REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. for Event Notification System For Managed Care Organizations, Payer and Provider Care Management Alerts

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL for Event Notification System For Managed Care Organizations, Payer and Provider Care Management Alerts PROFESSIONAL SERVICES RFP # DELAWARE HEALTH INFORMATION NETWORK 107 Wolf Creek Blvd., Suite 2 Dover, Delaware Release Date: January 2, 2013 Closing Date: January 25, 2013

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 BACKGROUND PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DHIN HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION Goals and Objectives SCOPE OF WORK Vendor Solution Architecture Information Additional Project Information/Technical Design Work System Development & Implementation Phases SCOPE OF SERVICES Develop ENS Procedures Review Technical Systems Design Assist with Acceptance Testing and Pilot Evaluation Report on Project Status Attend Meetings Provide guidance and counsel CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS DHIN RESPONSIBILITIES CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES Project Workplan Staffing Plan FORMAT AND CONTENT OF VENDOR RESPONSE GENERAL FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS CONTENT OF RESPONSE Corporate Capabilities Organization and staffing References Response to Scope of Services Work Plan, Methodology and Schedule BUSINESS PROPOSAL Total Project Cost (Cost Sheets) Business Proposal Narrative SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS OFFERORS INSTRUCTIONS Submission Requirements INSURANCE AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS Certificate of Insurance and/or copies of insurance policies for the following: State of Delaware Business License CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS BIDDING CONDITIONS CONTRACT PERIOD Notification of Award Right to reject proposals / waive or correct minor irregularities Proposal Becomes State Property Formal Contract RFP and Final Contract Contract Documents Proposal and Final Contract Incurred Expense Availability of Funds Payment for Services Rendered Non-discrimination

3 Covenant against contingent fees Termination of Contract Resolving Disputes SELECTION CRITERIA EVALUATION AND SCORING PROPOSAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

4 1 BACKGROUND 1.1 Purpose of Request for Proposal The Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure services for an electronic Event Notification System (ENS). DHIN s most pressing and immediate business need is the ability to provide daily batch notifications to the Delaware Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) of a list of their members who have been discharged from a DHIN-participating hospital or emergency department within the previous 24 hours. There must be 100% accuracy in sending this information to the correct health plan, and there must be an ability to exclude notification of events where the event is self-paid. All privacy and security requirements set forth in federal and state law and regulation must be achievable within the proposed solution. The solution must be scalable and extensible such that following an initial proof of concept, it can subsequently be expanded to include notifications to other payers and to the patient s primary care provider (PCP) or other provider of record. Extensibility to additional use cases will receive favorable consideration, but is not a requirement under this Request for Proposal. The solution must include tools for measuring utilization and volume of use (example: number of organizations/users sending/receiving data, number of messages delivered through ENS by organization and by user, etc.) The purpose of the ENS Implementation project is to design, develop and implement an Event Notification System in phases as outlined in this request for proposal. The contract for the ENS for MCO, Payers and Provider Alerts & Notifications will begin February 1, 2013 and end on June 30, 2015 to coincide with the first two phases of the project implementation process. DHIN may exercise the right to extend the contract for each additional year (for a total of two additional years). The remainder of this RFP describes the ENS project, implementation, contractor responsibilities and outlines procedures for proposal submission. -3

5 Procurement Schedule: Publish Request for Proposals January 2, 2013 Questions Due (12:00 p.m. EST) January 11, 2013 Responses to Questions Posted January 16, 2013 Due Date for all Request for January 25, 2013 Proposal Responses (4:00 p.m. EST) Bid Opening (11:00 a.m. EST) January 28, 2013 Begin Contract Negotiation January 29, 2013 Notification of Award made to all Offeror February 1, 2013 Pursuant to Delaware law 29 Del.C. ch 69, a bidding party who is successful shall indemnify and hold the State of Delaware harmless from any claims in connection with the project. 1.2 DHIN History and Organization The Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) was statutorily established in 1997 as a public instrumentality of the State of Delaware, under the direction of the Delaware Health Care Commission, to advance the creation of statewide health information and electronic data interchange network for public and private use. The DHIN is intended by law to be a public-private partnership for the benefit of all citizens of Delaware. DHIN provides the organizational infrastructure to support a Delaware statewide clinical information exchange. Effective January 1, 2011, DHIN became an independent nonprofit public instrumentality of the state of Delaware. DHIN is currently celebrating its fifth anniversary. In just five short years, DHIN has become the vehicle of choice for clinical results delivery and query in Delaware. All Delaware acute care hospitals post clinical data on DHIN (ADTs, lab, pathology, and radiology reports, transcribed reports) LabCorp and Quest as well as several smaller regional laboratories deliver results through DHIN 97% of medical providers who order tests receive their results through DHIN 100% of Delaware s skilled nursing facilities are among the query-only organizations who use care summaries provided through DHIN to assist in transitions of care More than 9,000,000 clinical results are posted each year on DHIN Almost all residents of Delaware and numerous transients visiting from other states have clinical data in the DHIN -4

