To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #76-818-3 with Onward Health Inc (dba Onward)
☒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 #76-818-3 with Onward Health Inc (dba Onward), a corporation, in an amount not to exceed $300,000, to provide transportation management and scheduling services needed to order, track and manage ride services for patients at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (CCRMC) and Contra Costa Health Centers for the period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This contract will result in contractual service expenditures of up to $300,000 over a 2-year period and will be funded 100% by Hospital Enterprise Fund I revenues.
BACKGROUND:
CCRMC has experienced increasing difficulties in obtaining reliable, non-emergent basic and critical care ambulance and patient transportation. Several ambulance companies recently reduced or stopped services to CCRMC and other levels of transportation services have also been difficult to obtain. There are no other comprehensive transportation services available locally that supports incoming and outgoing patient transportation with a communication and documentation platform, mitigates patient and staff safety issues.
This Contract is entered into under and subject to the following legal authorities: California Government Code §§ 26227 and 31000. This Contractor was approved by the Public Works Department’s Purchasing Division on March 17, 2026 as a sole-source. CCRMC’s Quality Management, Utilization Management and Contract Monitor Staff meet on a regular basis to ensure monitoring and performance measures in the Contract are upheld. This Contract was approved by Health Services Personnel to ensure there is no conflict with labor relations.
On July 23, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract #76-818-1 with Onward Health Inc (dba Onward), in an amount not to exceed $300,000, for the provision of transportation management and scheduling services needed to order, track and manage ride services for patients at CCRMC and Contra Costa Health Centers for the period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026.
On June 5, 2025, the County Administrator’s Office approved Contract Amendment #76-818-2 with Onward Health Inc (dba Onward), effective May 1, 2025, to modify the payment provisions with a revised fee schedule with no change in the payment limit or the term of the Contract.
Approval of Contract #76-818-3 will allow the Contractor to continue to provide transportation management and scheduling services needed to order, track and manage ride services for patients at CCRMC and Contra Costa Health Centers through June 30, 2028.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this Contract is not approved, the necessary transportation management services needed for patient care will not be available and will create increased wait times.