RFP 2026-09-001

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Central Texas Community Health Centers d/b/a CommUnityCare

2115 Kramer Lane, Suite 100 Austin, TX 78758

For

Referral Management Software

Issue Date 10.09.2026

RFP Summary:

CommUnityCare manages referrals to specialists across Travis County and surrounding areas to ensure timely patient access to care. We seek a proven third-party vendor that can provide a closed-loop referral management solution capable of tracking referrals from creation through final resolution, including scheduling, completion, consultation receipt, and communication back to the originating provider.

NOTICE TO BIDDER

Request for Proposal

RFP Number: 2026-09-001 RFP Title: Referral Management Software

RFP Start Date: 10.09.2026

Pre-Proposal Meeting None Date (Optional):

Questions Due: 10.16.2026 Response Date: 10.23.2026

RFP Contact Procurement Manager

Jeremy Cook jeremy.cook@communitycaretx.org / Purchasing Specialist Kaleigh Laine kaleigh.laine@communitycaretx.org

RFP End Date: 11.09.2026

Contract Duration: Three (3) years with one (1) optional renewal period

Proposed Budget: $150,000.00

Only Paper Submittals will be accepted.

One original Proposal, 1 copy and 1 electronic copy (Flash Drive only) must be delivered to the following location:

Referral Management Software CommUnityCare Attn: Procurement Manager 2115 Kramer Lane Austin, TX 78758

Please include a return address label

By 2:00pm CENTRAL TIME, 11.09.2026

Responses received at the designated location after the published time and date will not be considered.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. KEY RFP INFORMATION

A. PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

B. SCOPE OF PROCUREMENT

C. PROCUREMENT MANAGER

D. DEFINITION OF TERMINOLOGY

E. COMMUNITYCARE BACKGROUND INFORMATION

II. CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE PROCUREMENT

A. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

B. EXPLANATION OF EVENTS

C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

III. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND ORGANIZATION

A. NUMBER OF PROPOSALS

B. NUMBER OF COPIES

C. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Proposal Organization, mandatory

2. Letter of Transmittal, mandatory

3. Corporate References

4. Required Certifications and License

5. Financial Information

IV. EVALUATION

A. Evaluation Process B. Evaluation Point Summary

V. EVALUATION FACTORS

A. MANDATORY SPECIFICATIONS

1. Functional Capability & Workflow Support

2. Epic Integration and Interoperability

3. Reporting, Dashboards & Data Visibility

4. Compliance, Security & Regulatory Adherence

5. Vendor Experience & Implementation Approach

6. Cost & Overall Value

7. Demo

ATTACHMENTS:

A. Scope of Work B. Cost Proposal Worksheet C. Acknowledgement of Receipt Form D. Certificate of Secretary E. Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Form

F. Vendor Confidentiality Agreement G. Conflict of Interest Questionnaire H. General Terms and Conditions I. Respondent Reference Form J. Business Associate Agreement.………………………………………………….

K. Technology Questionnaire.………………………………………………………..

L. CUC Holiday Schedule.………………………………………………………………

I. KEY RFP INFORMATION

A. PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Central Texas Community Health Centers d/b/a CommUnityCare (“CommUnityCare”) is requesting Proposals from qualified Bidders. CommUnityCare is seeking bids from qualified Bidders for a Referral Management Software for their patients as described in the Scope of Work, Attachment A, of this solicitation.

B. SCOPE OF PROCUREMENT

The scope of procurement shall encompass the defined Scope of Work, detailed in Attachment A and Cost Proposal Worksheet, Attachment B of this RFP. The term of the agreement resulting from this RFP is anticipated to be for three (3) years with one (1) optional renewal periods pursuant to funding availability and satisfactory service provision, as determined by CommUnityCare.

C. PROCUREMENT MANAGER

CommUnityCare has designated a Procurement Manager who is responsible for the conduct of this request on behalf of CommUnityCare and whose name and e-mail address is listed below.

Jeremy Cook jeremy.cook@communitycaretx.org Kaleigh Laine kaleigh.laine@communitycaretx.org

All deliveries (including Proposal delivery) should be addressed to the Procurement Manager at the address located on the Notice to Bidder page. Please also include a return address, with company name and address, on the outside of the proposal package.

Any inquiries or requests regarding this RFP should be submitted to the Procurement Manager as identified above. Respondents may ONLY contact the Procurement Manager regarding this RFP. Respondents should not contact individual CommUnityCare Board of Managers, CommUnityCare President and CEO, or CommUnityCare staff regarding this RFP. Such contact may result in disqualification of the entity initiating the contact.

D. DEFINITION OF RFP TERMINOLOGY

This section contains definitions and abbreviations that are used throughout this procurement document.

