Abaris Group Announces Level II Trauma Designation for Sacramento Hospitals

PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 18, 2008 – The Abaris Group, a California-based emergency medical services and hospital consulting firm, has announced the conclusion of a six-month consulting project assisting the County of Sacramento with a trauma designation RFP process. The Abaris Group's analysis and advice helped the Board of Supervisors make their final determination as to which of two south county hospitals should be granted level II trauma center status. The County of Sacramento issued a request for proposal (RFP) for a level II trauma center in the south county in October 2006. Kaiser Foundation Hospital – South Sacramento and Methodist Hospital of Sacramento (a Catholic Healthcare West facility) submitted proposals to the County in hopes of being awarded this important designation. Following an analysis of the two proposals by an outside team of national trauma experts, Sacramento County Health and Human Services Director Lynn Frank recommended to the Board that Kaiser be awarded this designation.
Methodist refuted the decision. Amid the protest and campaigning that followed Frank's recommendation, the County hired The Abaris Group to review both proposals and evaluate Methodist's protest/appeal regarding this RFP process. The Abaris Group was hired to assist the County because of its extensive experience with trauma centers and RFP processes. The Abaris Group carefully analyzed each argument presented in Methodist's protest to the Kaiser recommendation and evaluated numerous documents relevant to the appeal to
determine the validity of the protest. The Abaris Group concluded that the RFP review process was in fact thorough and complete, and due to differences in each proposal Kaiser did appear to be the appropriate nomination to receive trauma center designation.
Additionally, The Abaris Group conducted an extensive review of each proposal, paying particular attention to capital commitments promised by each facility. After projecting demand for trauma and other hospital services into the near future, The Abaris Group was able to determine whether the proposed capacity would meet, exceed, or fall short of future needs. Reports of these analyses were provided to the County of Sacramento Board of Supervisors for their consideration in determining which hospital should receive the designation.
In the end, the Board of Supervisors followed The Abaris Group's advice and Director Frank's recommendation, voting 3-2 in favor of awarding the trauma center designation to Kaiser.
"We couldn't have done this without The Abaris Group" said Lynn Frank, Director, Sacramento County Health and Human Services. “Their knowledge helped inform the Board so that we were able to get the votes necessary to designate Kaiser as the next level II trauma center in Sacramento County."


For further information, contact Mike Williams, 925-933-0911.