Sponsor: Medical Examiner
Title
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Single Source Agreement with National Medical Services Labs for Toxicology Services
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Recommendation
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1. Approve the single source agreement with National Medical Services Labs, 200 Welsh Road, Horsham, PA 19044 for toxicology testing for the period of upon execution through March 31, 2026, with an option for a two-year renewal, in the amount in accordance with the rates established in the agreement.
2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the agreement.
3. Authorize the County Manager to execute amendments to agreement in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of available funding.
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Background and Rationale
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The Medical Examiner’s Office is tasked with determining cause and manner of death for Ramsey County and Washington County. Often this includes conducting toxicology testing. The Medical Examiner’s Office does not have an internal toxicology lab. The Medical Examiner’s Office utilizes National Medical Services Labs (NMS) for its toxicology testing. NMS Labs holds the certifications and credentials that both the National Association of Medical Examiners and International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners require to maintain accreditation, of which, this office holds accreditations from both organizations. They are on the cutting edge of testing and are positioned better than competing labs to test for an ever-changing variety of designer drugs. The scope of their abilities to test a wide variety of both prescription and illegal drugs is always expanding. They offer over 2,500 tests many that are exclusive to NMS Labs, available at no other commercial labs. The equipment is state of the art. The staff at NMS Labs is forensically trained in both testing and testifying. Their team of experts has worked thousands of civil and criminal cases at the local, state, and federal levels. NMS Labs provides turn-around time that is exceptional and allows the Medical Examiner’s Office to complete death certificates for families in a timely manner. The turn-around time also allows for expedient results for law enforcement in the case of criminal matters. The current contract for toxicology services expires March 31, 2024 (MEDEX000064). NMS will be a single source contract due to the history and integrations with Ramsey County systems and within compliance with procurement requirements.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☐ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
NMS allows Ramsey County and Washington County residents who require the services of the Medical Examiner’s Office to have access to accurate and timely determination of cause and manner of death. This is provided regardless of circumstances, race, financial, or social status.
Community Participation Level and Impact
There is no community engagement for this request for board action. This is to inform the public of the single source contract to ensure transparency and services provided by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
☒ Inform ☐ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
There is no anticipated fiscal impact as costs for this contract was included in the approved 2024-2025 biennial budget. The annual spend is estimated to be around $200,000 which was budgeted by the controller.
Last Previous Action
On October 6, 2020, the Ramsey County Board approved an agreement with National Medical Services Labs for toxicology services (Resolution B2020-185).
Attachments
1. MEDEX000069
2. Single Source - Approved
3. NMS Price list 2024-2026