6 DHIN s major service lines up to this time have centered on electronic results delivery, integration with practice EHRs, and supporting required public health reporting of immunizations, bio surveillance data, and reportable lab results. The ENS system will support DHIN s goal of providing additional services that add value to the healthcare community, as well as support DHIN s sustainability model through involvement of the health plans as active members of the DHIN health information exchange community. -5

7 1.2.1 Goals and Objectives The ENS is the first phase of a more expansive vision for health data exchange with the health plans. Later phases are expected to include sending HL7 ADT messages to the health plans, providing them with on-line access through DHIN s provider portal to all the clinical data they are legally entitled to view, potentially integrating clinical data feeds into health plan systems (analogous to EHR integration in the ambulatory practices), and receiving claims data from the health plans, with appropriate elements thereof incorporated into the Community Health Record as proxies for clinical data elements which DHIN does not receive from other sources. Responses to this Request for Proposal must address at minimum the approach for event notification, but may also include how the Offeror might address the later phases of health plan engagement. DHIN has a commitment for financial support from Delaware s Division of Medicaid and Medical Services (DMMA) and is currently working with their contracted Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to advance the vision of health data exchange that includes the health plans. The major goals and objectives for this project are as follows: Goal 1. The ENS project will rapidly provide measurable value to the MCOs. This will create momentum for the later phases of work with them and demonstrate a tangible value proposition for engagement of other health plans. Goal 2. The ENS project will provide immediate additional value to providers enrolled in DHIN by enabling them to receive timely (less than 24 hour) notification of hospital and emergency department discharges for their patients. This is of great importance in support of new payment models such as patient centered medical home (PCMH) and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). It will also position providers to take advantage of the new E&M codes for managing care transitions. Goal 3. In order to ensure that DHIN will be able to use Cooperative Agreement grant funding to support this project, it must be initiated in DHIN s FY13, which ends June 30, 2012, and must be complete with all payment milestones met by September 30, Timing is a critical factor in this project, and contract language will include penalties for delays which jeopardize DHIN s grant funding. Goal 4. A desirable goal, but not absolutely required for this project, would be a solution that is extensible to other forms of secure communication, such as provider to patient, patient to provider, hospital or health plan to provider, provider to hospital or health plan. These additional forms of notifications and alerts would support requirements of Meaningful Use Stage 2 around consumer engagement and quality improvement initiatives. 1.3 Scope of Work The Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) has a primary initial business requirement for an Encounter Notification System to address alerts and notifications to the two current Delaware Medicaid-contracted Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). -6

8 Phase One of this project will be a pilot for proof of concept. Two of DHIN s participating hospitals will send ADTs which the Offeror must be able to match with 100% accuracy to the correct MCO and generate a daily report to the MCOs of their members who have been discharged from the hospital or emergency department. DHIN currently receives HL7 ADT message feeds from all Delaware acute care hospitals, but these messages do not reliably include all the insurance segment information (IN1, IN2) necessary for accurate matching. Therefore, the proposed solution must address a method for ensuring that if the insurance segments of the ADTs are either blank or even inaccurate, there is some form of cross check against eligibility files which will be viewed as the source of truth. The proposal must address how this eligibility checking will be accomplished. Self-pay services must be excluded from notification to the MCOs (and to the other health plans in later phases). A method for DHIN to receive or generate metrics regarding patterns and volumes of utilization of the ENS services is expected as part of Phase One. Phase Two of this project, assuming a successful proof of concept, will involve expanding to include ADT feeds from all hospitals and the ability to provide alerts and notifications to any and all participating health plans. Accuracy of matching the patient to the correct health plan is paramount in keeping with laws and regulations surrounding patient privacy and security. Phase Two will also involve extending the service to providing alerts and notifications to primary care providers (PCPs). The proposal must include a description of the tools and methods that will be used to match the alert or notification with the appropriate provider. It is imperative that protected health information (PHI) be handled and disclosed only as permitted by law and regulation, and the proposal must address how that will be assured. The Offeror is invited to propose additional project phases which address additional use cases. DHIN may or may not consider additional use cases in evaluation of the proposal. Proposals must address the following: Overall strategy and system architecture Tools and technologies included in the proposed solution Sources of all data required by the solution (example: hospital ADTs, eligibility files) Pricing and timing for an initial pilot (proof of concept) involving ADT feeds from two hospitals Pricing and timing to extend the solution, assuming the pilot is successful, to all DHINparticipating hospitals, health plans, and healthcare providers Hosting considerations and costs Help Desk & Support Software and Maintenance Potential for future integration into the Medicity inexx platform using Medicity s inexx developer s kit Offeror must outline in detail how they will accomplish the following: Utilize existing data sources, such as ADT feeds and eligibility files, whether available through DHIN or elsewhere, to match the patient and event to the correct health plan Exclude self-pay events from notification -7

