8-RFO AB01222026 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE.docx

NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES – RFO # AB01222026

REQUEST FOR OFFER (RFO)

NO. AB01222026

NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES FOR PATIENTS OF HARRIS HEALTH

Project Summary: Harris Health System seeks a qualified vendor to provide professional newborn photography services for patients delivering at Harris Health facilities. The purpose is to offer families high-quality photographic keepsakes while ensuring compliance with HIPAA and Harris Health confidentiality standards

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. SCOPE OF WORK

a. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE Harris Health is seeking a qualified Vendor to provide professional newborn photography services to families delivering at Harris Health facilities. The Vendor will offer optional photographic keepsakes to families while ensuring HIPAA compliance, patient privacy, infection control adherence, and a high-quality patient experience.

This will be a revenue-generating contract for the Vendor, with no cost to Harris Health or its patients beyond optional purchasing of photo packages.

Vendors are encouraged to review this entire Solicitation upon receipt. All questions regarding this RFSQ must be in writing and may be sent in Bonfire https://harriscountytx.bonfirehub.com.

b. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The scope of services must include but it’s not limited to the following:

1) Coverage & Availability Vendor must provide newborn photography coverage:

a) At two locations: Ben Taub Hospital, 1504 Ben Taub Loop, Houston, TX 77030, and Lyndon B Johnson Hospital, 5656 Kelley St, Houston, TX 77026.

b) 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays.

c) Normal business hours (7 AM to 5 PM).

d) Have an on-call option for bereavement cases.

e) One (1) photographer on-site for each shift.

f) Vendor shall provide and update weekly staffing schedules.

g) Vendor must notify Harris Health within 10 business days of any staffing changes.

h) Maximum acceptable delay if staff is unavailable during business hours is 2 hours.

2) Photographer Responsibilities Photographers shall:

a) Follow all nursing staff instructions regarding the timing of photography.

b) Not solicit patients in hallways or any public space without Nursing approval.

c) Approach only families who have not opted out.

d) Wear Harris Health–approved identification at all times.

e) Follow all Harris Health infection-control policies, including hand hygiene, PPE, and isolation precautions.

3) Consent and Patient Rights The Vendor must:

a) Obtain written parental consent prior to any photography.

b) Ensure no images capture other patients, staff, or PHI in the background.

c) Provide services only when the mother/infant is medically cleared by nursing staff.

d) No photography may occur without consent.

e) Vendor is expected to provide and store the consent forms.

f) Unpurchased photos should be deleted after 30 days.

4) Special Circumstances — Bereavement Photography Vendor must provide photography services for:

a) Fetal demise

b) Neonatal loss

c) Staff assigned must be trained in trauma-sensitive care.

d) Vendor should provide 1st photo at no cost, regardless of additional purchases

e) Should have digital/online access to photos

5) Equipment Vendor must provide:

a) All photography equipment (cameras, lighting, laptops/tablets).

b) Backup equipment for continuity of services.

c) Only encrypted, password-protected devices for storing photographs.

d) No personal devices may be used for photography or image storage.

6) Image Handling, PHI, and Privacy Vendor must comply with all Harris Health HIPAA standards and the Business Associate Agreement. Requirements include:

a) Store images only on encrypted systems with appropriate access controls.

b) No image shall include PHI other than the newborn’s approved information.

c) No PHI or images may be stored outside U.S. data centers.

d) Parent information may not be used for future marketing without explicit written consent.

e) Limit to fewer than 18 photographs per session as required by the department.

f) Vendor must submit its data retention policy, including timeframes for deletion of non-purchased photos.

7) Welcome Gift / Sample Photo If the Vendor offers complimentary gifts or sample items (e.g., free photo, coupon), it must:

a) Be clearly disclosed

b) Require no obligation to purchase

c) Be approved by Harris Health before distribution

d) Not include marketing beyond what parents consent to

8) Staffing Qualifications and Screening All vendor staff must complete:

a) Criminal background checks

b) OIG/GSA exclusion list checks

c) Drug screening (if required by Harris Health)

d) Full immunization requirements (TB, MMR, Varicella, Flu, COVID, Tdap, etc.)

e) Annual HIPAA and confidentiality training

f) Harris Health orientation modules Vendor assumes all costs for screening, onboarding, and compliance.

