Westchester Medical Center RFP Administrative and Clerical Temporary Staffing Answers and Clarification Requests March 3, 2015

Transcription

1 Westchester Medical Center RFP Administrative and Clerical Temporary Staffing Answers and Clarification Requests March 3, Are vendors able to respond to selective job categories listed in Section of the RFP? Answer: Yes, vendors can respond to any or all of the job categories. 2. Is there remote coding capability or must coding be completed on-site? Answer: On-site only 3. Regarding the HIM Coding job category listed: Is there an established productivity standard? If yes, what is the standard? Answer: Yes. Inpatient coders: avg charts/day Outpatient: ED 80 charts/day; AMS 30 charts/day; OBV 25 charts/day; Clinic 100 charts/day What is the standard number of diagnosis/procedure codes collected for each case? Answer: What type(s) of cases are included in HIM coding: inpatient, outpatient, emergency room, clinic, ancillary department? Answer: All cases What type of coding is needed: ICD-9, ICD-10, CPT-4, E/M? Answer: ICD-9(effectiveOct. 2015), ICD-10 -Yes, CPT-4 Yes, E/M -Yes Are there any additional job responsibilities assigned to the coding function: abstracting, data entry, documentation review? Answer: Data entry and documentation review What systems are used? Electronic Health Record Encoder Abstracting Computer Assisted Coding Answer: Electronic Health Record Onbase, Encoder 3M, Abstraction 3M, Computer Assisted Coding -No 4. What is the main reason for this RFP? Answer: To seek qualified and experienced temporary staffing firm(s) who provide administrative and clerical temporary staffing services, and select the company(s) who best meets the business needs of Westchester Medical Center. 5. What is the anticipated annual spend for this project? Answer: We cannot predict annual spend for future years. It will be based on need and budget approvals. 6. Can you provide last year s usage for these services in hours/dollars? Answer: Data is only available through November 2014 at this time. For the first 11 months of the year we spent $3,766,651 for 133,900staffing hours.

2 7. What is the current pricing for all of the positions listed in this RFP? Answer: This information cannot be provided. 8. Who is(are) the current incumbent(s)? Answer: The incumbent vendors are Reinhard-Madison Approach Staffing, Kforce, and The Premiere Group. 9. Are the use of Subcontractors allowed under this RFP? Answer: Generally no. 10. Would you be open to an agency who can provide complete Vendor Management Services(VMS)? Answer:No 11. In regards to payment terms, the T&C quote a 90 day pay term from receipt of invoice. Will weekly invoices be accepted? If not, what is the invoice cycle? Will discount rates for shorter pay terms be entertained? Answer: As per our Standard Terms and Conditions (Attachment B), WMC has payment terms of 90 days. 12. If mandatory sick pay is enacted in Westchester County like New York City (not currently required, but has been suggested), would a rate increase be entertained at that time? Answer: A rate increase may be considered by WMC in the event that mandatory sick pay is enacted in Westchester County. 13. Can you please identify the expected spend of this contract, by year? This will help develop volume discounts. Answer:See question # Will this be a multi-vendor award? Answer: WMC will consider awarding the contract to more than one vendor if that best meets the needs of WMC. Ultimately, our decision depends on the proposals we receive. 15. What was thespend for these temporary staffing services in FY 2014? Please provide the breakdown by position if possible. Answer:See question #6 for spend. Data by position is not available. 16. What is the anticipated spend for FY 2015? Again, please provide breakdown by position if possible. Answer:See question #5 for spend. Data by position is not available. 17. In RFP Item D. Proposer s Background and Experience, we are asked to provide a list of clients. Is there a certain minimum number of clients that is required? Answer: There are not a minimum number of clients required. 18. Related to the above question, what specific client information is required (i.e., contact name, phone number, , etc.)? Answer: Company name, address, contact name and title, phone number and address. 19. What is WMC's projected spend for this contract? Answer:See question #5.

