Blueprint Quality Improvement Facilitator RFP.pdf

Agency of Human Services | Department of Vermont Health Access 280 State Drive NOB 1 South | Waterbury VT 05676 802-879-5900 phone |802-241-0260 fax

SEALED BID

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Blueprint for Health Quality Improvement Practice Facilitators

Requisition Number: 03410-120-24

ISSUE DATE January 11, 2024

QUESTIONS DUE Ongoing

STATE’S RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS Ongoing

RFP RESPONSES DUE BY This RFP will remain open until filled

SELECTION NOTIFICATIONS This RFP will remain open until filled

PROPOSED START DATE OF CONTRACT This RFP will remain open until filled

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES, AND ADDENDUMS ASSOCIATED

WITH THIS RFP WILL BE POSTED AT:

https://www.vermontbusinessregistry.com/

THE STATE WILL MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT INTERESTED PARTIES WITH UPDATED

INFORMATION. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH BIDDER TO PERIODICALLY CHECK

THE ABOVE WEBPAGEFOR ANY AND ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES AND ADDENDUMS

ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RFP.

STATE CONTACT: andria golden, Financial Manager I E-MAIL: andria.golden@vermont.gov AHS.DVHAGrantsContracts@vermont.gov https://www/

Revised: December 26, 2023

1. OVERVIEW:

1.1. SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Through this Request for Proposal (RFP) the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) (hereinafter the “State”) is seeking to establish contracts with one or more companies that can provide Blueprint for Health Quality Improvement Facilitators. More detail is provided in Section 2 of this RFP.

1.2. CONTRACT PERIOD: Contracts arising from this RFP will be for a State determined period of 1 (one) year with an option to renew for up to three (3) additional twelve-month periods or 2 (two) years with an option to renew for up to two (2) additional twelve-month periods. The State anticipates the start date for such contract(s) will be determined based on when a successful bid is received.

1.3. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: All communications concerning this RFP are to be addressed in writing to the State Contact listed on the front page of this RFP. Actual or attempted contact with any other individual from the State concerning this RFP is strictly prohibited and may result in disqualification.

1.4. BIDDERS’ CONFERENCE: A bidders’ conference will not be held remotely at the date and time indicated on the front page of this RFP.

1.5. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD: Any bidder requiring clarification of any section of this RFP or wishing to comment on any requirement of the RFP must submit specific questions in writing no later than the deadline for question indicated on the first page of this RFP. Questions may be e-mailed to the point of contact on the front page of this RFP. Questions or comments not raised in writing on or before the last day of the question period are thereafter waived. At the close of the question period a copy of all questions or comments and the State's responses will be posted on the State’s web site https://www.vermontbusinessregistry.com/. Every effort will be made to post this information as soon as possible after the question period ends, contingent on the number and complexity of the questions.

1.6. CHANGES TO THIS RFP: Any modifications to this RFP will be made in writing by the State through the issuance of an Addendum to this RFP and posted online at https://www.vermontbusinessregistry.com/. Modifications from any other source are not to be considered.

1.7. RFP Bidder Assistance: If a bidder requires assistance in preparing their proposal or needs guidance on socioeconomic certifications, the bidder may contact the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). PTAC specializes in helping small businesses navigate the documentation associated with State and Federal procurement. Their website is: https://accd.vermont.gov/economic-development/programs/ptac

2. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS/DESIRED OUTCOMES:

2.1. The State is seeking to establish contracts with one or more qualified bidders to serve as “Quality Improvement (QI) Facilitators” supporting quality improvement capacity in primary care, specialty care, and community collaboratives under the Blueprint for Health (Blueprint) program. QI facilitators support practices and communities to improve patient outcomes and experiences by supporting implementation of the Blueprint’s programs and coaching practices through quality improvement processes. The Blueprint for Health is a comprehensive delivery system program that has developed payment reforms, operational infrastructure (the Transformation Network), and an evaluation framework to support the implementation of a strong foundation of Primary Care, enhanced coordination and shared management of patient needs with Social Needs and Specialty Care Providers, and Community Collaborative support for multi-sector population health planning and responsiveness.

The Blueprint’s design work responds to the emerging needs of Vermonters and the latest opportunities in health and human services reform, creating change in the delivery system. This work began with patient-centered primary care and community health, then a system of treatment for opioid use disorder, and is now addressing the social determinants of health, mental health, and substance use needs. The Blueprint Transformation Network of locally hired Program Managers, Community Health Team Leaders, and Quality https://accd.vermont.gov/economic-development/programs/ptac https://accd.vermont.gov/economic-development/programs/ptac

Improvement Facilitators work with ACO and community-based partners to lead the implementation of these innovations in practices and communities across Vermont.

