Single Source Procurement: NYS Summit to Plan the Elimination of Hep C

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 AIDS Institute is requesting a one-time contract amendment for Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (VOCAL-NY) to convene a Hepatitis C Summit for the purposes of establishing a framework to develop the New York State (NYS) Plan for Eliminating the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). The one-day summit is to be held in New York City and an estimated 75 people are expected to attend, 5% will be Department of Health staff and 95% will be staff from nonprofits and hospitals, as well as physicians and other medical professionals in the HCV field.

With the recent FDA approval of a game-changing new generation of all-oral, highly effective, and easy to tolerate Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) drugs, it is now possible that the HCV epidemic can be eliminated with the tools available. More than 90% of people treated using these new therapies can be cured of the HCV infection. The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) is calling upon state health departments to accelerate the end of HIV and viral hepatitis in the United States. With these new therapies, the NYS HCV Testing Law and infrastructure within the state for HCV screening, care and treatment, NYS is poised to be the first state to develop an elimination plan.

Over the past year, VOCAL-NY has been working to establish regional HCV coalitions throughout NYS and in NYC. The purpose of the coalitions is to strengthen community-level response to the HCV epidemic by facilitating community input on priorities for HCV planning and policy development. Meetings have been held in each of the upstate regions as well as in NYC. HCV stakeholders have been identified in each of the regions. VOCAL has been fostering communication and information-sharing among state, local and community stakeholders; developing a better understanding of the accessibility and availability of HCV prevention, screening, care and treatment services in NYS; examining specific issues in relation to HCV needs, resources, programs and policies; and exploring the resources necessary to deliver comprehensive HCV prevention, screening, care and treatment services for all persons living with HCV in NYS. This work has helped establish a solid foundation for the development of a comprehensive plan to eliminate HCV in NYS. This summit is an extension of the work they are currently performing, therefore VOCAL is the most logical recipient for this funding.

Procurement / Program Name	NYS Summit to Plan the Elimination of Hep C
Contractor Name(s)	Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (VOCAL-NY)
Contract Period	8/1/2016 – 7/31/2017
Contract Number(s)	C30494GG