9) Vendor must provide monthly reports, including:

a) Total number of births

b) Number of photography sessions

c) Number of purchased photo packages (required by department)

d) Number of bereavement sessions

e) Number of opt-outs

f) Any customer complaints and resolutions

g) Updated staffing roster

10) Quality Assurance Performance Indicators (QAPI) Vendor must:

a) Maintain ≥95% coverage reliability each month.

b) Respond to operational issues within 24 hours.

c) Resolve patient complaints within 48 hours.

d) Replace any photographer removed by Harris Health request within 24 hours.

Harris Health reserves the right to audit the Vendor’s compliance at any time.

11) Fees and Revenue This is a zero-cost contract for Harris Health.

Vendor must:

a) Provide clear, transparent pricing to families.

b) Not charge hidden fees or mandatory costs.

c) Offer multilingual ordering and support tools.

c. SCHEDULE AND BUDGET

This will be a revenue-generating contract for the Vendor, with no cost to Harris Health or its patients beyond the optional purchasing of photo packages.

Vendor must provide newborn photography coverage:

7 days a week, including weekends and holidays.

d. UNIQUE CONSIDERATIONS

1) HIPAA compliance training is required for all vendor staff.

2) Vendor staff should have trauma training and be able to handle sensitive situations (fetal loss and neonatal loss).

II. RENEWAL OPTIONS

Harris Health may consider four (4) one-year renewal options renewable one (1) year at a time, based on the same terms and conditions with revised pricing permitted, but not exceeding the increase of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the preceding calendar year. Below is the index to be used for the calculations.

Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) Series Id: CUURS37BSA0, CUUSS37BSA0 Not Seasonally Adjusted

Renewal is subject to approval by the Harris County Hospital District Board of Trustees. Once the renewal option is exhausted, the contract must be rebid. Harris Health reserves the right to rebid at any time as is in its best interest and is not automatically bound to renew.

III. BACKGROUND

Currently the services are provided by an outside vendor.

IV. TIMETABLE

a. OPPORTUNITY Q&A

It is the responsibility of each Offeror to examine the entire RFO package, seek clarification in writing, and review their proposal for accuracy before submitting.

Questions relating to this RFO submitted in Bonfire https://harriscountytx.bonfirehub.com no later than February 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM local time in Houston, Texas.

b. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

All dates are subject to change.

V. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Harris Health has identified minimum vendor qualifications and solution requirements for offers to be considered for award. These minimum requirements are listed below. Those vendors and their offers that do not meet these minimum requirements described in this Section will not be considered for award under this solicitation.

Minimum Qualifications Requirements

1) Demonstrated Experience in Hospital Newborn Photography Vendor must have prior experience providing newborn photography services in a hospital or clinical environment, including routine newborn photography and sensitive-case photography (fetal demise/neonatal loss).

2) Photographer Credentialing & Compliance Capacity Vendor must demonstrate the ability to ensure all personnel meet Harris Health onboarding requirements, including background checks, immunizations, and HIPAA/confidentiality training.

Minimum Solution Requirements

1) Ability to Provide Seven (7) Days per Week Coverage Vendor must demonstrate the operational capacity to provide newborn photography services seven days a week, including weekends and holidays, at Harris Health facilities.

VI. EVALUATION CRITERIA

All proposals will be examined by an Evaluation Committee which will consist of Harris Health staff.

Proposals that do not meet the Minimum Requirements will be eliminated from consideration.

The responses may be incorporated into any contract that results from this RFSQ, and vendors are cautioned not to make claims or statements it is not prepared to commit to contractually.

Evaluation Scoring

The award shall be made to the most responsive and responsible vendor, taking into consideration the following evaluation criteria:

a. Harris Health will select the most highly qualified vendor(s) on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications;

b. PRICING Vendors shall provide a complete schedule of all newborn photography package prices offered to parents, including a description of each package and the associated retail cost.

In addition, vendors must propose a fixed administrative fee payable to the Harris Health for each photography package sold. This administrative fee will serve as compensation for on‑site access, administrative support, and the right to operate within the Hospital.

