December 3, 2014 Public Health Coalition Exercise Request for Proposal (RFP) SCOPE OF WORK The Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council is soliciting proposals from prospective consultants to develop Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program compliant activities that will improve healthcare response capabilities using exercise project management practices. The contractor must also create and implement products and activities for exercises, seminars and workshops which include facilitation, design, planning, execution, logistics and evaluation of those products not limited to the products and activities mentioned above. The successful completion and delivery of these deliverables will require a thorough understanding of the planning and exercise needs of hospitals and other healthcare entities as it pertains to hospital based accreditation agencies such as The Joint Commission (TJC), DNV Healthcare, Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) mandates and standards. Selected consultants will work with hospital healthcare system preparedness coordinators, Chicago Healthcare System Coalition for Preparedness and Response (CHSCPR) preparedness committees/subcommittees, MCHC staff, and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). This collaborative approach will be utilized to ensure that all exercise design conduct and evaluation tasks are within standards and guidelines set forth by the aforementioned accrediting agencies and organizations. Please submit proposals to the following address: Ms. Keneatha Johnson Clinical Services, Program Manager Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council 222 S Riverside Plaza, Suite 1900 Chicago, IL 60606 Proposals must be post marked by January 2, 2015. Late proposals will be returned unopened. Three hardbound copies and three (3) CD copies of the proposal are required. Faxed proposals will not be accepted. MCHC will post any supplemental information as necessary on the MCHC web site: www.mchc.com under Business Community. Please visit our website periodically to check for any additional information. BACKGROUND 1
The Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC) continues to be proactive in recognizing the potential for healthcare facilities to be confronted by a broad range of emergencies. As such, the focus has moved towards an integrated, incremental or stair step approach for the delivery of hospital preparedness exercises. Necessary steps have been taken to ensure planning that will support the development of an all-hazards exercise and evaluation program that can be effectively delivered to members and partners of the Coalition Healthcare System for Preparedness and Response (CHSCPR) located within the city of Chicago and the region. Consequently, there is not a one-size fits all exercise that can accommodate the various needs of each facility. Rather, there is a need to provide, more focused exercises varying in scope and complexity based on the needs of both partner and member facilities. This concept will allow a maximized use of time to participate in exercises that are meaningful and relevant to respective organizations. Planning and exercise expectations come from several sources: The Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) and the Joint Commission. Some of these mandates include the need to address: At-Risk populations to include children, Hospital Available Beds for Emergencies and Disasters (HAvBED), Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP), tactical interoperable communications, fatality management, hospital evacuation, community partner involvement, documentation of inventory, and the use of a hazard vulnerability analysis. DELIVERABLES The following products will be designed, conducted and evaluated: Confidentially review AARs from all the Exercise series and real events from (July 2011- June 2014) o AAR review and provide an Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) based on ASPR/HPP published capabilities and assign IP tasks to CHSCPR committees and CDPH, as appropriate Design three HSEEP compliant exercises using information obtained from the recommendations recorded in the exercise and real world event After Action Reports (AARs) o Provide seminars, workshops, drills, tabletop, functional or game exercises that address communications enhancement and the needs of the healthcare system as requested by CHSCPR leadership and new members o Within the exercise above include the interaction of the following activities: Healthcare System Preparedness Test the EOP of the CHSCPR (sections to be determined during exercise development- based on previously developed TTX exercises) Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) Test the abilities of hospitals and healthcare partners to implement and utilize a command structure, including the use of appropriate HICS/ Incident Command System (ICS) documents Fatality Management Test current Fatality Management EOP to CHSCPR Emergency Operations Coordination Test Intermedix WebEOC Healthcare Dashboard Illinois Helps (ESAR-VHP) 2
