Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Technology on behalf of the Columbus Public Health Department, to enter into a contract with Streamline Health, to provide the services of an automated vendor hosted vital records management system, inclusive of use of the vendor's associated software, license, maintenance and support services. The Columbus Public Health Department currently has an application to store birth and death data, but does not do imaging or document management. The Columbus Public Health Department's Vital Statistics Program serves as a dual registration office for all Franklin County and City of Columbus birth and death events. In order to maintain quality of service and keep up with the growing demand for vital records, as well as comply with changes in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Regulations, Vital Statistics must update record keeping automation. The Franklin County Office of Vital Statistics must file and register birth and death certificates in compliance with Ohio Law, assist customers in timely correction of birth and death certificate errors, provide timely and accurate birth and death certificates to all applicants when requested, assist law enforcement with flagging birth certificates of missing children, and provide internal and external customers with statistical aggregate birth and death data when requested. These functions are currently performed manually, greatly reducing the ablility to process a high volume of documents. Due to the changing state and federal vital records requirements, the Columbus Public Health Department has an urgent need to have accessibility to an updated automated vital statistics records management system that will accommodate the department's service needs as well as their customers.
The newly enacted Public Records Law has brought additional demands for access to public records, since certain portions of vital records must be redacted to ensure that confidential medical information is secure. The passing of the new passport requirements in January 2007 caused a surge in same day service requests for verified copies of birth certificates. Those passport requirements will generate even more volume now that passport requirements have been added for cruises as of January 2008. Also in 2008, central issuance will go into effect, requiring all local registrars to issue certified copies of vital records regardless of the initial registering county. The Franklin County Office of Vital Statistics has the largest demand for services in the State of Ohio, second only to Cuyahoga County. At an average of 128,464 certified copies issued annually approximately 60% of these are issued to funeral directors and the general public at the same day service window. Electronic data and document management partnered with document scanning, and operational workflow will provide full end-to-end processing of birth and death records. This electronic foundation will operate in a cost effective manner and will also fully support the future of federally legislated electronic verification of vital events and statewide central issuance.
In 2004, a project to update the Vital Stats Application was initiated with the Columbus Department of Technology, but suffered delays due to resource issues and was not able to keep up with the changing state and federal vital records requirements. In February of 2007, the Vital Statistics Application requirements were re-evaluated and presented to the Staff Augmentation Universal Term Contract holders for bids on completing the application within a 3-4 month period, but none were able to meet all requirements in that time frame. The Department of Technology and the Columbus Public Health Department then researched and received vendor demonstrations of existing off-the-shelf applications. Vendor-hosted applications were found to be the best solution since there would be no hardware to purchase, install and configure, greatly reducing the implementation time. One product, Streamline Health, was found to meet a majority of the application requirements without extensive customization, and since it is a product that is designed for use in a medical environment, it already has built-in confidentiality guarantees as required by HIPAA Regulations. This product has no associated hardware or software costs, only the cost of implementation and a maintenance fee, payable monthly and renewable annually. The vendor retains ownership of the software, and the Columbus Public Health will retain ownership of the data. Also, the Department of Technology requests that this ordinance provide approval to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code 329.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This is the first time that the Department of Technology on behalf of the Columbus Public Health Department, will enter into a contract with Streamline Health, to provide the services of an automated vendor hosted vital records management system, inclusive of use of the vendor's associated software, license, maintenance and support services. Funding for this contract in the amount of $210,324.00 has been identified within the 2008 Department of Technology's Internal Services Fund Budget.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION:
Emergency designation is being requested to immediately facilitate entering into this contract, as the vital statistics record management system, and the associated software, license, maintenance and support services are crucial to the daily operation of the Columbus Public Health Department.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE:
Vendor: 311285286 - Streamline Health Expiration Date: 11-21-2009
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Technology on behalf of the Columbus Public Health Department, to enter into a contract with Streamline Health, to provide the services of an automated vendor hosted vital records management system, inclusive of use of the vendor's associated software, license, maintenance and support services; to authorize the expenditure of $210,324.00 from the 2008 Department of Technology's Internal Services Fund; to waive the competitive bidding requirements of the Columbus City Codes, and to declare an emergency ($210,324.00)
Body
WHEREAS, this legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Technology on behalf of the Columbus Public Health Department, to enter into a contract with Streamline Health, to provide the services of an automated vendor hosted vital records management system, inclusive of use of the vendor's associated software, license, maintenance and support services; and
WHEREAS, the vital statistics record management system is a critical application that provides the Columbus Public Health Department with the ability to provide an extensive array of services, electronic data and document management partnered with document scanning, and operational workflow that will provide full end-to-end processing of birth and death records. This electronic foundation will also fully support the future of federally legislated electronic verification of vital events and statewide central issuance; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Technology requests that this ordinance provide approval to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code 329; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Technology on behalf of the Columbus Public Health Department, in that it is immediately necessary to enter into a contract with Streamline Health, as the vital statistics record management system, and the associated software, license, maintenance and support services are crucial to the daily operation of the Columbus Public Health Department,for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Technology on behalf of the Columbus Public Health Department, be and is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with Streamline Health, to provide the services of an automated vendor hosted vital records management system, inclusive of use of the vendor's associated software, license, maintenance and support services.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $210,324.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby authorized to be expended from:
Division: 47-02|Fund: 514|Subfund: 001|OCA Code: 470113|Obj. Level 1:03|Obj. Level 3: 3347|Amount: $133,500.00
Division: 47-01|Fund: 514|Subfund: 010|OCA Code: 500147|Obj. Level 1:03|Obj. Level 3: 3369|Amount: $76,824.00
SECTION 3. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That in accordance with Section 329.27 of the Columbus City Codes, City Council finds it to be in the best interest of the City of Columbus that the competitive bidding requirements of Section 329.06 of the Columbus City Codes be and are hereby waived.
SECTION 5. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.