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Consent-Law & Justice Services # 17.
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| Board of Supervisors |
Sheriff-Coroner/Public Administrator |
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| Subject |
| Approve agreement with Sacramento County for a not to exceed amount of $550,000 for the provision of forensic pathology services for the period July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020. (No general fund impact) (Prieto) |
| Recommended Action |
| Approve agreement with Sacramento County for a not to exceed amount of $550,000 for the provision of forensic pathology services for the period July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020. |
| Strategic Plan Goal(s) |
Operational Excellence
Safe Communities |
| Reason for Recommended Action/Background |
Pursuant to Government Code Sections 27491 and 27520, the County is required to conduct autopsies in order to determine the cause of death in cases where there are sudden, unusual, and violent circumstances. Therefore, forensic pathology services are necessary in order for the Coroner’s office to properly fulfill their law enforcement duties.
In fiscal year 2015-16, the Coroner’s Office investigated a total of 152 cases which required either an external examination or autopsy by a forensic pathologist. When compared to the previous fiscal year of 2014-15, this was a 13% increase in investigations. The number of required investigations has consistently increased from fiscal year to fiscal year. Subsequently, the maximum not to exceed amounts of the contract for forensic pathology services have also had to increase.
Forensic Medical Group (FMG) has been performing forensic pathology services for Yolo County at the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department Morgue since 1997. Staff consists of board certified forensic pathologists with over 100 collective years of experience performing forensic autopsies and testifying in court. Since these services are so specialized, over time FMG had become the only vendor in Northern California. Having only one vendor in the area makes it very difficult to go out to bid and try to find competitive pricing. In addition, during fiscal year 2013-14, the Grand Jury conducted a review of the agreement with FMG which resulted in a finding regarding late reports. In response, the Yolo County Sheriff's Office researched alternatives to contracting solely with FMG for forensic pathology in order to provide the best possible service to the citizens of Yolo County.
In 2015, inquiry was made into contracting with Sacramento County to provide the same scope of services that FMG did. Sacramento County employs licensed physicians who are Board certified or Board eligible forensic pathologists as defined by the American Board of Pathology to perform autopsies and forensic examinations at their county morgue facility. Once the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office was authorized to negotiate agreements for their employees to perform specialized forensic services for surrounding counties, the Yolo County Coroner moved forward with a contract as an alternative to FMG.
Initially services were to be utilized on an "as needed" basis with the ultimate goal of reducing operational costs and reducing the reliance upon one sole vendor for services. After 18 months, the contract with Sacramento County has been very successful, with autopsies and reports being completed on time and at a slightly lower cost per service than FMG. The contract has been so successful that use of FMG for services has almost ceased. As a result, the not to exceed amount of the Sacramento County contract had been adjusted from the previous fiscal year to reflect the increase in anticipated use.
As this contract is between two government entities, action by the Board of Supervisors is now required. |
| Collaborations (including Board advisory groups and external partner agencies) |
| County Counsel has reviewed the agreement and approved it as to form. |
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| Fiscal Impact |
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| Source of Funds for this Expenditure |
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Explanation (Expenditure and/or Revenue) |
| Further explanation as needed: |
| Approval of this agreement will have no impact on the general fund. The term of the agreement is from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020 and the total not to exceed compensation amount is $550,000 for three fiscal years. The agreement's funding is included in the 2017-18 budget, and will be included in the subsequent budget years. |
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