Test ability of local health departments, hospitals and Medical Reserve Corps (MRCs) to utilize the system to obtain specific types of healthcare volunteers in a disaster Information Sharing Test Communications Annex (sections to be determined during exercise development) Test Communications Strike Team Test redundant communication pathways o HAM Radio o STARCOM 21 Radio o HCRS Radio Develop Incident Action Plan (IAP) Workshop Updated previous table top exercises for new partners based upon requests and risks identified Develop HSEEP Exercise Guide. Part II (include new HSEEP forms) that outlines principles for exercise development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning The following logistics will be executed in an efficient, complete and timely manner: Train planning team members for their roles and responsibilities in exercise design and conduct Schedule HEEP compliant meetings with necessary personnel prior to each exercise session Assure that key participants and planners are contacted and present for applicable scheduled planning meetings Procure and arrange for necessary meeting space and on-line conference calling capabilities Organize and facilitate all meetings and trainings; provide minutes to CDPH/MCHC from all meetings Develop and distribute all forms/documents, reports and exercise material related to exercise to participating facilities Provide an effective mechanism for communicating exercise activities, instruction and training with participating members and partner healthcare facilities Develop all exercise materials including but not limited to: o Exercise plan o Master scenario events listing o Evaluation plan o Exercise evaluation guides o Exercise library of injects Facilitate all exercises Address logistical and safety issues Provide online platform for exercises Conduct hot wash and critiques/de-briefs Develop after action reports within forty five days Conduct and manage of the after action process including but not limited to: o Development and distribution of feedback survey o Survey analysis o Data analysis and preparation for after action report o Development of after action report Exercise Delivery Process Required for Full Scale Exercise: Organization of an exercise planning team 3
Development of concepts and objectives Complete information gathering from key informants Conduct formal planning conferences including: o Concept and Objectives Meeting (C&O) o Initial Planning Conference (IPC) o Mid-Term Planning Conference (MPC) o Final Planning Conference (FPC) Development of video injects Design and conduct evaluator training Ensure controllers are on-site at each healthcare facility Creation of exercise evaluation guides and post-exercise online survey SCOPE OF WORK MCHC has developed a general scope of work. Proposals should indicate that the respondent is proposing on the entire scope of work and deliverables indicated within the solicitation. Respondents may include further detail regarding methodologies or approaches being proposed. CONTRACT PRICE The contract will be awarded as a fixed fee. The proposal must indicate the cost of services to be provided. The proposal must also include a schedule, broken down by task and personnel hours or time commitment for each task. A project time line/schedule must also be included. REQUEST FOR REFERENCES Applicants must provide three current references for which similar work has been performed. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS The responding applicant must: Have at least one staff with a minimum of five years of demonstrable experience in public health emergency planning Possess at least three staff with training and certification in HSEEP Provide demonstrable experience in the successful design and after action reporting of a wide range of emergency preparedness exercises. Hospital exercise experience in the City of Chicago is preferred MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL Provide a narrative description with a budget and schedule to each of the specifications below. Maximum two page response per each section. Experience, Knowledge and Expertise o Experience in the development of hospitals and public health HSEEP-compliant exercises o Knowledge and expertise in the following: The Illinois Hospital Bypass System Illinois Helps (ESAR VHP) Hospital Incident Command System Emergency Operations Planning (EOP) 4
State of Illinois Disaster Plan Information Sharing Partnership Development Qualifications and Added Value o Describe in one page or less why you believe the experience, knowledge and expertise possessed by your organization would be the best choice for MCHC as the selected vendor for the projects described in the scope of work. Approach and Methodology o Provide a written response to the steps and related rationale your organization would utilize to successfully complete all deliverables specified in the scope of work. EVALUATION CRITERIA Proposals will be evaluated according to the following factors, in order of priority. Specialized experience and technical competence of the contractor and staff relative to the scope of work Understanding of the nature of the project o Understanding of Federal, state and local requirements and regulations o General understanding of regional conditions related to this project References reflecting previous work experience of the contractor and assigned staff and satisfactory accomplishment of contract responsibility o Ability to meet work schedules o Quality of work Project cost o Total project cost o Project schedule and timeline SELECTION PROCEDURES Vendors/Consultants will be selected by MCHC after analysis of all information submitted in the proposals. MCHC reserves the right to negotiate a contact, including the scope of work with any other qualified party. This request does not commit MCHC to award a contract or pay any costs incurred in preparation of a response to this request. MCHC reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses received as a result of this request. Respondents shall not offer any gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value to any officer, employee director of MCHC for the purpose of influencing favorable disposition toward their proposal. All proposals submitted in response to this request become the exclusive property of MCHC. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Please direct inquiries to Keneatha Johnson at kjohnson@mchc.com. In order to ensure that all potential respondents receive the same information relative to this solicitation, MCHC will post response for supplemental information requested on the website www.mchc.com. 5
All work must be completed no later than June 1, 2015. No extensions will be granted. 6