3 20. What is your average annual historical spend and/or number of temporary staffing hours? Answer:See question #6 for 2014 data. For 2013 we spent $4,726,451 for178,867staffing hours. For 2012 we spent $3,493,137 for 126,602 staffing hours. 21. Are vendors required to bid on all positions (an all or nothing bid)? Answer: No they are not required to bid on all positions. 22. What specific background checks/drug screenings are required? Answer:We require the following: Background checks should include two professional references. Criminal background check screening, which should be comparable to WMC standards, including: 1. Social security # trace & Address Verification (includes standard check conducted through credit bureau non-trade databases) 2. Criminal History Record Search (includes 7 year search for felonies and misdemeanors) 3. Federal Criminal History Record Check (includes federal level convictions and/or arrest with prosecution pending) 4. Fraud & Abuse Control Information System Level III (Healthcare Check) (sanction and disciplinary history searching federal and state level licensing boards, OIG, DEA, FDA and TRICARE) 5. Supplemental Criminal Information Database (database consists of current and historical arrest, felony, misdemeanor, incarceration, conviction, fugitive, escapee, absconder, and probation information on hundreds of millions of offenders, plus sex offender information in all 50 states) Drug screening should include 10 panel drug screen Additional medical clearance requirements include a physical examination within one year of start date and annually thereafter; PPD within 6 months of hire and annually thereafter; serologic immunity documentation for rubella, rubeola, mumps, and varicella is required prior to assignment; respiratory mask fit testing; and seasonal flu vaccine (the flu vaccine is offered at WMC for no charge for all staff). 23. What are WMC current rates for the existing contract? Answer: We do not disclose the rates for the current contracts. 24. Please confirm that WMC wants all cost burdens (including Affordable Care Act and Paid Time Off) to be incorporated directly into our mark-up/bill rates. Answer:Please include a total bill rate and indicate separately the components which are incorporated into the bill rate. See question #41 as well. 25. Upon contract award, would the current WMC temporary employees also be payrolled by the new Contractor? Answer: Depending on the responses received for this RFP, this cannot be determined at this time. 26. Does WMC have detailed job descriptions regarding the positions listed in RFP Subsection 5.2.2? Answer:Yes and the positions we are filling are standard for the healthcare industry.

4 27. In lieu of specific hospital experience, would certain substitutions be allowable? For example, clinics, behavioral/mental health, public health departments, etc. Answer: Comparable experience, as determined by WMC, is permitted. 28. Would you please identify any HR information systems (including vendor management systems) used by WMC that a supplier would need to interface with to provide the requested services (e.g., credentialing, timekeeping, scheduling, or invoicing systems)? Answer: None 29. Would WMC consider extending the proposal due date from 2/24/15 to 3/10/15? Answer: The proposal due date was amended on February 13, 2015 and is now due on 3/3/ Do any of the skill categories covered under this contract have living or prevailing wages associated with them? If so, which are they and what are the prevailing wages and benefits requirements? Answer: No. 31. Does WMC have any offices or locations outside the 100 Woods Road, Valhalla, New York location? If so, are any of these locations in which temps will be assigned in the five boroughs of New York City? Answer: In addition to offices located at 100 Woods Road, Valhalla, New York, WMC has offices at 19 Bradhurst Avenue, Hawthorne, New York and 7-Skyline Drive, Hawthorne, New York. Additional locations could be added in the future. 32. Please provide a breakdown by title and number of the administrative and clerical placements for Calendar Years 2013 and 2014? a. For example, Administrative Assistant 2013, 50 placements and 2014, 63 placements. Answer: We currently have 194 placements. For 2014, 43 positions were filled and for 2013, 28 positions were filled. 33. Please provide the total spend on this contract for 2013 and 2014, so we can understand the potential volume and take that into account in our pricing. Answer: See question # So that we can understand potential implications for the Affordable Care Act, among other things, what is the average length of assignment at WMC for administrative and clerical placements? Answer: We estimate the average length of assignment to be 20 months. 35. What are the current contracted pay rates (and/or pay ranges) and bill rates (and/or bill ranges) for each of the three current vendors, for all titles referenced on pages 10 and 11 of the RFP? Answer: This information will not be provided. 36. What are the current contracted payrolling rates (and/or payrolling ranges) for each of the three current vendors, for all titles referenced on pages 10 and 11 of the RFP? Answer:This information will not be provided.