Major components of the State’s health system reform include:

2.1.1. Practice Transformation:

a) Transforming primary care practices using the Patient Centered Medical Home model, which enables

Vermonters to have:

i. an ongoing relationship with a primary care provider who provides continuous and comprehensive care;

ii. a provider-led team that collectively cares for them;

iii. a holistic experience, which includes acute, chronic, preventative, and end-of-life care;

iv. care that is coordinated across all elements of the health system and community;

v. high quality care that is based on evidence-based practices; and

vi. enhanced access and communication with their care team.

b) Implementation of specific models of care that support population needs related mental health, substance use, and pregnancy/maternal health, such as in the Hub and Spoke Model and pregnancy intention initiative.

c) Expanding screening, inclusive of medical, social, mental, and developmental needs, substance use, and pregnancy intention.

d) Integrating mental health and substance use providers into primary care, allowing for short term and ongoing mental health and substance use care to occur in practices across Vermont where people receive ongoing care.

e) Integrating Community Health Teams, allowing for support with care management and coordination, addressing social determinant of health needs, and accessing specialized medical, behavioral, or substance use team-based services.

2.1.2. Coordination among Primary Care, Social Services, and Specialty Care Providers

a) Supporting effective referral management practices and connection to the local network of health, social, economic, and community service providers.

b) Enabling alignment of care management with population needs, implementing strategies such as:

i. Personalized care plans;

ii. Coordination of specialty referrals;

iii. Assistance with ancillary services;

iv. Referrals to and coordination with community services;

v. Self-management support; and

vi. Outreach.

c) Supporting Specialty practices to work with Primary Care and other referring clinicians, providing access and communication, identifying and coordinating patient populations, planning and managing care, tracking and coordinating care, and measuring and improving performance.

2.1.3. Community Collaborative support for multi-sector population health planning and responsiveness

a) Supporting community collaboratives to measure, monitor, and continuously improve upon population health needs, and specifically addressing:

i. Access to Primary Care;

ii. Access to Specialty Care;

iii. Access to Community Services; and

iv. Community Health Team impact on population health needs.

b) Facilitating cross organization quality improvement projects to improve population health outcomes and increase value of care.

To support the implementation of these components, the Blueprint has developed a team of trained individuals known as QI facilitators with the skills to help practices, integrated care teams, communities, and programs build the capacity to improve care through use of evidence-based guidelines, innovative strategies and quality improvement approaches including data-driven quality improvement methods.

The State is seeking quality improvement facilitators who will participate in QI team and implement these components of care. QI facilitators work with multi-disciplinary teams in primary care practices, pregnancy intention initiative practices and providers, substance use disorder treatment providers, integrated care teams, specialty substance abuse and mental health treatment programs, and community collaboratives to implement and manage continuous quality improvement. Relationships between QI facilitators and practices, integrated care teams, and programs are long term and interventions are based on the needs and vision of the entities served. Interventions may vary based on an organization’s size, patient population, organizational structure, partnerships with other practices and organizations, community, and type of care provided.

Activities of QI facilitators may include:

- Providing training and project implementation support/coaching for the Blueprint models of care.

- Supporting practices to achieve required external and/or internal standards and annual requirements identified by the Blueprint for Health, such as Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) recognition/annual reporting.

- Providing QI support in the form of QI methods training, facilitation of improvement projects, and consultation to practice quality improvement teams.

- Guiding identification of improvement aims and objectives, identification and interpretation of data and measures, conduct root cause and process analysis, and facilitate intervention selection.

- Supporting teams to integrate new evidence-based practices and clinical guidelines.

- Assisting teams to document and scale quality practices, participation in shared learning events, and sharing best practices and lessons learned to other teams.

- Effectively using information technology systems such as clinical registries, electronic medical records systems, the Health Information Exchange, Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc. (VITL), and portals to improve patient care.

QI facilitators also work to disseminate information among practices, integrated care teams and organizations on innovative strategies to achieve improvements in care. This sharing of knowledge and experiences may occur by connecting entities for one-to-one consultation or mentoring, sharing change cycles from one entity with another, or facilitating collaborative learning sessions for groups of practices, integrated care teams and/or programs. This may include creating and/or participating in learning collaborative opportunities for practices, both locally and statewide.

The bid should indicate which role is being applied for:

A) Contractor will serve as a General Facilitator (1.0 FTE) to work with approximately 8 to 15 Primary Care and/or other participating Medication Assisted Treatment and pregnancy intention initiative practices within a Health Service Area; the specific number of practices will be determined by the needs of the practices and discussion between the State and the Contractor. The Contractor will support the practice to maintain integrity with the Blueprint for Health models of care, and support the practice to use continuous quality improvement practices in response to practice/community identified needs/opportunities, external requirements, and statewide health reform efforts.

B) Contractor will serve as a Specialized Facilitator (1.0 FTE) to support the implementation of Mental Health Care and Substance Use Treatment Integration into Primary Care and other Blueprint practices, and implement standards of care to support social determinant of health, mental health, and substance use needs.

