Title
a. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer for Natividad Medical Center (NMC) or his designee to execute an agreement with HeartFlow, Inc. for analysis of cardiac disease services for an amount not to exceed $136,000 with an agreement term retroactive from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023; and
b. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer for NMC or his designee to execute up to three (3) future amendments to the Master Services Agreement which do not significantly alter the scope of work and do not cause an increase of more than ten percent (10%) ($13,600) of the original cost of the agreement; and
c. Approve the NMC Chief Executive Officer’s recommendation to accept non-standard indemnification, auto insurance, and limitations on liability provisions within the agreement.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended the Board of Supervisors:
a. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer for Natividad Medical Center (NMC) or his designee to execute an agreement with HeartFlow, Inc. for analysis of cardiac disease services for an amount not to exceed $136,000 with an agreement term retroactive from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023; and
b. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer for NMC or his designee to execute up to three (3) future amendments to the Master Services Agreement which do not significantly alter the scope of work and do not cause an increase of more than ten percent (10%) ($13,600) of the original cost of the agreement; and
c. Approve the NMC Chief Executive Officer’s recommendation to accept non-standard indemnification, auto insurance, and limitations on liability provisions within the agreement
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Cardiologists utilize this service and other physicians at NMC for selective specialized cardiovascular patients who need further diagnostic work up for assessment of cardiovascular disease. This is a service where patients who have already undergone at Computerized Tomography of the Chest have the results sent out electronically to HeartHeartFlow for further expert analysis.
• The service benefits the NMC patient as it provides a more complete analysis and risk stratification as to the severity (or not) of their coronary arteries.
• HeartFlow provides this outsourced diagnostic service without the need for further invasive cardiac procedures such as expensive and more dangerous invasive cardiac catheterization for some selected Cardiac patients.
• The HeartFlow analysis has shown to be highly accurate in sensitivity and specificity. If the analysis comes back negative, the patient does not need further cardiac testing and further exposure to radiological cardiac tests for the period of the next 24-36 months. Conversely, if this analysis comes back positive, the patient is then referred for further specialized procedures where the blockages have been located and shown to be a significant risk factor. Either way the patient benefits from this advanced cardiac analysis.
• The service also is very beneficial to NMC as it helps to keep the patient in our system rather than transferred out for this further expensive testing. It also speeds up the diagnostic results by a very impressive 4-hour turnaround to know if the patient is suffering from serious cardiac disease.
• This also benefits NMC and its community of patients as it allows us to scan more patients faster for the presence or absence of coronary disease.
• Sometimes this CT Scan has discovered other diseases such as cancers at a much earlier state as it was discovered before other symptoms as a cardiac screening tool.
• Medicare has acknowledged the advantage of this specialized diagnostic procedure, and will reimburse the hospital for this service at a positive rate.
• There is no monthly fee if the service is not utilized. It is only expensed on a selected per patient need basis.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Office of County Counsel has reviewed and approved this agreement as to form, and the Auditor-Controller has reviewed and approved as to payment provisions. The agreement has also been reviewed and approved by NMC’s Finance Committee and by its Board of Trustees on June 11, 2021.
FINANCING:
The cost for this agreement is $136,000 of which $68,000 is included in the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Adopted Budget. Amounts for remaining years of the agreement will be included in those budgets as appropriate.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
This procedure further enhances the Health and Human Services in Monterey County as it allows the patient to receive the procedure without leaving NMC. The analysis is completed remotely by national scientific experts who have developed the specific software for predicting the presence or absence of coronary artery disease. Previously patients would have to travel to the San Francisco or Los Angeles area for this type of procedure.
__ Economic Development
__ Administration
X Health and Human Services
__ Infrastructure
__ Public Safety
Prepared by: William Barber, Nursing Services Division Manager, 783-7826
Approved by: Charles Harris, MD, Interim Chief Executive Officer, 783-2785
Attachments:
HeartFlow Inc. Analysis Order Agreement and Business Associate Agreement
Attachments on file with the Clerk of the Board