9 Provide a single daily alert to each of the MCOs at the beginning of each day for hospital and emergency department discharges for their covered members for the past 24 hours. Validate or confirm receipt of message Technical solution for providing the notification. Examples might include: EHR (or payer information system) integration through HL7 MDM inbound interface. alert sent to MCO Care Team/Practice accounts, Ability for message recipient or staff to log into a hosted solution from multiple locations to review, triage and manage notifications and alerts Notification sent via Direct Messaging Standard. Expand the service to include alerts and notifications to appropriate providers, with correct matching of patient, event, and provider If any additional use cases are proposed, a detailed description of the use case, the value proposition, and the tools, technologies and services to support them Activities Development of the ENS infrastructure; Review of Technical Systems Design Review Project-specific Source Code, as needed; Assistance with Acceptance Testing and Pilot Evaluation; Review All Project Deliverables; Produce Monthly Project Status Reports; Attend Project Meetings; and, Provide Guidance and Counseling to DHIN leadership. Offeror must provide the expertise necessary for implementation and deployment of the solution, developing and delivering educational training, and project management services for: Medicaid Managed Care Organizations and other payers Hospitals and Acute Care Facilities Physician practices and their Care Teams Other participants as indicated by additional use cases if proposed Offeror must provide a solution that guarantees the alert notification only goes to intended provider or MCO (or their designated staff member) for the designated patient and covered member during the period of coverage. -8

10 1.3.1 Vendor Solution Architecture Information 1. Offeror will describe the framework architecture along with solutions and 3 rd party tools use by other vendors. 2. Offeror will use technology that can encode meanings separately from data and content files to properly flag the appropriate data to the appropriate MCO/Payer/PCP, etc. that will enable the ENS and the MCO care team/providers to understand, share and reconcile the appropriate data at execution time. 3. Offeror will define how the solution will be hosted (e.g., an ASP model) Additional Project Information/Technical Design Work 1. Provide a sample view of ENS system flow. 2. Provide a detailed outline of components utilized in solution (i.e., EMPI, Certificates, etc.) System Development & Implementation Phases The major projects/phases and timeframes, as identified by DHIN stakeholders, are outlined below: Planning & Design January February 2013 The implementation approach and plans are finalized and approved, an RFP is issued, a prime Contractor is selected, and the contract begins. Development & Phase I Implementation February 2013 March 2013 After selecting the winning Contractor, construction of the infrastructure will commence. As the first phase (proof of concept) of this initiative, the DHIN seeks a solution to enrich two Hospital Data Sending Organizations ADT data and generate a daily report for the two MCO organizations. In addition, this proof of concept phase will develop the capability to generate a real-time ED Discharge Notification to the MCO Care team in order for them to establish patient-centric care, redirect Patients with frequent ED visits to more cost effective, appropriate settings of care, and provide the MCO Care team members with visibility to ED admissions. As part of DHIN s sustainability, the DHIN will provide MCOs and payers with clinical information pertaining only to their covered members or patients. DHIN currently receives HL7 ADT message feeds from all hospitals in Delaware which feed the DHIN community health record. The HL7 ADT feeds do not currently include all the necessary insurance segment information (IN1, IN2) typically collected upon registration. While some hospitals have eligibility checking on up-front registration, there are instances where upfront registrations are by-passed. In other instances, hospitals may not do all the necessary eligibility checking. -9

11 The clinical health information must be properly associated with the appropriate MCO/Payer/PCP, etc. Self-pay claims are to be excluded from any alerts or notifications. Expansion Phase II Implementation March 2013 June 2013 A decision milestone occurs at conclusion of Phase I. Assuming a successful proof of concept, additional phases of this initiative will expand the ENS solution to include alerts and notifications to accommodate all DHIN data sending hospitals, all health plans and payers, Primary Care Physicians and other providers, and potentially other message recipients such as DMMA (DOJ settlement), care coordination organizations, patient-centered medical homes, and ACOs. An optional final phase of this initiative may provide for an option to expand the ENS solution to enrich and deliver HL7 ADT messages directly to the health plans and payers. -10

