CCRMC Clinical Laboratory uses Beckman Coulter, Inc. for reagents and supplies to perform routine and STAT diagnostic testing providing accurate and timely results facilitating patient treatment protocols. Beckman Coulter, Inc. has been the laboratory’s sole proprietor for the reagents and supplies for both the Chemistry and Special Chemistry Departments since 2013. The laboratory received an automation track system with components with no charge to the County with an approved extension for the two current Beckman Coulter agreements 50557US for Special Chemistry/Chemistry for 6 years and 64157US Hematology for an additional 3 years. Additional funding was required for both contracts due to the required extension of both agreements in order to acquire the DxA automated track system. The 50557US agreement covering Special Chemistry and Chemistry sections requested $6,000,000 in funding which is currently not covered under Vizient based pricing. The laboratory Hematology agreement 64157US with a requested payment limit of $978,378 approved by the Board on July 18, 2023, for reagents and supplies is covered under Vizient pricing agreements. These agreements with Beckman Coulter have different billing accounts due to the Vizient pricing and therefore billed separately and not collectively to the laboratory which requires separate purchase orders in order to properly pay invoices received from the vendor. The Hematology and Chemistry/Special Chemistry analyzers do not utilize the same products, the products/reagents used are specifically billed to each individual account and tied to a minimum reagent purchasing commitment allowing for a no cost to the County lease of each analyzer.

If this purchase order is not approved, CCRMC Clinical Laboratory will not have access to this contractor’s specific patient testing supplies, thus impacting patient care and clinicians' ability to treat serious medical conditions.