Approval of an ordinance authorizing an agreement between Greater Houston Healthconnect, Inc., and the City of Houston relating to the Emergency Telehealth and Navigation Program (ETHAN).
SPECIFIC EXPLANATION: The Houston Fire Department (HFD) requests City Council to approve an ordinance authorizing an agreement between Greater Houston Healthconnect, Inc., and the City of Houston for a term of 3 years with two one-year renewals for a maximum contract amount of $969,807.00.
This agreement will replace previous agreement with Harris County Healthcare Alliance, a Texas non-profit corporation (“HCHA”) that terminated due to the dissolution of HCHA. The ETHAN services provided by HCHA will be provided by Greater Houston Healthconnect under this Agreement. The services include:
Providing HFD Base Station access to an online scheduling system that allows ETHAN physicians to schedule appointments at participating clinics for patients;
Subcontracting with community clinics to act as safety-net clinics and other partners as requested by HFD; and
Subcontracting with Harris County RIDES or other transportation provider approved by HFD for patient transportation services to clinic appointments.
The ETHAN program is an innovative technology-based program managed by HFD to connect non-emergency patients with primary care services and provide an alternative transportation. It increases the efficiency of HFD by allowing units to go back in service much faster by avoiding transportation to the emergency room. The program has received national attention for its innovative model and has put the City of Houston at the forefront of emergency medical services innovation.