12 2 SCOPE OF SERVICES This section describes the ENS contractor responsibilities. DHIN reserves the right to negotiate the requirements and associated reimbursement with the selected contractor relative to ENS tasks listed below Develop ENS Procedures The contractor will assist DHIN in developing ENS procedures to ensure the success of its ENS project. These include procedures to monitor and resolve issues regarding: Project Scope The Final Design Specification produced by the ENS contractor(s) will define project scope. The ENS contractor will be responsible for assisting DHIN in developing procedures to identify and resolve scope issues Project Schedule The ENS contractor s final work plan will outline the project schedule. The ENS contractor will assist DHIN in developing procedures to manage the schedule as well as identify and resolve delays Project Expenditures The ENS contractor will assist DHIN in developing methods to track and report on all project expenditures Technical Compliance The ENS contractor will assist DHIN in developing performance metrics for the system development and implementation contract and will analyze contractor performance against those metrics. The ENS contractor will develop procedures to monitor compliance with all technical standards including capacity issues, hardware and software specifications, response time, system availability, storage capacity and code efficiency Issues Tracking The ENS contractor will be responsible for reporting ENS project issues including, but not limited to, federal regulation and funding changes/issues, especially those affecting data exchange standards and HIPAA, which may impact the progress of DHIN s ENS project. -11

13 2.1.2 Review Technical Systems Design The ENS contractor will review and advise DHIN on issues concerning the implementation technical system design. The ENS contractor must complete such reviews and provide written comments to the DHIN on a timely basis to allow DHIN leadership to evaluate and incorporate those comments into its formal response to the ENS implementation contractor. The ENS contractor will review: System architecture including hardware configuration and telecommunication/connectivity requirements. Overall logical design and processing efficiency. Data layouts. Report formats. Audit logs. Data validation, error detection and error correction procedures. Data flow processes. Logical and physical database designs. Organization of data structures, access methods and update procedures. Systems availability and response time (end to end) and potential bottlenecks. User interface design. Security interfaces. Standards (communications, code sets and transactions) Assist with Acceptance Testing and Pilot Evaluation The ENS contractor will provide an acceptance test plan to ensure that the plan identifies all aspects of an operational system including training, user documentation, technical system environment and system functionality. The ENS contractor will develop criteria to evaluate test results and assist DHIN in determining readiness to move to pilot testing (if identified by DHIN as needed) and to statewide implementation. The contractor will evaluate and assist with system go-live activities including, but not limited to, ENS system performance metrics, help desk responsiveness and issue resolution, data quality monitoring, and system security Report on Project Status The ENS contractor will produce monthly and quarterly status reports. At a minimum these reports will track project progress, list issues, document resolved issues, and provide information on other subjects that impact the project Attend Meetings During the course of this project, at a minimum, the contractor will be required to attend regular meetings with DHIN staff. -12

14 2.1.6 Provide guidance and counsel The contractor will provide guidance and counsel to DHIN leadership on project direction and progress, costs issues, change order issues, and other project issues. -13

15 3 CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS 3.1 DHIN Responsibilities The Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) will retain ultimate decision making authority required to ensure project tasks are completed. The Project Leadership Team (PLT) will consist of the DHIN CIO, Senior Program Manager, Director of Provider Relations, the DHIN Technical Team, and the DHIN Executive Director, as necessary. The DHIN Technical/Project Team is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the contract, and is responsible for ensuring that the terms and conditions of this contract fully support the scope of service requirements specified herein. The DHIN CIO and Senior Program Manager will serve as the primary point of contact to the contractor as follows: Staff Coordination - The CIO and Senior Program Manager will coordinate all necessary contacts between the contractor and DHIN stakeholders. Approval of Deliverables - The CIO and Senior Program Manager will review, evaluate, and approve all deliverables prior to the contractor being released from further responsibility. Policy Decisions - The DHIN Executive Director and Board of Directors retain final authority for making policy decisions affecting completion of this project. The CIO and Senior Program Manager shall be contacted regarding questions and/or problems of a contractual/deliverable nature. The CIO and Senior Program Manager shall: Provide information to the Contractor to assist in the interpretation of implementation and Scope of Services; Monitor services being performed to ensure the Contractor utilizes qualified personnel and delivers the agreed upon services; Serve as the contact point through which the Contractor may relay questions and problems; Evaluate the performance of the Contractor and submit report to the CIO, Executive Director and Board on the effectiveness, quality and timeliness of the Contractors services; The DHIN CIO or Executive Director is designated as the Acceptance Official for all milestones and performance requirements issued under the contract. On all problems that pertain to contract terms, the Contractor shall contact the Executive Director (ED). The Executive Director will be responsible for resolving legal issues, determining contract scope, and interpreting contract terms and conditions. The ED is the sole authority authorized to approve changes in any of the requirements under this contract and, notwithstanding any clause contained elsewhere in this contract, the said authority remains solely with the ED. These -14

