Committee approves referral to accept two Epic Systems gifts totaling about $319,250 for DPH programs

Summary

The committee voted to forward to the full board resolutions authorizing the Department of Public Health to retroactively accept two monetary gifts from Epic Systems — $204,250 for federally qualified health centers support and $115,000 for safety-net support — after DPH said ethics and finance reviews were completed.

The Budget and Finance Committee on May 7 voted 3‑0 to forward to the full Board of Supervisors two resolutions authorizing the Department of Public Health (DPH) to retroactively accept and expend gifts from Epic Systems Corporation: $204,250 to support federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and $115,000 to support safety‑net services.

Jeff Scarfia, deputy chief information officer for DPH, said Epic — an electronic medical records vendor used by DPH clinics — provides these gifts to clients that operate FQHCs and to safety‑net customers more broadly. He described both gifts as unrestricted and said DPH sought ethics commission, city attorney and controller reviews to ensure compliance before seeking retroactive acceptance.

Supervisor Chan said she supports accepting the gifts and asked to continue oversight conversations about DPH’s broader relationship with Epic as the vendor expands capabilities, including potential initiatives involving artificial intelligence. No members of the public addressed the committee on the items. The committee voted 3‑0 to forward both items to the full board with positive recommendations.