This role will work with practice teams and organizations to integrate Behavioral Health Clinicians (Psychologists, Therapists, Social Workers, Nurses, and Community Health Workers) and enhance Primary

Care capacity for addressing mental health and substance use needs across geographic regions of the State.

The Specialized Facilitator may also support Specialty Care practices that specialize in mental health and substance use treatment to provide greater access and coordination of services across providers.

C) Contractor will serve as a Specialized Facilitator (1.0 FTE) to support to support State identified models of care/system delivery and quality improvement activities related to Blueprint for Health and the State’s Health Reform priorities, such as strengthening local collaboration to address population health, social, and other needs. This role may work with Community Health Teams, Community Collaboratives, or Accountable Communities for Health across the state to support the use of data-driven, quality improvement focused, community engaged, multi-sectoral interventions.

Facilitators may be expected to work in diverse practice settings including substance use clinics, reproductive health and family planning clinics, which may include Planned Parenthood clinics, and primary care practices. Generally, Facilitators are expected to meet weekly or bi-weekly with each multi-disciplinary practice/integrated care/program team. Work will be tailored to help each practice succeed in implementation of the State’s Health Reform system components listed under scope and background.

The Contractor shall ensure that QI facilitation work includes:

• Assisting practices with forming a functional multi-disciplinary quality improvement team;

• Ensuring leadership involvement and communication;

• Encouraging/fostering practice ownership and support for Continuous Quality Improvement to improve patient-centered care;

• Initiating work with the practice team to incorporate a Model for Improvement, such as the Plan-Do-

Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, into daily practice to improve care and measure change;

• Ensuring that practices develop an action plan to prepare for or maintain NCQA recognition.

Supporting specialty practices to meet program standards for the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) initiative;

• Supporting practices to meet pregnancy intention initiative participation requirements;

• Supporting practice teams in the implementation of continuous quality improvement activities, including use of Blueprint, practice, HSA, and ACO data, shared decision making, self-management support, panel management, or mental health and substance abuse treatment into clinical practice;

• Supporting practices in participating in community forums and participating in at least one (1) community-identified quality improvement project at the community level;

• Supporting the incorporation of CHTs and other health and community services into practice workflow;

• Participating in regular phone calls with the State, regularly scheduled meetings of the QI facilitators, and other ad-hoc conference calls, meetings, or trainings with State and other QI facilitators;

• Encouraging innovative strategies for communication and learning between practices, such as learning collaboratives or online learning environments;

• Participating in learning collaborative activities with assigned practices;

• Assessing QI activities across organizations;

• Supporting community-level quality initiatives, including facilitating workgroup projects as directed by the Blueprint QI Coordinator, community leaders, and statewide collaboratives;

• Leading or participating in the planning team for at least one (1) learning collaborative; and

• Mentoring and being mentored by a peer facilitator.

2.2. WORK TIME AND LOCATION: The Contractor shall be expected to work in primary care medical practices, pregnancy intention initiative practices and providers, specialty providers, and/or practices providing substance abuse treatment within a designated geographic region, in integrated community teams in designated communities, or across the entire state as agreed upon between the Contractor and the State.

The State believes that the effort required to complete the work under this contract will equal up to 40 hours per week and may require early morning and evening activities in addition to the regular business day.

The Contractors will be geographically distributed to ensure statewide services. Preference will be given to Vermont-based facilitators. Any out-of-state bidders must describe how they would provide in-person support to Vermont practices.

Regular meetings in a central location in the state and/or community and participation in trainings both within and outside of the state should be anticipated. Contractors must have sufficient IT capacity to participate in regular online meetings.

QI facilitators may be assigned to work with practices and integrated community teams in particular geographic areas or according to skillset match with Blueprint program implementation needs.

2.3. REPORTING: Ongoing documentation and evaluation is required under this contract to include:

• Regular meetings between the QI Facilitator and each assigned practice (every two weeks or at a frequency agreed upon between the QI Facilitator and the practice and approved by the State);

• Establish a timeline with a plan to achieve program implementation and/or practice recognition and reporting on the status of meeting program requirements and or the NCQA recognition timeline;

• Establish a timeline and report on progress of ongoing quality improvement initiatives in practices, including at least one (1) community-identified quality improvement project at the community level;

• Practice learning collaborative participation (locally or at the State level);

• Establish a mentoring plan for at least one (1) new facilitator (as requested by the State); and

• Monthly practice reports on template provided by the State, practice records, meeting minutes, and QI project documentation to be made available upon request.

2.4. EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE: To qualify to bid on these proposals, bidder must have the following education, experience, and skills:

2.4.1. Education:

a. Licensed Health Provider or Master’s degree in a health care or public health related field (preferred), or

b. Bachelor’s degree plus 2 years health care, public health, or related experience, or

c. Five years health care, public health, or related experience.

