Title
a. Ratify execution by the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) for Natividad Medical Center of an agreement with ECMO PRN, LLC (“ECMO PRN”), dated March 4, 2024, for one-time only extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (“ECMO”) services and ECMO interfacility transportation services; and
b. Ratify execution by the designee of the CEO for Natividad Medical Center of a further agreement with ECMO PRN, dated March 29, 2024, for one-time ECMO services and ECMO interfacility transportation services; and
c. Ratify execution by the CEO for Natividad Medical Center of a further agreement with ECMO PRN, dated January 15, 2025, for one-time ECMO services and ECMO interfacility transportation services; and
d. Approve CEO’s recommendation to accept non-standard insurance and limitation of liability provisions in the agreements; and
e. Authorize the Auditor-Controller to process payment to ECMO for specified outstanding invoices in the amount of $77,558.29, for ECMO services and ECMO interfacility transportation services.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended the Board of Supervisors:
a. Ratify execution by the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) for Natividad Medical Center of an agreement with ECMO PRN, LLC (“ECMO PRN”), dated March 4, 2024, for one-time only extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (“ECMO”) services and ECMO interfacility transportation services; and
b. Ratify execution by the designee of the CEO for Natividad Medical Center of a further agreement with ECMO PRN, dated March 29, 2024, for one-time ECMO services and ECMO interfacility transportation services; and
c. Ratify execution by the CEO for Natividad Medical Center of a further agreement with ECMO PRN, dated January 15, 2025, for one-time ECMO services and ECMO interfacility transportation services; and
d. Approve CEO’s recommendation to accept non-standard insurance and limitation of liability provisions in the agreements; and
e. Authorize the Auditor-Controller to process payment to ECMO for specified outstanding invoices in the amount of $77,558.29, for ECMO services and ECMO interfacility transportation services.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Natividad Medical Center (“NMC”) signed several one-time emergency agreements with ECMO PRN for the provision of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) services and ECMO interfacility transfer services. ECMO services are needed for critically ill patients with life-threatening heart or lung conditions. ECMO services are external life support permitting a patient’s blood to continue to be oxygenated externally while the patient’s heart or lung has time to heal or be readied for an organ transplant.
NMC does not provide ongoing ECMO care at its facility. AMR, the County-wide ambulance provider, does not provide ECMO interfacility transportation services for Monterey County hospitals. As a result, NMC must contract for ECMO services before, during and after transport of the patient to an ECMO receiving hospital for ongoing ECMO care. Services provided under these one-time agreements allowed Natividad on an emergency basis to initiate ECMO at Natividad and transport the patient undergoing ECMO services on board to an ECMO receiving hospital.
NMC and ECMO PRN are in the process of negotiating a new long-term agreement. As none of the agreements had a total contract amount, this board request will enable NMC to pay outstanding invoices (minus late fees) for CY 2024 and January 2025.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Office of County Counsel has reviewed and approved the as to form, and the Auditor-Controller has reviewed and approved as to payment provisions. This Board request has been reviewed and approved by NMC’s Finance Committee and by its Board of Trustees on March 14, 2025.
FINANCING:
The cost for these agreements and related invoices is $77,558.29 of which $37,958.29 is included in the FY 2023-2024 Adopted Budget and $39,600 is included in the FY 2024-2025 Adopted Budget. Funding will be provided from NMC’s Enterprise Fund 451-9600-6608.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
This Board request meets one of the BOS Strategic Initiatives. ECMO services and ECMO transport services provide the Monterey County community with important services not available in the County. ECMO services support critically ill patients with life-threatening health conditions. ECMO interfacility transport services allow critically ill patients to be transferred to an acute facility that provides ECMO services.
__ Economic Development
__ Administration
X Health and Human Services
__ Infrastructure
__ Public Safety
Prepared by: Craig Walls, Chief Medical Officer, 755-4196
Approved by: Charles R. Harris, Chief Executive Officer, 783-2553
Attachments:
ECMO PRN LLC emergency short term Agreement, dated 3/4/2024
ECMO PRN LLC emergency short term Agreement, dated 3/29/2024
ECMO PRN LLC emergency short term Agreement, dated 1/15/2025
Invoices 1805, 1830, and 2065
Attachments on file with the Clerk of the Board