To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Dr. Kelly Lear, Coroner, Coroner’s Office
Prepared By:
prepared
Lisa Vantine, Coroner’s Office
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Subject:
title
Approve Agreement for Toxicology Services for the Coroner’s Office
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
This is a request that the Board of County Commissioners approve and authorize the Coroner to sign the agreement for toxicology services with NMS for the provision of forensic toxicological analysis for the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office as well as four additional one-year extensions.
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Background and Discussion: The Coroner's Office applied for a Paul Coverdell grant in May of 2023. The purpose of the grant is to strengthen death certification and detection of emerging drug trends through improvement of toxicology testing at autopsy. During the grant application process, the Coroner’s Office used budget projections provided by NMS for expanded toxicology panels. In October of 2023, the Coroner's Office was awarded the grant. The impact of toxicology testing on the coroner's budget is approximately $120,000 annually. Over the next three years, the grant will alleviate approximately $25,000/year of this expenditure. This grant will allow the Coroner's Office to provide more extensive results to families and public health partners through expanded toxicology testing in fentanyl and other drug-related deaths, and increased toxicology testing in other categories of death including suicide and motor vehicle deaths. These services were solicited under a quick quotation process to meet the procurement requirements of the federal grant, and NMS was selected as the provider.
The Coroner requests that the Board approve a one-year contract with NMS with the option to renew for four additional one-year periods which will ensure continued ability to utilize our grant funds as commissioned and will provide price increase limitations over the period of the contract.
The Board heard this request at their meeting on December 11, 2023, and approved a waiver per the Purchasing Policy for these services.
Alternatives: None
Fiscal Impact: None
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☐Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Concurrence: The Purchasing Department is in concurrence with this decision.