"BidSync Website" is the following link: http://www.bidsync.com/community-care-health-centers/

“Central Health” means the Travis County Healthcare District d/b/a Central http://www.bidsync.com/community-care-health-centers/ http://www.bidsync.com/community-care-health-centers/

Health.

"CUC" means Central Texas Community Health Centers d/b/a CommUnityCare (“CommUnityCare”)

"CommUnityCare Website" is the following link: http://communitycaretx.org/

"Close of Business" means 5:00 PM Central Time

"Contract" means a written agreement for the procurement of items of tangible personal property or services.

"Contractor" means a successful Respondent who enters into a binding contract.

"Determination" means the written documentation of a decision by the Procurement Manager including findings of fact supporting a decision. A determination becomes part of the procurement file.

"Desirable" means that the terms “may,” “can,” “should”, “preferably,” or “prefers” identify a desirable or discretionary item or factor (as opposed to “mandatory”).

"ESBD" means Electronic State Business Daily is at the following link:

http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/

"Evaluation Committee" means a body appointed by CommUnityCare management to perform the evaluation of Proposals.

"Evaluation Tabulation Report" means a document prepared by the Procurement Manager and the Evaluation Committee for submission to the CommUnityCare Board of Managers or CEO for contract award. It contains all written determinations resulting from the procurement.

"Finalist" is defined as a Respondent who meets all the mandatory specifications of this Solicitation and whose score on evaluation factors is sufficiently high to merit further consideration by the Evaluation Committee.

"Mandatory" means that the terms “must,” “shall,” “will,” “is required,” or “are required,” identify a mandatory item or factor (as opposed to “desirable”). Failure to meet a mandatory item or factor will result in the rejection of the Respondents Proposal.

"Respondent" is any person, corporation, or partnership who submits a Proposal.

" Procurement Manager," means the person or designee authorized by CommUnityCare to manage or administer this RFP requiring the evaluation of the Proposals.

"Request for Proposal" or “RFP” means all documents, including those attached or incorporated by reference, used for soliciting proposals.

http://communitycaretx.org/ http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/

"Responsible Respondents" means Respondents who submits a responsive proposal and who has furnished, when required, information and data to prove that his financial resources, production or service facilities, personnel, service reputation, and experience are adequate to make satisfactory delivery of the services or items of tangible personal property described in the proposal.

"Responsive Offer" or “Responsive Proposal” means an offer or proposal, which conforms in all material respects to the requirements outlined in the Request for Proposal. A responsible Respondent is one that is trustworthy and possesses the necessary quality, fitness, and capacity to satisfactorily, perform the proposed work.

E. COMMUNITYCARE BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This section provides background on CommUnityCare, and the operating environment of CommUnityCare, which may be helpful to the Respondents in preparing the RFP. The information is provided as an overview and is not intended to be a complete and exhaustive description.

Goals and Objectives

The physicians and staff at CommUnityCare are committed to providing quality care in a friendly, caring and efficient environment. We believe all patients have a right to have their cultural, psychological, spiritual, and personal values, beliefs and preferences respected. We are committed to service excellence.

Overview of CommUnityCare

Central Texas Community Health Centers d/b/a “CommUnityCare” is a 501(c)(3) a non-profit organization provides healthcare services to underinsured and uninsured residents of Travis County. CommUnityCare was formerly a department of the City of Austin, transitioning to a nonprofit status on March 1, 2009. Today, CommUnityCare provides services at 30+ locations in Travis County. Each year, our health centers provide approximately 557,741 medical and dental patient appointments. CommUnityCare provides outpatient primary healthcare, dental care, limited specialty care, lab services, and radiology including mammography, a full service pharmacy, and behavioral health services. We also provide HIV/AIDS treatment at our David Powell Clinic, and care for the homeless with a location at the ARCH, along with Street Medicine teams that go out in the community to provide primary care to the homeless. These services are provided to all Travis County residents including those whose incomes and lack of private health insurance qualify them for enrollment. Two (2) of our locations, Hancock and William Cannon, were designed to expand access by providing walk-in services to patients in our system. These clinics offer extended hours and weekend care. Many of our providers speak several languages and we also utilize a telephone medical translation service for less common foreign languages. That means we serve patients from all over the world and understand their language.

Approximately 50% of CommUnityCare’s funding comes from the Community Care Collaborative, a partnership of Central Health and a local hospital system that funds care for qualifying uninsured patients. CommUnityCare receives some federal, other public, and private grant funds as well as billing Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurance. In 2010 CommUnityCare was accredited by The Joint Commission, a world leader in evaluating the quality and safety of care delivered at healthcare networks across the World and was re-accredited in 2016.

For purposes of this RFP, the following data is given to be helpful in preparing the responses. The information is provided as an overview and is not intended to be a complete and exhaustive patient statistical data information.