2.4.2. Training and Credentials:

a. NCQA training on Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition (and other associated programs) must be completed within the first month of the contract, as applicable.

b. Contractor is strongly encouraged to obtain their Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality

(CPHQ) Certification within two years of contract start date.

2.4.3. Clinical Experience and Orientation Experience:

a. Experience:

i. Worked in a primary care or specialty clinical practice or other health care or community service setting.

ii. Worked in a practice or organization that provides co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

b. Skills:

i. Knowledge of the terminology and systems used in primary care, other health care or community settings, or practices providing addictions and co-occurring mental health treatment.

2.4.4. Professional Skills:

a. Communicate effectively with diverse professionals within multi-disciplinary primary care teams or community teams;

b. Identify and manage conflict;

c. Mediate challenging relationships and divergent viewpoints;

d. Resilience in the face of complex demands;

e. Comfort with change and evolution of program priorities; and

f. Recognition of when a facilitator should play a leadership versus a team facilitation role and ability to foster leadership among team members (direct vs. facilitative guidance).

2.4.5. Quality Improvement and Systems Thinking:

a. Recognize the relationship between primary care providers, community service providers, substance abuse treatment and the complex system of healthcare delivery;

b. Apply change processes and organizational theory to improve patient outcomes and decrease costs;

and

c. Mastery of a large area of complex change content, including information about quality improvement methods and tools, the use of data to drive improvement, supporting team development, and patient centered-planned care.

2.4.6. Technology Proficiency:

a. Proficiency in the use of technology to facilitate business processes; and

b. Adept and able to quickly learn to use new information technology systems and programs.

2.4.7. Effective Utilization of Data to Drive Change:

a. Demonstrated use of data to identify the need for change and to evaluate outcomes.

3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

3.1. PRICING: Bidders must price the terms of this solicitation at their best pricing. Any and all costs that Bidder wishes the State to consider must be submitted for consideration. If applicable, all equipment pricing is to include F.O.B. delivery to the ordering facility. No request for extra delivery cost will be honored. All equipment shall be delivered assembled, serviced, and ready for immediate use, unless otherwise requested by the State.

3.1.1. Prices and/or rates shall remain firm for the initial term of the contract. The pricing policy submitted by Bidder must (i) be clearly structured, accountable, and auditable and (ii) cover the full spectrum of materials and/or services required.

3.1.2. Cooperative Agreements. Bidders that have been awarded similar contracts through a competitive bidding process with another state and/or cooperative are welcome to submit the pricing in response to this solicitation.

3.1.3. Retainage. In the discretion of the State, a contract resulting from this RFP may provide that the State withhold a percentage of the total amount payable for some or all deliverables, such retainage to be payable upon satisfactory completion and State acceptance in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.

3.2. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS: The State shall have the authority to evaluate Responses and select the Bidder(s) as may be determined to be in the best interest of the State and consistent with the goals and performance requirements outlined in this RFP. The State of Vermont reserves the right to obtain clarification or additional information necessary to properly evaluate a proposal. Failure of bidder to respond to a request for additional information or clarification could result in rejection of that bidder's proposal. To secure a project that is deemed to be in the best interest of the State, the State reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, in whole or in part, with or without cause, and to waive technicalities in submissions. The State also reserves the right to make purchases outside of the awarded contracts where it is deemed in the best interest of the State.

3.2.1. Best and Final Offer (BAFO). At any time after submission of Responses and prior to the final selection of Bidder(s) for Contract negotiation or execution, the State may invite Bidder(s) to provide a BAFO. The state reserves the right to request BAFOs from only those Bidders that meet the minimum qualification requirements and/or have not been eliminated from consideration during the evaluation process.

3.2.2. Interview. An in-person or webinar interview by the Bidder may be required by the State if it will help the State’s evaluation process. The State will factor information presented during the interview into the evaluation. Bidders will be responsible for all costs associated with attending an interview.

3.3. WORKER CLASSIFICATION COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS: In accordance with Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54), Bidders must comply with the following provisions and requirements.

3.3.1. Self Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidder shall complete the appropriate section in the attached Certificate of Compliance for purposes of self-reporting information relating to past violations, convictions, suspensions, and any other information related to past performance relative to coding and classification of workers. The State is requiring information on any violations that occurred in the previous 12 months.

3.3.2. Subcontractor Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidders are hereby notified that upon award of contract, and prior to contract execution, the State shall be provided with a list of all proposed subcontractors and subcontractors’ subcontractors, together with the identity of those subcontractors’ workers compensation insurance providers, and additional required or requested information, as applicable, in accordance with Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54). This requirement does not apply to subcontractors providing supplies only and no labor to the overall contract or project. This list MUST be updated and provided to the State as additional subcontractors are hired. A sample form is attached as Appendix I to this RFP. The subcontractor reporting form is not required to be submitted with the bid response.