16 changes include, but will not be limited to the following areas: scope of work, price, quantity, and contract terms and conditions. 3.2 Contractor Responsibilities The contractor will be responsible for all reporting requirements established in this RFP. Additionally, the contractor must provide adequate staffing and resources to ensure successful completion of the scope of services. The minimum contractor requirements are as follows: Project Workplan The ENS Design, Development and Implementation project is expected to last 6 months, with two phases, ending no later than June 30, The Offeror should submit a workplan that includes a schedule of work to be performed, consistent with the Scope of Services, for the first phase of the project: Development and Implementation Phase I (February-March 2013); Expansion Phase II (March June 2013). (Please refer to Section for a description of each phase). The work plan will include at minimum: The tasks to be performed under each phase of the project, consistent with the scope of services and phasing schedule; The time allocated to each activity and the responsible person(s) associated with each task; Whether the task will be performed on-site at the DHIN or off-site at the Offeror s location; DHIN resources expected to be involved in the task and their role; and Implementation vendor resources expected to be involved in the task and their role Staffing Plan The Offeror must provide an organizational chart and staffing plan for appropriate staffing and communications for the approach to the Scope of Services described in their proposal. The Offeror is required to provide throughout the life of the contract: An experienced Project Manager with a record of successful outcomes with similar quality assurance projects. A technically proficient and professionally capable staff to support the tasks, including reviewing technical systems design and source code; assisting with acceptance testing and pilot evaluation; and reviewing all project deliverables. Avoidance of problems and resolution of unavoidable problems with little or no disruption to the activities performed under the contract. Provision of a plan of action / correction will be provided to DHIN in a timely manner and within 48 hours of identification of a problem. -15

17 Methodologies and approaches to ensure collegial and professional working relationships with DHIN leadership and stakeholders as well as with other DHIN contractors including the consultants, the implementation contractor(s), and other program support contractors. Continuous monitoring and feedback of the quality and timeliness of the products and services provided under this contract to ensure improvement throughout the life of the contract. The contractor s staffing plan must be organized in a manner that addresses each of these areas and must also identify all resources used for the performance of work under the contract with their roles clearly defined, and their relationship to the remainder of the contractor organization established and identified in the organizational chart. This plan should include, at a minimum, the: Number of staff proposed to support the project Hours bid for each person proposed to work on the project Level (management, technical, clerical) for each person proposed to work on the project Hours and schedule for when staff will be present on-site at the DHIN. Staff hours for off-site activity should be clearly identified as off-site. DHIN expects the bidding contractor to propose on-site project staff for each phase of the project. However, in an effort to control project costs, the Offeror is encouraged to propose that certain staff duties be performed off-site where possible, such as code review or some document preparation activities. At a minimum, the proposed project manager must be adequately scheduled on-site to assure that the project manager is able to: develop a rapport with DHIN leadership and the implementation contractor s staff; interact as needed with DHIN and contractor staff to ensure all project milestones and deliverables are met; and be present for project progress meetings as well as other critical meetings and activities, such as system test and go-live Assignment of Contractor Staff All staff identified as available for assignment to the ENS project must be assigned until the tasks for which they were proposed have been completed and approved unless: an individual terminates his/her employment with the contractor, or an individual becomes physically or mentally unable to carry out the duties assigned by the contractor, or the CIO or Executive Director requests that an individual be removed from the project Work Space Offerors should describe the work space necessary for successful completion of this project. -16

18 4 FORMAT AND CONTENT OF VENDOR RESPONSE 4.1 General Formatting Requirements This section describes the format in which proposals should be developed and submitted Completeness To be considered, Offerors must submit a complete response to this RFP. An official, authorized to bind the vendor to the proposal, must sign the cover letter and all required forms. The successful vendor must be in compliance with all requirements of the Delaware Health Information Network Required Proposal Format Each Offeror is requested to submit copies of his proposal in two parts. Part I will include the Corporate Capabilities and Technical Proposal and Part II will include the Business Proposal. The content of each of the proposal sections is described below. Three ring binders are not permitted. Word documents shall be Times-Roman with no less than 12 point fonts. Margins shall be no less than 1 inch. The Response(s) shall be submitted in the following format: Part I: Technical Proposal Section I: Cover Letter to include a list of subcontractors and any exceptions to the RFP terms and conditions. Section II: Reference to the RFP Number for which this proposal response is prepared. Section III: Table of Contents Section IV: Corporate Capabilities Section V: Organization and Staffing Section VI: References Section VII: Response to Scope of Services Section VIII: Work Plan, Methodology and Schedule Section IX: Licenses, Certifications and Insurance Appendix I: Any other material Offeror deems relevant (optional) Part II: Business Proposal Section I: Cost Sheets Section II: Narrative describing cost sheets (8 page limit) The following sections of this RFP describe the desired contents of each proposal section format requirement. -17

