Alameda County Joint Health & Public Protection Committee Meeting – April 23, 2026
Alameda County Joint Health & Public Protection Committee Meeting – April 23, 2026
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors held a special joint meeting of the Health and Public Protection Committee on Thursday, April 23, 2026, to receive updates on three key initiatives at Santa Rita Jail: the procurement of a new comprehensive medical services contract, a quality assurance baseline report from Actura Health, and the implementation of the Epic electronic health records system. The meeting was chaired by Supervisor Marquez, with Supervisors Miley and Town present. The discussion emphasized cross-agency coordination, accountability, and the county's commitment to improving health care for individuals in custody.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mickey Ducksbury urged the county to consider running jail health care in-house, citing the current provider's bankruptcy and contract violations, and argued that better medical care saves money in the long run.
- Richard Spiegelman (Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails) noted that the procurement timeline omits transition time for a new provider and asked for clarification on the value of NCCHC accreditation.
- John Lindsey Poland (American Friends Service Committee) requested details on the evaluation panel's composition and whether the RFP includes provisions to exclude bidders with a history of litigation or poor performance.
- Alydrian (NUHW representative) thanked supervisors for meeting with union members and urged continued engagement and inclusion of frontline workers in the process.
- Lonnie Hancock asked about outreach to academic medical centers (e.g., UCSF, UC Davis) and suggested the selection panel include outside experts.
- Bob Britton asked whether the RFP can set performance standards to exclude bidders based on past performance, and questioned the timeline details (negotiation, appeals).
- Dr. Amy Lang (Medical Director, Santa Rita Jail) expressed gratitude for the partnership and noted that one NCCHC standard was already met 100% after one month.
Discussion Items
1. Procurement of Santa Rita Jail Comprehensive Medical Services Contract
- Director Kimberly Gasway (General Services Agency) presented the procurement timeline: the RFP is approximately 85% complete, with a target release at the end of June 2026. The pre-procurement phase (spec development with the Sheriff's Department) is ongoing; concurrent county council review is taking place. The overall 12-month process includes a mandatory bidders conference, security clearance, bid submission (30 days), evaluation, and potential appeal. A protest could extend the timeline if an appeal goes to the Auditor's Office.
- Supervisor Miley raised the possibility of the board reviewing the RFP before release, but Chair Marquez preferred to maintain the current process, noting the board has already received community input. County counsel Kathy Lee confirmed that board review is permissible but unusual, and could raise concerns about directing the award.
- Lt. Dan Murphy (Sheriff's Office) stated that the county is using a consultant and has gathered best practices from other counties. He expects three or four interested vendors. He also noted that CalAIM and Epic will improve care coordination.
- Supervisor Miley inquired about the possibility of using county employees (e.g., Alameda County Health) instead of contracting; county counsel confirmed that would not require a procurement process but would require county capacity.
2. Santa Rita Jail Medical Quality Assurance Update
- Lt. Dan Murphy introduced the new quality assurance provider, Actura Health, which began in December 2025. The first quarterly report (Q1 2026) establishes a baseline using the 2026 NCCHC standards. Mark Fisher (CEO, Actura) described a shift from reactive to proactive oversight, with a focus on sustainable improvement and accreditation readiness. Dr. Eric Lee presented the Q1 dashboard for Section E (Patient Care and Treatment): only 1 of 10 standards was fully met; several were partially met or not met. Key gaps included receiving screening, continuity of care, and nurse-initiated protocols (scope-of-practice violations). The team emphasized that sustained improvement, not one-time fixes, is required for accreditation. Actura is also advising on the RFP and Epic implementation.
- Supervisor Miley praised the thoroughness and asked about the contract duration (3 years, $1.2 million). He highlighted the complexity of Santa Rita Jail and noted that frontline workers will be included in the improvement process.
- Supervisor Town compared the process to hospital accreditation and asked about the root causes of low scores; Lt. Murphy cited incomplete documentation and process gaps that Epic will help address.
3. Epic Electronic Health Records Project Update
- Dr. Nick Moss (Health Officer) introduced the presentation. Asad Iqbal (Interim Director, Health & Business Data Analytics) and Tom McMillan (Interim Director, Information Systems) described the current fragmented system and the future state: a single Epic platform integrating health, behavioral health, and correctional health. The project will go live in Fall 2027, with a budget over $40 million. Key benefits include real-time data access, improved care coordination, revenue generation via CalAIM, and enhanced patient empowerment (MyChart). The governance structure includes a steering committee and advisory groups.