3.4. EXECUTIVE ORDER 05-16: CLIMATE CHANGE CONSIDERATIONS IN STATE

PROCUREMENTS:

For bid amounts exceeding $25,000.00 Bidders are requested to complete the Climate Change Considerations in State Procurements Certification, which is included in the Certificate of Compliance for this RFP.

After consideration of all relevant factors, a bidder that demonstrates business practices that promote clean energy and address climate change as identified in the Certification, shall be given favorable consideration in the competitive bidding process. Such favorable consideration shall be consistent with and not supersede any preference given to resident bidders of the State and/or products raised or manufactured in the State, as explained in the Method of Award section. But, such favorable consideration shall not be employed if prohibited by law or other relevant authority or agreement.

3.5. METHOD OF AWARD: Awards will be made in the best interest of the State. The State may award one or more contracts and reserves the right to make additional awards to other compliant bidders at any time if such award is deemed to be in the best interest of the State. All other considerations being equal, preference will be given first to resident bidders of the state and/or to products raised or manufactured in the state, and then to bidders who have practices that promote clean energy and address climate change, as identified in the applicable Certificate of Compliance.

3.5.1. Evaluation Criteria: Consideration shall be given to the Bidder’s project approach and methodology, qualifications and experience, ability to provide the services within the defined timeline, cost, and/or success in completing similar projects, as applicable, and to the extent specified below.

3.5.2. Minimum Requirements: Each proposal will be reviewed to ensure it is sufficiently responsive to the RFP to allow a complete evaluation. Failure to comply with the instructions to bidders shall deem the proposal non-responsive and subject to rejection without further consideration. The State reserves the right to waive minor irregularities.

3.5.3. Proposals will be deemed to have either passed or failed the Minimum Requirements. The State reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.

3.5.4. Any pricing proposal that is incomplete, exceeds $100,000 per year, 1.0 per full time equivalent or in which there are significant inconsistencies or inaccuracies may be rejected by the State.

Evaluation of RFP Minimum Requirements Only those proposals passing minimum requirements will be considered.

Pass/Fail

Evaluation of the Bidder’s Education & Experience:

DHVA will evaluate the education and experience of the bidder. 30 points

Evaluation of Capacity to Perform Work:

DHVA will determine to what extent the bidder has the capabilities to take on the work generated by the resulting Contract. This evaluation may include, at the State’s discretion, a panel interview and a reference check.

50 points

Evaluation of Financial Proposals:

The financial proposal will be examined to determine if it meets requirements and is consistent with industry pricing.

20 points

3.6. CONTRACT NEGOTIATION: Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State may select one or more bidders with which to negotiate a contract, based on the evaluation findings and other criteria deemed relevant for ensuring that the decision made is in the best interest of the State. In the event State is not successful in negotiating a contract with a selected bidder, the State reserves the option of negotiating with another bidder, or to end the proposal process entirely.

3.7. COST OF PREPARATION: Bidder shall be solely responsible for all expenses incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFP and shall be responsible for all expenses associated with any presentations or demonstrations associated with this request and/or any proposals made.

3.8. CONTRACT TERMS: The selected bidder(s) will be expected to sign a contract with the State, including the Standard Contract Form and Attachments C, D, E, F, and G as attached to this RFP for reference.

3.8.1. Business Registration. To be awarded a contract by the State of Vermont a bidder (except an individual doing business in his/her own name) must be registered with the Vermont Secretary of State’s office https://sos.vermont.gov/corporations/registration/ and must obtain a Contractor’s Business Account Number issued by the Vermont Department of Taxes http://tax.vermont.gov/ .

3.8.2. The contract will obligate the bidder to provide the services and/or products identified in its bid, at the prices listed.

3.8.3. Payment Terms. Percentage discounts may be offered for prompt payments of invoices; however, such discounts must be in effect for a period of 30 days or more in order to be considered in making awards.

3.8.4. Quality. If applicable, all products provided under a contract with the State will be new and unused, unless otherwise stated. Factory seconds or remanufactured products will not be accepted unless specifically requested by the purchasing agency. All products provided by the contractor must meet all federal, state, and local standards for quality and safety requirements. Products not meeting these standards will be deemed unacceptable and returned to the contractor for credit at no charge to the State.

4. CONTENT AND FORMAT OF RESPONSES: The content and format requirements listed below are the minimum requirements for State evaluation. These requirements are not intended to limit the content of a Bidder’s proposal. Bidders may include additional information or offer alternative solutions for the State’s consideration. However, the State discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals, and Bidders are advised to include only such information in their response as may be relevant to the requirements of this RFP.

https://sos.vermont.gov/corporations/registration/ http://tax.vermont.gov/

4.1. The bid should include a Cover Letter and Technical Response and Price Schedule.

4.2. COVER LETTER:

4.2.1. Confidentiality. To the extent your bid contains information you consider to be proprietary and confidential, you must comply with the following requirements concerning the contents of your cover letter and the submission of a redacted copy of your bid (or affected portions thereof).