19 4.2 Content of Response Corporate Capabilities This section describes your firm s past experience associated with the requested "Scope of Service." Please include: Evidence of corporate stability Provide information that can be used to evaluate your ability to provide services for the duration of the contract, including the firm s most recent annual report that describes organizational and financial performance Corporate background Provide a short description of your firm's background and history up to 2 pages Corporate experience Describe your recent corporate experience in the following areas and in response to the Scope of Services: Involvement and/or work performed for community collaboratives as well as local, regional or national health information exchange organizations. ENS contract development for state or federal government agencies. Project management System design and implementation; including review of technical design, code, telecommunications/connectivity, standards, security, interfaces and performance (response time and availability). System testing End user training Preparation of technical and user documentation System implementation and go-live activities Organization and staffing Describe your proposed organization structure and level of staffing required to complete the ENS tasks. Identify staff who will be assigned to the project Resumes Include the resumes for those individuals who will be assigned to the project. The experience of your team will weigh heavily in the evaluation process. A commitment of individuals will be required when the contract is signed. -18

20 Use of subcontractors Indicate your plans, if any, to utilize subcontractors in the course of this project. Provide a description of the subcontractor firm and the role they will play in the project. If subcontractors are used, DHIN will hold the Offeror responsible for the quality and timeliness of all subcontracted work and deliverables References Include three client references and contact points as follows: client name, services performed, period of engagement, contact person, title, address and telephone number. If subcontractors will be used, provide three references for each subcontractor proposed Response to Scope of Services The Technical Proposal will provide DHIN with information necessary to evaluate contractor qualifications to complete project tasks. This Offeror s response to the scope of services must follow the outline established in Section 2.0 of the RFP. This section must include the Offeror s approach to each service required, and the methodology for achieving the defined deliverables. The discussion must be detailed enough to demonstrate to DHIN that the Offeror has the qualifications and capacity necessary to perform all work required and understands: Community-based health information exchange projects and system environments; National health information technology/exchange activities, standards and strategic direction; All contractor responsibilities defined in this RFP; The types of staffing expertise that will be required over the duration of the project; The resources to be made available by the DHIN; The need for close coordination among the ENS contractor, implementation contractor(s), the DHIN project team; The responsibilities required of the ENS contractor project manager; The contractor's responsibility for completing all project tasks; The contractor's responsibilities for production of all deliverables; DHIN s contract requirements; DHIN s requirements with respect to any subcontractors; and The type of corporate background and experience DHIN requires Work Plan, Methodology and Schedule Describe the methodology that will be employed to complete project deliverables. A work plan should be submitted in Gantt chart format, preferably in MS Project or equivalent software. -19

21 4.3 Business Proposal The Business Proposal should provide cost information for the work described in the Technical Proposal. Each cost sheet must be presented in an Excel workbook Total Project Cost (Cost Sheets) Offeror should provide an Excel workbook in response to this section Business Proposal Narrative In eight pages or less, describe the methodology for the Total Project Cost. The narrative should explain how the cost associated with each line item was calculated. Furthermore, all additional costs should be explained and calculations should be provided. These costs should include at a minimum, travel, secretarial/support and overhead. Salary costs should be explained, including, at a minimum, hours and rates (in dollars) for each member of the project team with a summary of the role each individual will contribute to the project. Describe any factors that may have an impact on cost estimates, indicate the firm's normal billing practice and include any other relevant information. -20

22 5 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Offerors must adhere to all of the following instructions in developing and submitting their proposals to DHIN. Offerors who do not follow these instructions may be disqualified. 5.1 Offerors Instructions To be considered all proposals must be submitted in writing and electronic format and must respond to the items outlined in this RFP using the requested format. DHIN reserves the right to reject any non-responsive or non-conforming proposals Submission Requirements This section describes procedures and conditions that will affect the preparation and submission of contractor proposals Number of copies: The Offeror shall provide one (1) original unbound proposal, 7 bound paper copies and 7 electronic media copies of the proposal. The electronic media version of the proposal shall be provided on compact disk. The unbound proposal shall be marked "Original" and will contain original signatures in all locations requiring the Offeror signature Packaging and Delivery Proposals should be delivered either in person or via US postal service or other delivery service in a sealed package (box or envelope), which is conspicuously labeled "SEALED PROPOSAL Delaware Health Information Network Event Notification System For Managed Care Organizations, Payer and Provider Care Management Alerts RFP " The package should also contain the name, address, and telephone number of the proposing firm. Mail or Delivery Service If delivered by mail or delivery service, the proposal shall be enclosed in an "inner" envelope labeled as indicated above. Proposals should be addressed to: Delaware Health Information Network c/o Spiros Mantzavinos, Director of Operations 107 Wolf Creek Blvd., Suite 2 Dover, DE In-Person Delivery If delivering the proposal in person, enter the DHIN Executive Offices (front door). -21

