To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #23-612-8 with Forward Advantage Holdings, Inc
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director, or designee, to execute on behalf of the County Contract #23-612-8 with Forward Advantage Holdings, Inc, a corporation, in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000, to provide network log-in software licenses, maintenance, and support for Contra Costa Health’s (CCH) Information Systems Unit for the period from October 30, 2025 through December 29, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This Contract will result in contractual service expenditures of up to $2,500,000 over a 3-year period and will be funded 100% by Hospital Enterprise Fund I revenues.
BACKGROUND:
This Contract meets the needs of the County by providing licenses, software maintenance and support for CCH’s Information Systems Unit’s Information Management Program. This Program requires secure and efficient access to County computer systems for CCH hospitals and clinic staff, allowing a practical means for staff to electronically sign controlled substance medication orders within Epic CCH’s electronic medical records system. Imprivata OneSign Single Sign-On (SSO) offers a multi-factor authentication, SSO solution that improves security and workflow when accessing information systems. Forward Advantage Holdings is also the authorized reseller of iGel Technology Corporation Workspace Edition (OS 11 & UMS) Solution, which serves as the clinical desktop used for all patient care. iGel Technology Corporation’s E-Prescribing (EPCS) allows doctors to prescribe medicine using a Token ID & a Windows ID in Epic and provides robust identification capabilities when electronically prescribing controlled substances.
In November 2022, the County Administrator approved, and the Purchasing Services Manager executed Contract #23-612-3 with Forward Advantage, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $167, 468 for the provision of software maintenance and support services to CCH’s Information Systems Unit, for the period from November 1, 2022 through October 31, 2024.
In April 2023, the County Administrator approved, and the Purchasing Services Manager executed a Consent to Assignment and Amendment (County Contract #23-612-6) with Forward Advantage Holdings, Inc, effective April 26, 2023, to amend the agreement, reassigning it from Forward Advantage, Inc to Forward Advantage Holdings, Inc, with no change in the term.
On October 22, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract Amendment/Extension #23-612-7 with Forward Advantage Holdings, Inc., effective October 22, 2024, to increase the payment limit by $97,780 to a new payment limit of $265,248 and to extend the termination date from October 31, 2024 to October 29, 2025 for additional software maintenance and support for CCH’s Information Systems Unit.
Forward Advantage Holdings is a reseller of Imprivata’s SSO product solution. Since 2011, CCH hospitals and clinic staff have used SSO to sign into the County’s systems. This Contractor was approved by the Public Works Department’s Purchasing Division on April 28, 2025. CCH will monitor measurable service contract deliverables regarding CCH’s access to the software maintenance and support services in compliance with Section III(B)(7) of the Purchasing Policy. CCH Personnel approved this contract renewal to ensure no conflict with labor relations.
Approval of this Contract renewal #23-612-8 will allow the Contractor to provide additional software maintenance and support services through December 29, 2028.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this Contract renewal is not approved, the maintenance and support licenses will expire and CCH will lose the ability to prescribe controlled medications, jeopardizing patient care.