4.2.2. All responses to this RFP will become part of the contract file and will become a matter of public record under the State’s Public Records Act, 1 V.S.A. § 315 et seq. (the “Public Records Act”). If your response must include material that you consider to be proprietary and confidential under the Public Records Act, your cover letter must clearly identify each page or section of your response that you consider proprietary and confidential. Your cover letter must also include a written explanation for each marked section explaining why such material should be considered exempt from public disclosure in the event of a public records request, pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 317(c), including the prospective harm to the competitive position of the bidder if the identified material were to be released. Additionally, you must include a redacted copy of your response for portions that are considered proprietary and confidential. Redactions must be limited so that the reviewer may understand the nature of the information being withheld. It is typically inappropriate to redact entire pages, or to redact the titles/captions of tables and figures. Under no circumstances may your entire response be marked confidential, and the State reserves the right to disqualify responses so marked.

4.2.3. Exceptions to Contract Terms and Conditions. If a Bidder wishes to propose an exception to any terms and conditions set forth in the Standard Contract Form and its attachments, such exceptions must be included in the cover letter to the RFP response. Failure to note exceptions when responding to the RFP will be deemed to be acceptance of the State contract terms and conditions.

If exceptions are not noted in the response to this RFP but raised during contract negotiations, the State reserves the right to cancel the negotiation if deemed to be in the best interests of the State.

Note that exceptions to contract terms may cause rejection of the proposal.

4.3. TECHNICAL RESPONSE. In response to this RFP, a Bidder shall:

4.3.1. Provide details concerning your form of business organization, company size and resources.

4.3.2. Describe your capabilities and particular experience relevant to the RFP requirements.

4.3.3. Identify all current or past State projects.

4.3.4. Identify the names of all subcontractors you intend to use, the portions of the work the subcontractors will perform, and address the background and experience of the subcontractor(s), as per RFP section 4.3.2 above.

4.4. REFERENCES. Provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of at least three companies with whom you have transacted similar business in the last 12 months. You must include contact names who can talk knowledgeably about performance.

4.5. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: Provide a sample of any reporting documentation that may be applicable to the Detailed Requirements of this RFP.

4.6. PRICE SCHEDULE: Bidders shall submit their pricing information in the Price Schedule attached to the

RFP.

4.7. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE: This form must be completed and submitted as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid.

5. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

5.1. CLOSING DATE: Bids must be received by the State by the due date specified on the front page of this RFP. Late bids will not be considered.

5.1.1. The State may, for cause, issue an addendum to change the date and/or time when bids are due. If a change is made, the State will inform all bidders by posting at the webpage indicated on the front page of this RFP.

5.1.2. There will not be a public bid opening. However, the State will record the name, city and state for any and all bids received by the due date. This information can be requested by contacting the Sole Point of Contact.

5.2. BID DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS:

5.2.1. ELECTRONIC: Electronic bids will be accepted.

5.2.1.1. Bids will be accepted via email submission to the address listed on Page 1 of this RFP. Bids must consist of a single email with digitally searchable PDF attachments containing all components of the bid. Multiple emails will not be accepted. There is an attachment size limit of 40 MB. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to compress the PDF file containing its bid if necessary in order to meet this size limitation.

6. BID SUBMISSION CHECKLIST:

Cover Letter

Technical Response

Redacted Technical Response, if applicable

References

Price Schedule

Signed Certificate of Compliance

7. ATTACHMENTS:

1. Certificate of Compliance

2. Price Schedule

3. Standard State Contract

4. Attachment C: State Customary Provisions for Contracts (revised: 12/07/2023)

5. Attachment D: Modification of Customary Provisions of Attachment C or F

6. Attachment F: AHS Customary Contract Provisions (revised: 05/16/2018)

7. Attachment G: State of Vermont- Federal Terms Supplement (Non-Construction) for all Contracts and Purchases of Products and Services Using Federal Funds (Revision date: July 19, 2023)

8. Appendix I – Subcontractor Approval Form

RFP/PROJECT: 03410-120-24

DATE:

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

For a bid to be considered valid, this form must be completed in its entirety, executed by a duly authorized representative of the bidder, and submitted as part of the response to the proposal.

A. NON COLLUSION: Bidder hereby certifies that the prices quoted have been arrived at without collusion and that no prior information concerning these prices has been received from or given to a competitive company. If there is sufficient evidence to warrant investigation of the bid/contract process by the Office of the Attorney General, bidder understands that this paragraph might be used as a basis for litigation.

B. CONTRACT TERMS: Bidder hereby acknowledges that is has read, understands and agrees to the terms of this RFP, including Attachment C: Standard State Contract Provisions, and any other contract attachments included with this RFP.

C. WORKER CLASSIFICATION COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT: In accordance with Section 32 of

The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54), the following provisions and requirements apply to Bidder when the amount of its bid exceeds $250,000.00.

