OE_RFI_20240729.docx

WTC HEALTH PROGRAM

75D301-24-RFI-OandE

World Trade Center Health Program Request for Information

CDC WORLD TRADE CENTER (WTC) HEALTH PROGRAM OUTREACH AND EDUCATION CONTRACT

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

75D301-24-RFI-OandE

RESPONSE DUE DATE: August 16, 2024

Title: CDC World Trade Center (WTC) Outreach and Education Contract

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes and is not a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. Release of this RFI shall not be construed as a commitment to procure items or services. Responses are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this RFI; all associated costs with responding to this RFI is solely at the respondent’s expense. Respondents should indicate which information in their response they consider to be proprietary. Responses will assist the Government in the development of its acquisition strategy, including the determination of small business capabilities and interest in any possible future acquisition.

I. Purpose The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather insights and capabilities from experts in outreach and education for public health programs, with a specific focus on recruitment into public health programs. The Program seeks to better understand activities, tools, and resources that have been proven to be effective, and how they could be tailored to the WTC Health Program outreach and education efforts.

II. Background The WTC Health Program was established by Title I of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, Public Law 111–347(January 2, 2011), as amended by Public Law 114–113 (December 18, 2015) and Public Law 116–59 (September 27, 2019), adding Title XXXIII to the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (codified at 42 U.S.C. 300mm to 300mm-61). All references to the Administrator in this document mean the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or his or her designee. Information on the WTC Health Program is available at http://www.cdc.gov/wtc. High-level Program statistics can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/wtc/ataglance

The WTC Health Program provides monitoring, screening, and treatment (medical and pharmacy) to 9/11 Responders and Survivors. Specifically, the WTC Health Program is a limited benefit health plan, meaning that treatment is covered for only specified health condition(s) resulting from exposure to airborne toxins, hazards, or other adverse conditions arising from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. An internal provider enrolled with the WTC Health Program must diagnose a member with a WTC-related health condition and determine that it is related to the member’s 9/11 exposure. The determination must then be certified by the WTC Health Program for the member to receive treatment. An enrolled member must meet certain exposure, latency, and symptom-onset requirements for their health condition to be certified. A list of certifiable conditions can be found in 42 CFR § 88.15 (https://www.cdc.gov/wtc/regulations2.html)

While experts estimate that around 400,000 people were impacted by the dust cloud, program enrollment is just over 25% of that total. Given the estimated number of people affected, certain populations are underrepresented in the Program and may be unaware of the benefits for which they are eligible. In the past, the Program and our contractors have identified the following underrepresented (and therefore underserved) populations.

Underserved Survivors:

· Spanish-speaking survivors

· Chinese-speaking survivors

· Residents of Lower Manhattan

· Young adult survivors (those who were <18 years old at the time of 9/11)

Underserved Responders:

· General Responders with a focus on union outreach

· Non-traditional responders (examples include: construction workers, communication workers, volunteers, journalists, etc.)

· Spanish-speaking responders

· Pentagon/Shanksville responders

It is over 20 years since the attacks on September 11, 2001, and the needs of the 9/11 community whom the Program serves have changed. It is important, then, to evolve with these changes to be able to continue to reach those who have not yet enrolled in the Program but are eligible to do so. In addition, recent policy, legal, or bills passed have also impacted the outreach and education needs for the Program. In particular:

· The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118-31) which included language amending Title XXXIII of the Public Health Service Act at 42 U.S.C. §§ 3311(a)(2)(C)(III) and (IV). Public Law 118-31 provided additional funding for the Program and expands the enrollment eligibility for Pentagon and Shanksville Responders to include military personal and Federal employees and contractors.

· The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328) which amended the Public Health Service Act at 42 U.S.C. §§ 3341(c). Public Law 117-328 provided additional funding for the Program and requires the Program to establish a research cohort for emerging health and educational impacts on youth. The Administrator of the WTC Health Program, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall establish a research cohort of sufficient size to conduct future research studies on the health and educational impacts of exposure to airborne toxins, or any other hazard or adverse condition, resulting from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, including on the population of individuals who were 21 years of age or younger at the time of exposure.

General outreach and education efforts are critical to reach all underserved communities, especially the young survivors of 9/11 (those were age 21 and younger on the day of 9/11).

III. Information Requested The World Trade Center Health Program requests information from grassroots organizations, active stakeholders, members of the 9/11 community, and those with industry experience to provide insight for the following questions:

1. What is the best way to monitor and measure success of outreach and education activities, campaigns, and other efforts for public health programs, such as the WTC Health Program (i.e. how do you know you’re reaching your target audience(s))?

2. What are some of the most effective outreach and education activities, campaigns, or other efforts in reaching target audiences? Are these strategies impacted by, or based on, primary language, age, or occupation?

3. What types of tools/resources are most effective in conducting outreach and education activities, campaigns, or other efforts?

4. Who are currently the most underserved or in-need 9/11 communities that the WTC Health Program should focus on reaching? What are some unique characteristics about them?

5. What are new and innovative outreach and education approaches, technologies, or resources that the Program should employ?

IV. Instructions for Submission

1. Page Limit: 5 single-spaced pages with a minimum 10-point Times New Roman font. (Note: any pictorial examples or attachments provided in support of descriptive responses do not count towards this page limit.)

2. Questions Due By: Monday, August 5, 2024 at 12pm Eastern

3. Responses Due By: Friday, August 16, 2024 at 5pm Eastern. Send responses to Michael Baron at lpc0@cdc.gov. Please include “WTC Health Program | RFI 75D301-24-RFI-OandE” in the subject line.

4. Page 1 of the white paper shall include the chart below, completed by your organization:

Company Name

Company Address

Unique Entity ID (UEI)

Primary Point of Contact Name

Primary Point of Contact Email

Primary Point of Contact Phone Number

Business Type (large business, small business, nonprofit, minority- or woman-owned, etc.)

GSA or other Federal Schedule Awards

The World Trade Center Health Program is administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention image1.png