23 Closing Date All responses must be received by 4:00 p.m., EST, January 25, Economy of Preparation Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straight-forward, concise description of the Offeror's offer to meet the requirements of the RFP. DO NOT USE RING BINDERS Questions All questions are required to be submitted in writing. Questions must be submitted in the following format: Questions shall be prepared in a Word document using Times-Roman with no less than 12 point font. Margins shall be 1 inch. Questions will be consecutively numbered using the numbering tool. Do not manually enter question numbers. Questions that pertain to a specific section of the RFP must reference that section. Questions must be submitted as an attachment to an directed to spiros.mantzavinos@dhin.org Questions must be submitted to DHIN by Noon, EST, January 11, Questions received after the deadline will not be considered. Answers to questions will be posted at by January 16, Those who submitted questions will receive an notification when answers are posted to the website. All others must check the website for answers. All questions and answers submitted with regard to this RFP will be posted Modifications Any changes, amendments or modifications to a proposal must be made in writing; submitted in the same manner as the original response and conspicuously labeled as a change, amendment or modification to a previously submitted proposal. Changes, amendments or modifications to proposals shall not be accepted or considered after the hour and date specified as the deadline for submission of proposals. DHIN reserves the right to request clarification and/or further technical information from any contractor submitting a proposal. 5.2 Insurance and Licensing Requirements Certificate of Insurance and/or copies of insurance policies for the following: As a part of the contract requirements, the Contractor shall obtain at its own cost and expense and keep in force and effect during the term of this contract, including all extensions, the minimum coverage limits specified below with a carrier satisfactory to the State. -22

24 All Contractors shall carry Comprehensive General Liability and at least one of the other coverage s depending on the type of service or product being delivered. a) Comprehensive General Liability - $1,000, per person / $3,000, per occurrence. and b) Medical / Professional Liability - $1,000, per person / $3,000, per occurrence. or c) Miscellaneous Errors and Omissions - $1,000, per person / $3,000, per occurrence. or d) Product Liability - $1,000, per person / $3,000, per occurrence. Automotive Liability Insurance covering all automotive units used in the work with limits of not less than $100,000 each person and $300,000 each accident as to bodily injury and $25,000 as to property damage to others. Forty-five (45) days written notice of cancellation or material change of any policies shall be required. Before any work is done hereunder, the Certificate of Insurance and/or copies of the insurance policies, referencing the contract number stated herein, shall be filed with DHIN State of Delaware Business License Prior to receiving an award, the successful Offeror shall either furnish the Delaware Health Information Network with proof of State of Delaware Business Licensure or initiate the process of application where required. An application may be requested in writing to: Division of Revenue, Carvel State Building, P.O. Box 8750, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington, DE or by telephone to one of the following numbers: (302) Public Service, (302) Licensing Department. Information regarding the award of this contract will be given to the Division of Revenue. Failure to comply with the State of Delaware licensing requirements may subject your organization to applicable fines and/or interest penalties. 5.3 Certification Requirements All forms must include an authorized representative's signature and accompany the bid proposal Refer to Exhibit II for all required forms as follows: Certification Sheet Offeror s Signature Form Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise Form Procurement Compliance Form Offeror s Notification Form Non-collusion Statement -23

25 5.4 Bidding Conditions Offerors may note exceptions to any of the conditions in their proposal cover letter. The section of the proposal for which the exception applies must be acknowledged. 5.5 Contract Period Upon successful award, Offeror s contract shall be valid for a two-year period through the development of Phase I (Proof-of-Concept) and completion of Phase II. Contract will include hosting, application maintenance, and support. The first decision milestone is successful completion of Phase I. The next decision milestone will be completion of Phase II. Hosting, software and application maintenance support will be for the initial two year period with an option to extend each year for a total of two additional years. Negotiation may be initiated no later than ninety (90) days prior to the termination of the initial agreement Notification of Award Notification of Award will be made to all Offerors by February 1, Right to reject proposals / waive or correct minor irregularities DHIN reserves the right to withdraw this Request for Proposal, to reject any proposals, to waive minor irregularities in proposals or to allow the Offeror to correct a minor irregularity if the best interest of DHIN will be served by doing so. Respondents whose proposals were not accepted will be notified as soon as a selection is made, or if it is decided that all proposals are not accepted. Any proposal failing to respond to all requirements may be eliminated from consideration and declared not acceptable Proposal Becomes State Property All proposals become the property of DHIN and will not be returned to contractors. DHIN will not divulge specific content of proposals to the extent that the contractor identifies contents as privileged or confidential. Any information not so designated will be considered public information and may be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act Formal Contract No employee of the Contractor(s) is to begin any work prior to receipt of a signed contract RFP and Final Contract The contents of the RFP will be incorporated into the final contract and will become binding upon the successful Offeror. Prices must remain valid for at least ninety (90) days. Contract negotiations will include price re-verification if the price guarantee period has expired. DHIN reserves the right to contract with the successful Offeror for all or any portion of the proposed deliverables. If Offerors are unwilling to comply with RFP requirements, terms and conditions, objections must be clearly stated in the proposal. -24

26 5.5.6 Contract Documents The RFP and the executed Contract between DHIN and the successful Offeror shall constitute the Contract between DHIN and the Contractor. In the event there is any discrepancy between any of these contract documents, the following order of documents governs so that the former prevails over the latter: Contract, RFP. No other documents shall be considered. These documents contain the entire agreement between DHIN and the Contractor Proposal and Final Contract The Offeror's proposal will be incorporated into the final contract and will be considered binding upon the successful Offeror Incurred Expense DHIN will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by the Offeror in preparing and submitting a proposal Availability of Funds DHIN reserves the right to terminate any contractual agreements without prior notice if it is determined that funds are no longer available to continue the Project. DHIN also reserves the option to negotiate a contract with the successful Offeror to continue oversight of the system development, design and implementation phases of the project, which may include developing requirements for operating the ENS Payment for Services Rendered DHIN will pay the Contractor based upon the agreed upon fee schedule established in the contract. When non-federal funds are appropriated to pay the Contractor s invoice, the Contractor shall receive payment within 30 days. Itemized invoices accompanied by a progress and status report must be submitted to the DHIN program office for payment authorization Non-discrimination In performing the services subject to this RFP, the contractor agrees that it will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, sex or national origin. The successful contractor shall comply with all federal and state laws, regulations and policies pertaining to the prevention of discriminatory employment practice. Failure to perform under this provision constitutes a material breach of contract. -25

27 Covenant against contingent fees The successful individual or firm warrants that no person or selling agency has been employed or retained to solicit or secure this contract upon an agreement of understanding for a commission or percentage, brokerage or contingent fee excepting bona-fide employees and/or bona-fide established commercial or selling agencies maintained by the Offeror for the purpose of securing business. For breach or violation of this warranty, DHIN shall have the right to annul the contract without liability or at its discretion to deduct from the contract price or otherwise recover the full amount of such commission, percentage, brokerage or contingent fee Termination of Contract Termination for Cause If, for any reasons, or through any cause, the Contractor fails to fulfill in timely and proper manner his obligations under this Contract, or if the Contractor violates any of the covenants, agreements, or stipulations of this Contract, DHIN shall thereupon have the right to terminate this contract by giving written notice to the Contractor of such termination and specifying the effective date thereof, at least fifteen (15) days before the effective date of such termination. In that event, all finished or unfinished documents, data, studies, surveys, drawings, maps, models, photographs, and reports or other material prepared by the Contractor in the performance of the contract shall, at the option of DHIN, become its property, and the Contractor shall be entitled to receive just and equitable compensation for any satisfactory work completed on such documents and other materials which is usable to DHIN Termination for Convenience DHIN may terminate the contract at any time by giving written notice of such termination and specifying the effective date thereof, at least thirty (30) days before the effective date of such termination. In that event, all finished or unfinished documents, data, studies, surveys, drawings, models, photographs, reports, supplies, and other materials shall, at the option of the department, become its property and the Contractor shall be entitled to receive compensation for any satisfactory work completed on such documents and other materials which are usable to DHIN. If the contract is terminated by DHIN for convenience, the Contractor will be paid an amount which bears the same ratio to the total compensation as the services actually performed bear to the total services of the Contractor called for by the contract, less payments or compensation previously made; provided, however, that if less than sixty (60) percent of the services covered by this contract have been performed upon the effective date of such termination, the Contractor shall be reimbursed (in addition to the above payment) for that portion of the actual out-of-pocket expenses (not otherwise reimbursed under this contract) incurred by the Contractor during the contract period which are directly attributable to the uncompleted portion of the services covered by this contract. -26