Single Source Procurement: Quality Assurance Surveillance Investigation

Pursuant to New York State Finance Law § 163.10(b), The New York State Department of Health is presenting the following summary of relevant circumstances, and material and substantial reasons why a competitive procurement was not feasible.

The Department of Health Office of Primary Care and Health Systems Management (OPCHSM), Center for Health Care Provider Services and Oversight (CHCPSO) requested and received a Contact Reporter Exemption Request to extend the current IPRO & NYCHSRO Quality Assurance Surveillance Investigation and Centralized Complaint Intake contracts. These contracts support federal and state mandated operations in the MARO and Central office for nursing homes, ICF/IID developmental center surveys, and centralized intake for adult and nursing home complaints. The necessity for the extensions developed following a protest filed with OSC by an unsuccessful bidder regarding RFP 15365, which was ultimately rescinded by the Department. A new RFP was developed and released on June 24, 2015. Federal and state mandates require that continued service be provided without interruption. The extension period will allow The Department to complete the procurement process of reviewing, scoring and awarding a new contract to one or more vendor(s). The Bids for the competitive procurement (RFP No.16113) are due September 16, 2015.

This contract extension will be for a six month period beginning September 1, 2015 and continuing through February 29, 2016 OR until OSC has approved a new contract(s) in response to the RFP No. 16113. This time period includes a 90 day transition period allowing the transfer of information and processes from the current vendor to the new vendor if required.

The services provided under these contracts have been in effect since January 2006 and provide surveyor staff augmentation at a time when hiring freezes and reductions in state workforce have been imposed. The Department would not have been able to meet its surveillance obligations without these contracts. The contracts support the agency's surveillance oversight of Nursing Home complaint investigations, and surveys in the MARO, ICF/MR statewide developmental center surveys, certification approvals for the OPWDD regulated residential providers, central intake of complaints for Adult and Nursing homes, and offsite complaint resolution activities.

The DOH proposes to extend the current contracts with the existing vendor, New York County Health Services Review Organization (NYCHSRO) and Island Peer Review Organization (IPRO), under the same terms and conditions. Both vendors have been performing these services under existing contracts since January 1, 2006. The vendor(s) have successfully fulfilled all aspects of the current contracts at an exemplary level of performance. The six month extension is needed to permit sufficient time to complete the procurement process which was issued on June 24, 2015 without an interruption in service.

Procurement / Program Name Quality Assurance Surveillance Investigation
Contractor Name(s) IPRO, NYSHSRO
Contract Period 9/01/2015 – 2/29/2016
Contract Number(s) IPRP0-C020995, C021393, NYCHSRO-C021394, C020994