TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file Contract No. 35791, with Akido Labs, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA, to design, build, test, deploy, host, and maintain an Integrated System of Care solution for the Department of Health and Human Services, to increase the contract in the amount of $100,000, for a total contract amount of $662,142, for a term ending March 31, 2022, made pursuant to Chapters 2.69 and 2.85 of the Long Beach Municipal Code and in response to the proclaimed emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 35791 with Akido Labs, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA, to host, support, and maintain an Integrated System of Care solution for the Health Department, to increase the contract in an annual amount not to exceed $500,000, for a new total contract amount of $1,662,142, and extend the term of the contract through December 31, 2024, with the option to renew for two 12-month periods, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to amend Contract No. 35791 with Akido Labs, Inc., to continue technology related customer support, which includes the hosting and maintenance of an Integrated System of Care (ISC) solution and for implementation services for the Health Department.
The ISC is a technology platform and work process that will continue to support the Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) efforts to reduce its response times and more reliably connect individuals with supportive services within the Health Department, based on public health, social, and economic demographic information. Additionally, the ISC strengthens the Health Department’s COVID-19 response. The ISC solution will continue to standardize and streamline the intake process across various programs, facilitate information sharing within the Health Department, continue to increase program utilization via referrals, interface with internal and external databases as needed, and enable aggregated reporting at a department-wide level. The ISC solution includes standardized intake, electronic health risk assessment/screening survey to determine an individual’s need for services, and vulnerability related to the risk of COVID-19; program eligibility determination based on a participant’s intake and screening responses; referrals; and case management. Additional funding is needed to continue the hosting, support, and maintenance of the ISC, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact Long Beach residents during another surge in COVID-19 cases.
On March 10, 2020, the City Council recognized that an emergency existed and unanimously passed a Resolution ratifying the City Manager’s Proclamation of Local Emergency and the Public Health Officer’s Declaration of Local Health Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pursuant to Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) Chapter 2.69 and 2.85, the City Manager has the authority to approve purchases of up to $1,000,000 for goods or services related to a proclaimed emergency.
On July 14, 2020, the City Council designated the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to be considered as a part of the proclaimed emergency with respect to requests for procurement and contracting. This project is funded in part by CARES Act and an appropriate expedited procurement process, RFP HE20-065, was completed to select and award a contract to Akido Labs, Inc. The initial contract in the amount of $462,540, was awarded within the City Manager’s authority, per LBMC Chapter 2.85.
On July 13, 2021, the City Council approved the request to amend Contract No. 35791 with Akido Labs, Inc., to increase the contract amount by $98,602, for a new contract amount of $562,142, to design, build, test, deploy, host, and maintain the ISC for the Health Department, and to expand the scope to include the purchase and management of associated electronic devices.
The first renewal option was exercised, and the contract expires on December 27, 2021. An additional $98,602, for a revised contract amount not to exceed $562,142, was authorized by the City Manager in order to appropriately respond to the declared emergency related to COVID-19. This request provided the resources necessary to avoid disruption of services.
On January 5, 2022, pursuant to emergency purchasing authority referenced above, and contained in Chapters 2.69 and 2.85 of the LBMC, the City Manager executed a second amendment to Contract No. 35791 to increase the contract by $100,000 for a total not to exceed amount of $662,142.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Erin Weesner-McKinley on February 2, 2022, by Business Services Bureau Manager Tara Mortensen on January 27, 2022, and by Budget Analysis Officer Greg Sorenson on February 9, 2022.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action to amend Contract No. 35791 is requested on March 1, 2022, to ensure there is no interruption to services.
EQUITY STATEMENT
The Integrated System of Care (ICS) incorporates recommended strategies from the City’s Equity Toolkit, as directed by the City Council on April 21, 2020. The program will allow for consideration of the diverse needs of the community by continuing to integrate services for greater support of those populations that are harder to reach and will also continue to enable the Health Department to address disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic with culturally relevant approaches and services. The ICS will continue to identify gaps and inequities in the City’s current services and will continue to use the demographic data collected to help understand barriers to health care. The new software platform has allowed staff to review the level of access to services/benefits, any barriers to participation, reasons for unequal access, and approaches to address inequities, as well as continue to evaluate the level of consistency and qualify of existing services.
FISCAL IMPACT
The requested action increases the Contract authority with Akido Labs, Inc., by $1,000,000, for a new revised total not to exceed $1,662,142. The total annual amount of the contract shall not exceed $500,000. The increase will be funded by the COVID-19 Health Disparities Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sufficient funds are currently budgeted in the Health Fund Group in the Health and Human Services Department. This recommendation has minimal staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties for staff currently working on COVID-19 response and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
KELLY COLOPY
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER