Subject:
Title
Associate Medical Examiner Locum Tenes Temporary Placement Services
End
Fiscal Impact:
Estimated $150,000.00; Expenditures are offset by previously budgeted and approved vacant salaries.
Dept/Office:
Central Services / Purchasing Services on behalf of Public Safety/Medical Examiner’s Office
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners:
- Authorize the development and advertising of a Request for Proposal for Firms that can provide Locum Tenes Temporary Placement Services to the Brevard County Medical Examiner’s Office;
- Approve the Selection and Negotiation Committee consisting of:
o Matthew Wallace, Public Safety Director;
o Steven Darling, Jr., Central Services Director;
o Craig Engelson, Medical Examiner’s Office;
- Authorize the County Manager, or designee to execute all resulting contracts and contract related documents upon review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office, Risk Management Office and Purchasing Services; and
- Authorize the County Manager, or designee to approve any necessary budget change requests or other admin actions required to maintain the Medical Examiner capability.
End
Summary Explanation and Background:
In January of 2019, the medical examiner's office lost two associates; one retired and another resigned to return home to his spouse. In anticipation of the understaffing, the Board authorized entering into a contract for temporary Locum Tenes placement services with Barton and Associates for the temporary placement of an associate medical examiner to ensure the office would continue to operate at the expected service levels. Concurrently, the County entered into a separate contract with separate firm to recruit two permanent Associate Medical Examiners. This recruitment has yielded no viable candidates to date and the recruitment remains active. Realizing the difficulty and the amount of time required to recruit permanent employees in this specialized career field, the need for continuing with existing temporary staffing contracts continues.
Due to the difficulties in hiring permanent Associate Medical Examiners, it is forecast that the two vacancies could continue to remain vacant for the near future. In an effort to maximize competition and best utilize public funds, it has now been determined that there is now an expected level of competition among companies that provide Locum Tenes Temporary Placement Services and as such, it is being requested that Purchasing Services be authorized to develop and advertise a competitive solicitation.
Public Safety intends to make multiple awards from this competitive solicitation to the most qualified respondents that can provide the most qualified personnel and competitive hourly rates. Awarding to multiple firms will allow the department the flexibility to ensure there is always a source available to provide a temporary Associate Medical Examiner when needed and services will not lapse as a result.
Public Safety, Purchasing Services, and Human Resources continue to work with recruitment firms to find permanent employees to fill the vacant Associate Medical Examiner positions. Upon a successful hiring of an Associate Medical Examiner, the need for continued Locum Tenes Placement Services will no longer be required and as such, the contracts will be terminated.
The County intends to make award and have contracts in place prior to January 1, 2021.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
None