To: Board of Supervisors
From: David O. Livingston, Sheriff-Coroner
Report Title: Central Medical Laboratory, Inc. for Blood Withdrawal Services
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Sheriff-Coroner, or designee, to execute a contract with Central Medical Laboratory, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $500,000 for blood withdrawal services, for the period September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this request will result in up to $500,000 in contractual service expenditures over a 2-year period and will be funded approximately 85% by reimbursement from the city police agencies that use this service, and the balance will be partially offset by fines and assessments collected from individuals found guilty of alcohol/drug related driving offenses. Any costs that are not offset by the fines and assessments will be covered by the Sheriff's Office budgeted General Fund allocation.
BACKGROUND:
Central Medical Laboratory, Inc. (CML) has provided the Office of the Sheriff with trained phlebotomists to perform blood draws on DUI (driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol) suspects and for officers exposed to HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The service of the phlebotomists is used, via CML dispatch, by all the police agencies throughout the county. The blood samples are then forwarded to the Office of the Sheriff’s Forensic Services Division for analysis. The Forensic Services Division pays CML for its work on a monthly basis, and all agencies that use the phlebotomists are subsequently billed for the service costs and processing fees.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the Board does not approve, it will prevent the Office of the Sheriff from performing blood withdrawal services on DUI suspects and on Office of the Sheriff personnel exposed to blood borne pathogens during the course of their job duties.