5 37. What are the current temp-to-hire conversion terms and direct hire rates for each of the three current vendors, for all titles referenced on pages 10 and 11 of the RFP? Answer:This information will not be provided. 38. Does WMC intend to once again award multiple contracts for the provisioning of Administrative and Clerical temporary staffing services? Answer: See question #14. If so, will WMC again be contracting with three vendors? If not how many? Answer: This number is unknown at this time and is dependent on the proposals we receive. a. If multiple awards are made in one geography, how will orders be distributed and candidates chosen? Answer:This will depend on number of vendors selected, if more than one, and job categories they can fill. Once approved, orders are distributed by either Finance or Human Resources. Candidates are selected by department managers. 39. On page ten, section you ask for an hourly rate or salary range does this mean we are to provide either a single hourly rate or a range of hourly rates that we would charge WMC for the particular skill set? Answer:Yes, either an hourly rate or range can be used, but if ranges are usedthey must include objective measures which quantify where a person would fall based on experience, education etc. 40. On page eleven, Section 5.2.4, the RFP states, Clearly state any rate increases for the duration of the proposed five year term. WMC will not consider any future rate increases which are not fully disclosed in this proposal. While we can estimate pricing increases necessary to account for normal inflation, we cannot envision the possible increases in either the minimum wage or mandated federal, state, or municipality payroll taxes (for example, a state-wide paid sick leave requirement) that will increase our cost of doing business over the five year contract period. Would you allow us to put a provision in the contract that says the pricing can be adjusted to account for such mandated changes based on a negotiation between the parties after such change occurs? Answer: WMC will consider changes to terms based on industry standards; however, proposals should be made based on the contract terms provided in the RFP. 41. On page eleven, Section 5.2.5, the RFP states to identify all benefits provided, including health insurance. a. Given the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, do you want us to include potential health premium costs in the bill rate, which could mean WMC is paying for costs not actually expended, or would you prefer we charge WMC a separate cost for health insurance only for those individuals who enroll in the insurance? Answer: We prefer a separate cost for health insurance for those individuals enrolled.

6 42. On page eleven, Section 5.3 Deliverables, the fifth bullet point, the RFP states, Ensure that all staff are screened and evaluated in accordance with WMC s policies and procedures regarding pre-employment screening, criminal background checks and pre-placement physical examination screening including a 10 panel drug screen a. Please provide a detailed summary of WMC s background check and medical screening policies. Answer: See question #22 b. Will WMC allow the selected vendor(s) to charge-back the cost of background and checks and health screening costs to WMC at cost with no markup? Answer: For this RFP, please include the cost in the bill rates and refer to question #24. Since the company is responsible for criminal background checks and health screening costs, these should be incorporated into the bill rates. i. If not, is there an expectation that the selected vendor(s) should factor such costs into bill rates? Answer: We are not considering a charge back system at this time for candidate screening. ii. Regarding the health screenings, will WMC agree to either provide such screenings or pay for their cost as a separately billed expense? Otherwise, we would need to know the precise number of assignments that would be subject to such screenings so we could determine how to build such a cost into our pricing. Answer: No we will not accept separate billing. All assignments at Westchester Medical Center have the same screening process. Please incorporate into the bill rate as indicated in question # On page the Indemnity calls for indemnifying the other Party, and its officers, directors..for, from and against any claim or action brought against, arising out of the acts or omissions of the indemnifying Party, its employees or agents. This would mean that should one of our field employees bring a claim for harassment against a supervisor at WMC, we would have a duty to defend WMC and pay any fines assessed against it. The standard in the industry is for the indemnity to be provided only for negligent acts or omissions. Would the WMC agree to adjust the indemnity to restrict it in this way. Answer: No this is part of our standard contract terms and conditions. 44. How many vendors are you looking to award for this engagement? Answer: See question # Will vendors be awarded by area of specialty, (i.e. Finance, IT, Clerical)? Answer:This answer depends on the proposals that are submitted. We are seeking vendors with the capability of filling a broad range of positions although we may need to consider vendors with specialty positions experience, if needed. 46. If one vendor is selected, will they be guaranteed exclusive business? Answer:The vendor selected will be the preferred vendor, not exclusive. 47. What is the anticipated spend for the areas of finance, IT, and admin clerical? Answer: A breakdown by area is not available. 48. What is the anticipated volume expected for a volume discount? Answer: There is none at this time.

7 49. Are you looking for actual rates or Mark-up % for bill rate? Answer: Mark-up percentage for the bill rate If a vendor does not offer payrolling services, will the vendor be deducted 5% of the evaluation points under the Cost Evaluation standards? Answer: Yes. 51. Is WMC open to hearing about our technical capabilities in the EMR/EHR space? Answer: No. 52. Fee Proposal: Will WMC provide a fee proposal template? Answer: No.WMC will not provide a template. Our preferred method of receiving the fee proposal and rates is in Microsoft Excel. 53. How many copies of the proposal do I need to submit? Proposers must submit five (5) copies of their proposal.