’s FY 2017-18 Adopted Budget Org 3111 will fund the cost of a Lodox Machine and installation. The approval of the recommended action will allow for the transfer of $600,000 in appropriations from Account 7281 (Data Processing) to Account 8300 (Equipment) to fund this purchase. The extended warranty from Year 2 to end of Year 4 is included in the cost of the purchase for the Lodox Machine.
DISCUSSION:
The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is responsible for investigating all sudden and unexplained deaths in Fresno County by determining the cause and manner of death. During certain death investigations, the Forensic Pathologists require X-ray images of the body for analysis. The X-ray assists with foreign bodies, non-visible trauma and/or visible trauma, natural processes and ultimately assistance with the autopsy to determine the cause of death.
The Sheriff-Coroner’s Office currently utilizes the services of a contract company that comes to the morgue to X-ray decedents. The contract company brings its own portable X-ray machines as well as provides an X-ray technician. However, these X-rays are not capable of a full body scan.
The current GE Healthcare CT System was purchased on October 29, 2011 as part of the requested medical equipment for the new morgue. GE Healthcare is the original equipment manufacturer for the CT System.
The initial services agreement with GE Healthcare was effective upon purchase of the CT scanner and expired on December 2013. The cost to repair the software and hardware of the CT scanner is estimated in excess of $236,000, with an additional maintenance contract of $83,000 per year. The total cost over a four year period would be $568,000 ($83,000 x 4 = $332,000 + $236,000). Since ongoing maintenance is required and the current scanner is outdated and inoperable, the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is requesting approval to purchase an X-Ray Lodox Machine to replace the CT scanner.
The Lodox machine is a digital radiography X-ray scanning system that can produce clear, diagnostic full-body X-ray images in 13 seconds. The high quality images can be obtained at any rotation. The Lodox scanner provides an easy to use, fast method of assessing the entire deceased, which will greatly improve efficiency and the Sheriff-Coroner’s forensic capabilities. It eliminates the need to move a deceased for all radiological views making it more efficient and safer. The high quality digital images are also suited for bariatric and pediatrician deceased.
Other counties, such as San Bernardino and San Francisco, are using the Lodox X-Ray Machine for their forensic needs.
The purchase will include the following components and warranty:
A. Operator Work Station and installation
B. Table/Bariatric Trolley
C. Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Computer
D. High Frequency X-Ray Generator
E. Shipping and a two year warranty
F. Extended Warranty from year two to year four
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Sole Source Acquisition Request Form
On file with Clerk - Budget Transfer
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #18, August 11, 2009
CAO ANALYST:
Jeannie Z. Figueroa