Self-Reporting. Bidder hereby self-reports the following information relating to past violations, convictions, suspensions, and any other information related to past performance relative to coding and classification of workers, that occurred in the previous 12 months.

Summary of Detailed Information

Date of Notification Outcome

Subcontractor Reporting. Bidder hereby acknowledges and agrees that if it is a successful bidder, prior to execution of any contract resulting from this RFP, Bidder will provide to the State a list of all proposed subcontractors and subcontractors’ subcontractors, together with the identity of those subcontractors’ workers compensation insurance providers, and additional required or requested information, as applicable, in accordance with Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54), and Bidder will provide any update of such list to the State as additional subcontractors are hired. Bidder further acknowledges and agrees that the failure to submit subcontractor reporting in accordance with Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54) will constitute non-compliance and may result in cancellation of contract and/or restriction from bidding on future state contracts.

RFP/PROJECT:

D. Executive Order 05 – 16: Climate Change Considerations in State Procurements Certification

Bidder certifies to the following (Bidder may attach any desired explanation or substantiation. Please also note that Bidder may be asked to provide documentation for any applicable claims):

1. Bidder owns, leases or utilizes, for business purposes, space that has received:

Energy Star® Certification LEED®, Green Globes®, or Living Buildings Challenge℠ Certification Other internationally recognized building certification:

2. Bidder has received incentives or rebates from an Energy Efficiency Utility or Energy Efficiency

Program in the last five years for energy efficient improvements made at bidder’s place of business.

Please explain:

3. Please Check all that apply:

Bidder can claim on-site renewable power or anaerobic-digester power (“cow-power”). Or bidder consumes renewable electricity through voluntary purchase or offset, provided no such claimed power can be double-claimed by another party.

Bidder uses renewable biomass or bio-fuel for the purposes of thermal (heat) energy at its place of business.

Bidder’s heating system has modern, high-efficiency units (boilers, furnaces, stoves, etc.), having reduced emissions of particulate matter and other air pollutants.

Bidder tracks its energy consumption and harmful greenhouse gas emissions. What tool is used to do this? _____________________

Bidder promotes the use of plug-in electric vehicles by providing electric vehicle charging, electric fleet vehicles, preferred parking, designated parking, purchase or lease incentives, etc..

Bidder offers employees an option for a fossil fuel divestment retirement account.

Bidder offers products or services that reduce waste, conserve water, or promote energy efficiency and conservation. Please explain:

4. Please list any additional practices that promote clean energy and take action to address climate change:

RFP/PROJECT:

E. Executive Order 02 – 22: Solidarity with the Ukrainian People

By checking this box, Bidder certifies that none of the goods, products, or materials offered in response to this solicitation are Russian-sourced goods or produced by Russian entities. If Bidder is unable to check the box, it shall indicate in the table below which of the applicable offerings are Russian-sourced goods and/or which are produced by Russian entities. An additional column is provided for any note or comment that you may have.

Provided Equipment or

Product

Note or Comment

Bidder Name: Contact Name:

Address: Fax Number:

Telephone:

E-Mail:

By: Name:

Signature of Bidder (or Representative) (Type or Print)

END OF CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

PRICE SCHEDULE

a. The total contract will not exceed $100,000.00 per 1.0 FTE per year. The total contract term shall not exceed four (4) years.

b. Contract issuance is contingent upon funding availability. The maximum dollar amount payable under this contract is not intended to guarantee any amount of payment. The Contractor will be paid at the billable rates for services actually performed, up to the maximum allowable amount.

c. The financial proposal must include:

1. The proposed annual salary, paid at a monthly fixed rate upon successful completion of required deliverables, not to exceed $95,000.00 annually.

2. The proposed annual reimbursement budget for travel expenses, trainings, and supplies as utilized. The State requires a minimum budget of $5,000.00 for annual reimbursement expenses, not to exceed $10,000.00.

A. Annual Salary:

Year 1 Annual Salary $ Year 2 Annual Salary $ Year 3 Annual Salary $ Year 4 Annual Salary $

B. Travel/Training Budget:

Year 1 Travel/Training Budget $ Year 2 Travel/Training Budget $ Year 3 Travel/Training Budget $ Year 4 Travel/Training Budget $

Name of Bidder:

Signature of Bidder:

Date:

STANDARD CONTRACT FOR SERVICES

1. Parties. This is a contract for services between the State of Vermont, _____________ (hereinafter called “State”), and _____________, with a principal place of business in _____________, (hereinafter called “Contractor”).

Contractor’s form of business organization is _____________. It is Contractor’s responsibility to contact the Vermont Department of Taxes to determine if, by law, Contractor is required to have a Vermont Department of Taxes Business Account Number.

2. Subject Matter. The subject matter of this contract is services generally on the subject of _____________.

Detailed services to be provided by Contractor are described in Attachment A.

3. Maximum Amount. In consideration of the services to be performed by Contractor, the State agrees to pay Contractor, in accordance with the payment provisions specified in Attachment B, a sum not to exceed $________.00.

