Staff recommends a 1-year contract extension with (4) one-year City optional renewals for RFP 2017-0023-C with Life Extension Clinics, Inc. dba Life Scan Wellness Centers with an estimated annual amount of $300,000 to provide annual medical evaluations for members of the Fire Department; and $200,000 to provide annual medical evaluations for sworn members of the Police Department; for a total estimated annual amount of $500,000. The City is requesting ratification of this year’s PPD wellness testing program, in the estimated amount of $130,000.
This project is for annual medical evaluations for members of Plano Fire-Rescue and sworn personnel of Plano Police Department.
Annual wellness screening is crucial to protecting the short and long-term health of firefighters and police officers. The job specific health risks for firefighters and police officers are significantly different from the typical city employee. The annual physical offered to all city employees is a tremendous benefit, but additional testing targeting known firefighter and police officer specific illnesses is needed.
In 2017, PFR implemented an annual wellness testing program based on NFPA 1582 Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments Chapter 7. In 2022, PPD plans to implement an annual wellness testing program on a voluntary basis for sworn personnel. The test includes:
A medical history (including exposure history); Physical examination; Blood tests; Urinalysis; Vision tests; Audiograms; Spirometry; Chest x-ray (every five years); ECG and treadmill stress test; Immunizations and infectious disease screening; Cancer screening (Prostate Specific Antigen, Urine Cytology, Fecal Occult Blood Testing, Skin Exam, Digital Rectal Exam, Testicular Exam, Clinical Breast Examination, or Pap Smear); and Ultrasound screening of thyroid, bladder, testicular/prostate, ovaries/uterus, liver, pancreas, gall bladder, kidneys, spleen, carotid arteries, aortic aneurysm scan, and echocardiogram heart scan.
If this contract is not awarded, it would affect the Fire Department’s ability to provide an NFPA 1582 compliant wellness screening program and the Police Department’s ability to provide a wellness screening program to the sworn personnel. The risk remains that firefighter- and police officer-specific illnesses, which could have been detected through a wellness screening program, will be underdiagnosed. Prevention, early detection, and rapid treatment are critical to employee health and well-being. The secondary benefits of reducing lost work time due to illness and injury, and mitigating the cost of treating advanced disease processes, will be forfeited if firefighter- and police officer-specific wellness screenings are not provided.
The City is exempt from the competitive bid process for this purchase as allowed by Texas Local Government Code Chapter 252 Subchapter B Section 252.022(a)(4). (City of Plano Internal Contract No. 2017-0023-C.)