VII. SUBMITTALS

Please fill out and submit the following information on Bonfire:

1. Proof of Insurance (see Minimum Insurance Requirements file)

2. RFSQ and Addenda Acknowledgement (signed)

3. Pricing for photography packages and full description of the packages

4. Fee the vendor offers to pay Harris Health per each package sold

5. Tax Residence Certification

6. Addenda (if any)

7. Vendor Experience Form

8. Subcontractor listing form- if your company plans to subcontract any portion of the work.

9. Vendor’s eligibility to participate

10. Qualifications – Provide a narrative that describes your company’s qualifications and experience as an organization and how it stands ahead of the competition, including but not limited to:

a. Your company’s history providing newborn photography services in hospital or clinical environments

b. Number of years in operation

c. Number of hospitals currently or previously served

d. Facility types (public hospital systems, academic hospitals, NICUs, etc.)

e. Vendor’s background

f. Description of the employees

g. Licenses/Accreditations for your organization

h. Does your staff speak any additional languages other than English?

i. Describe your photographer workforce model, including:

· Number of photographers employed

· Employee vs. contractor model

· Average tenure of photographers assigned to hospital settings

j. What qualifications, training, or certifications are required for photographers assigned to maternity units?

k. Describe your approach to trauma-informed and grief-sensitive care.

11. Solution- Provide a narrative that describes your approach and methodology for providing the requested services. Vendors are advised to provide information that would highlight the vendor’s strengths in providing the requested services, information that would demonstrate the vendor’s leadership in the field, and information that would distinguish the vendor from its competitors.

a. Describe your process for ensuring 100% compliance with hospital onboarding requirements, including:

· Criminal background checks

· OIG/GSA exclusion checks

· Immunizations

· HIPAA and confidentiality training

b. How do you track and monitor ongoing compliance (annual training, expiring credentials, immunizations, etc.)?

c. Have you ever had a photographer removed from a hospital by request of the facility?

If yes, describe the circumstances and corrective actions taken.

d. Describe your operational plan to provide 7-day coverage at both Ben Taub Hospital and LBJ Hospital, including:

· Daily staffing model

· Shift coverage

· Holiday and weekend coverage

e. Explain how you ensure that one photographer is on-site per shift at each facility.

f. Describe your contingency plan for staffing shortages, illness, or unexpected absences, including:

· Maximum downtime controls

· Backup staffing resources

· Escalation procedures

g. How will weekly staffing schedules be prepared, updated, and communicated to Harris Health?

h. What is your guaranteed response time for bereavement cases, and how is that operationally enforced?

i. Describe how photographers identify eligible families and ensure:

· Nursing approval prior to approach

· Respect for opt-out status

· No solicitation in public areas

j. Provide a step-by-step description of your consent process, including:

· Timing

· Documentation

· Storage and retention of consent forms

k. Describe your image handling workflow from capture through deletion, including:

· Device encryption

· Storage locations

· Access controls

l. Confirm how your systems ensure:

· No PHI appears in image backgrounds

· No data is stored outside U.S. data centers

· Non-purchased images are deleted within required timeframes

m. Provide a summary of your formal data retention and destruction policy.

n. Describe the equipment used by photographers, including:

· Cameras and lighting

· Backup equipment

· Laptops or tablets

o. How do you ensure no personal devices are used for photography or storage?

p. Describe how pricing is presented to families to ensure transparency and avoid perceived pressure.

· Explain how families place orders and receive support, including:

· Multilingual tools

· Online or in-person ordering options

q. If offering complimentary items or sample photos:

· Describe the item(s)

· Confirm no obligation to purchase

· Explain how Harris Health approval will be obtained prior to distribution

r. Reporting, Issue Resolution & Performance Management Describe your monthly reporting process and confirm your ability to report:

· Total births

· Sessions completed

· Purchases

· Bereavement cases

· Opt-outs

· Complaints and resolutions

s. Describe your process for responding to:

· Operational issues within 24 hours

· Patient complaints within 48 hours

t. Explain how you would replace a photographer removed at Harris Health’s request within 24 hours.

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