4. Contract Term. The period of Contractor’s performance shall begin on _____________, 20__ and end on _____________, 20__.

5. Prior Approvals. This Contract shall not be binding unless and until all requisite prior approvals have been obtained in accordance with current State law, bulletins, and interpretations.

6. Amendment. No changes, modifications, or amendments in the terms and conditions of this contract shall be effective unless reduced to writing, numbered and signed by the duly authorized representative of the State and Contractor.

7. Termination for Convenience. This contract may be terminated by the State at any time by giving written notice at least thirty (30) days in advance. In such event, Contractor shall be paid under the terms of this contract for all services provided to and accepted by the State prior to the effective date of termination.

8. Primary Contacts. The Parties will keep and maintain current at all times a primary point of contact for this Agreement, which are presently as follows:

State Fiscal Manager Authorized State Representative(s) For the Contractor

Name:

Phone:

E-Mail:

9. Attachments. This contract consists of 29 pages including the following attachments which are incorporated herein:

Attachment A – Statement of Work

Attachment B – Payment Provisions

Attachment C – Standard State Provisions for Contracts and Grants

Attachment D – Modification of Customary Provisions of Attachment C or F

Attachment F – Agency of Human Services Customary Contract/Grant Provisions

Attachment G – State of Vermont – Federal Terms Supplement (non-construction)

Appendix I – Subcontractor Compliance Form

10. Order of Precedence. Any ambiguity, conflict or inconsistency between the documents comprising this contract shall be resolved according to the following order of precedence:

(1) Standard Contract

(2) Attachment D

(3) Attachment C

(4) Attachment G

(5) Attachment A

(6) Attachment B

(7) Attachment F

(8) Appendix I

11. Notices to Parties Under this Agreement.

To the extent notices are made under this Contract, the parties agree that such notices shall only be effective if sent to the following persons as representatives of the parties:

STATE REPRESENTATIVE CONTRACTOR

Name: DVHA Legal Counsel

Address: Dept. of Vermont Health Access 280 State Dr., NOB 1 South Waterbury, VT 05671-1010

Email: AHS.DVHALegal@vermont.gov

WE THE UNDERSIGNED PARTIES AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS CONTRACT

By the State of Vermont: By the Contractor:

Date: Date:

Signature: Signature:

Name: Name:

Title: Title:

ATTACHMENT A

STATEMENT OF WORK

I. Overview Contractor will serve as a Quality Improvement (QI) Facilitator (herein referred to as “QI Facilitator”) with the Blueprint for Health program (Blueprint)to further objectives related to primary care transformation, strengthen community care networks, build accountable communities for health, and to meet relevant clinical guidelines and national standards defined by the All-Payer Model (APM), the State, Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), and Vermont’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO).

Part of the mission of Blueprint is to support primary care practices in their transformation into Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs). This Contract provides compensation for QI Facilitator to provide consultation services free of charge to primary care practices in the Contractor’s assigned area for activities as described in this Contract that further Blueprint’s mission through implementation of a care delivery model that is patient-centered, comprehensive, team-based, coordinated, accessible, and focused on quality and safety. Through continuous quality improvement coaching, QI Facilitator will provide support to practices in achieving:

1. Patient-Centered Medical Home model adoption and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) PCMH recognition;

2. Effective use of information technology systems, such as registries and portals to improve data-driven care;

3. Implementation of clinical best-practice guidelines;

4. Establishment and evolution of team-based care;

5. Integration of behavioral health care; and

6. Seamless connection with community resources for referral and co-management of patient needs.

QI Facilitator will also support Health Service Areas (HSA) and their transformation into Accountable Communities for Health. QI Facilitator will provide quality improvement support for the HSAs in strengthening clinical-community relationships, improving population health outcomes, increasing health equity, and providing higher value services and supports.

QI Facilitator will provide quality improvement practice facilitation services to Community Collaboratives.

Community Collaboratives are a governance structure for multi-sector population-health planning in Vermont communities. Each Vermont HSA has a Community Collaborative, which includes local leaders representing primary care (including pediatrics), the area hospital, home health or the Visiting Nurse Association, the Area Agency on Aging, the Designated (mental health) Agency, the Designated Regional Housing Organization, state agencies, and others. These leaders meet regularly to identify local priorities and plan how to use their collective resources to improve health and wellbeing.

QI Facilitator will attend, learning collaboratives as an innovative method of communication and learning between community partners. Learning collaboratives are an established strategy for reducing practice variation, caring for complex patients, and implementing guidelines (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2003). The methodology of learning collaboratives consists of three (3) main components: didactic or expert presentation on aspects of the topic including research-based evidence and practice guidelines; practice-based learning via case discussion; and the collection of common data measures across providers and/or practices. Contractor may be requested to participate in the design and implementation of the learning collaborative at the request of the State.

II.…