- Supervisor Miley expressed strong support but raised concerns about interoperability with Alameda Health System (AHS) and other providers. He noted that AHS is not on the steering committee, but Tom McMillan confirmed ongoing discussions with AHS's CIO. Supervisor Miley stressed the need for countywide coordination.
- Supervisor Town asked about the digital divide and post-release follow-up; Lt. Murphy explained that individuals released with a 30-day medication supply and a community appointment through CalAIM partners (Alliance, Kaiser).
Key Outcomes
- No votes were taken; all items were informational.
- Chair Marquez committed to following up on public comments regarding the evaluation panel, workforce transition, and timeline adjustments. She directed her office to work with the Sheriff's Department and General Services to address feasible suggestions.
- The next quarterly quality assurance report from Actura is expected in July 2026.
- The next joint public protection and health committee meeting is scheduled for July 2026 (date to be announced). The next public protection committee meeting is May 21, 2026, at 10:30 AM.
- The Epic project is on track; additional board letters for staffing and third-party vendors are anticipated.
- Supervisors Miley and Town praised the presentations and the collaborative effort, noting significant progress in jail health care over the past several years.
Meeting Transcript
Now we're ready, yeah. Recording in progress. Okay, good morning, everyone. I'm gonna call the meeting to order for Alameda County Board of Supervisors special meeting. This is a joint health and public protection committee meeting for Thursday, April 23rd. Apologize for the delay, but one of our colleagues had another committee meeting this morning, so thank you for working so hard on behalf of the county. Can we please start with a roll call? Supervisor Miley. Supervisor Town. Present and Supervisor Marquez. Present Liverpool. Thank you so much. Um, before I continue, can we please make sure that the audio and video is coming in clearly? Those online, if you could raise your hand, if you could hear us. Director Gasway, could you confirm since you're able to unmute? Joint health and public protection committee meeting for Thursday, April 23rd. Apologize for the delay, but one of our colleagues had another committee meeting. I guess we're good. We're good. Okay. Um, if the clerk could please share the announcement how the community can engage in public comment on the items that we're going to hear today. For all participants, please state your name for the record prior to your presentation. If you wish to speak on an item not on the agenda, please wait until Supervisor Marquez calls for public input on non-agendized items. Only matters within the committee's jurisdiction may be addressed. To notify the clerk you wish to speak for in-person participants, please fill out a speaker card and hand it to the clerk, me. For online participants, please use the raise hand function when we are on the item that you wish to comment on. For dialed in participants, please dial star nine to use the raise hand function. You can dial star nine again to lower your hand. The clerk will call your name when it is time for public comment. If you are in person, please come to the podium to speak. If you are online or dialed in, the clerk will call your name and allow you to unmute. That concludes the clerk instructions for public comment. Thank you. Okay, thank you so much. Um, so again, good morning and welcome everyone that's here in person as well as listening online or people that will be viewing the video in the future. Um, we've called this joint health and public protection committee meeting because access to timely cabbie. To timely quality health care at Santa Rita Jail is a fundamental responsibility and value for Alameda County. Today's discussion builds upon our joint committee meetings held on May 16th and September 29th in 2025, where we took a deeper look at the state of the jail's medical care services, quality assurance efforts, and the county's procurement process. Additionally, my office convened a listening session last July, where we heard directly from the community advocates, including those with lived experience with gaps in the care they received at Santa Rita Joe. We're able to share their direct experience with us and the need for greater accountability. Today's agenda items reflect the next phase of this work by bringing together procurement, quality assurance, and transformational system improvements, like the county's over 40 million investment in Epic Electronic Health Record implementation that the Board of Supervisors approved last month. These are not isolated efforts, they are interconnected pieces of a broader strategy to strengthen how care is delivered, monitored, and improved over time. It also reflects the county's commitment to the reimagine adult justice initiative that my office continues to advance in alignment in alignment with the vision set by the late public protection chair, Supervisor Richard Viet, and the Care First Jails Last Framework, also the result of Supervisor by his legacy, as well as the late Supervisor Wilma Chan to ensure that Alameda County public safety systems are grounded in cross agency coordination and accountability to ensure equitable access to care for some of our most vulnerable residents. To the community members and advocates who continue to engage with us, we are here not just to receive updates, but more so to understand how gaps are being addressed by county staff and leadership. This includes articulating how coordination efforts are improving and accountability measures being strengthened. Your engagement remains critical at the at this work because as this work moves forward. At the end of the day, we do this work even when it's hard because the responsibility is greater than administering a contract or managing an operation. It is about ensuring that individuals in the county's custody, many of whom are among the most at risk patients countywide, receive the care and ongoing support required for their acute health care needs and stabilizing them so they can have a chance to successfully return to the community. With that, we will begin with the first item. And this is an informational item.
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