Overview of the Central Health

Travis County Healthcare District d/b/a Central Health was founded in 2004 as a limited-purpose taxing district. It is responsible for providing healthcare to indigent persons residing in Travis County. At that time, funding and oversight for the Community Health Center system was under the City of Austin before it was transferred to Central Health. In 2009, the Community Health Center system became a private, non-profit corporation named CommUnityCare.

Visit us online at http://communitycaretx.org/ and http://www.centralhealth.net/ http://communitycaretx.org/ http://www.centralhealth.net/

II. CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE PROCUREMENT

This section of the RFP contains the schedule for the procurement, describes the major procurement events and the conditions governing the procurement.

The Procurement Manager will make every effort to adhere to the following schedule:

A. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Action Date

1. Issuant of RFP 10.09.2026

2. Pre-Proposal Meeting (optional) None

3. Deadline to Submit Questions 10.16.2026

4. Response to Written Questions 10.23.2026 (in the form of RFP Addendum)

5. Deadline to Submit Proposal 11.09.2026

6. Selection of Finalists TBD

8. Demo by Finalists TBD

Respondents, who received notification of this solicitation by means other than through CommUnityCare mailing, are requested to contact the Procurement Manager herein to request to be added to the vendor list. Inclusion on the vendor list is the only way to ensure timely notification of any addenda and/or information that may be issued prior to the solicitation Proposal date. IT IS THE

RESPONDENTS SOLE RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT THEY RECEIVE ANY

AND ALL ADDENDA FOR THIS RFP by either informing CommUnityCare of their email contact information or by regularly checking the following Websites, addenda will be posted on the website the day they are released:

http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/ http://www.bidsync.com/community-care

B. EXPLANATION OF EVENTS

The following paragraphs describe the activities listed in the sequence of events shown in Section II, Paragraph A.

1. Issue of RFP

This RFP is being issued by CommUnityCare.

2. Pre-Proposal Meeting, Optional

Pre-Proposal Meeting will not be scheduled for this RFP.

3. Deadline to Submit Written Questions

Potential Respondents may submit additional written questions as to the intent or clarity of this RFP until the close of business referenced in the Notice to Bidder section above. All written questions must be submitted via http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/ http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/ e-mail to the Procurement Manager (See Section I, Paragraph C).

4. Response to Written Questions/RFP Addendum

Written responses to written questions and any RFP addendums will be distributed by close of business referenced on the Notice to Bidder section above, via BidSync, ESBD and e-Mail (providing Respondents requested to be added to the bid vendor list) as defined in Section II, Paragraph A; Sequence of Events.

Additional written requests for clarification of distributed answers and/or amendments must be received by the Procurement Manager no later than two (2) days after the answers and/or amendments were issued.

5. Submission of Proposal

THE PROCUREMENT MANAGER OR DESIGNEE MUST RECEIVE ALL

RESPONDENTS PROPOSALS FOR REVIEW AND EVALUATION NO LATER

THAN 2:00PM CENTRAL TIME 11.09.2026. Proposals received after this deadline will not be accepted. The date and time of receipt will be recorded on each proposal. The Proposals must be addressed and delivered to the Procurement Manager at the address as indicated on the Notice to Bidder Page.

Proposals must be sealed and labeled on the outside of the package and clearly indicate that they are in response to the RFP 2026-09-001 Referral Management Software. Proposals submitted by facsimile or other electronic means will not be accepted.

All Respondents are expected to carefully examine the RFP documents. Any ambiguities or inconsistencies should be brought to the attention of the Procurement Manager (Section I, Paragraph C). It is CommUnityCare’s intent that all information necessary to complete a Proposal is included in this RFP.

It is the responsibility of the Respondents to obtain clarification of any information contained herein that is not fully understood. CommUnityCare is responsible for interpretation of the wording of this RFP. Its staff will not give verbal answers to inquiries regarding the RFP contents. Any verbal statement regarding the RFP prior to the award shall be considered non-binding. The only formal interpretation of the RFP will be made by RFP addendum issued by the Procurement Manager. A copy of such addendum will be posted on BidSync and ESBD.

A log will be kept of the names of all Respondent’s organizations that submitted proposals. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed to competing Respondents prior to contract award.

6. Proposal Evaluation

An evaluation committee appointed by CommUnityCare management will perform the evaluation of proposals. The Procurement Manager may initiate discussions with Respondents who submit responsive or potentially responsive proposals for the purpose of clarifying aspects of the proposals, but proposals may be accepted and evaluated without such discussion.

Discussions SHALL NOT be initiated by the Respondents.

7. Selection of Finalists

The evaluation committee will evaluate and score written Proposal statements using the evaluation criteria identified in Section V. Based on the scoring; the evaluation committee may develop a “short list” of Bidders/Respondents that may be invited for an interview with the evaluation committee. Only finalists will be invited to participate in the subsequent steps of the procurement.

• Best and Final Offers From Finalists

Finalists may be asked to submit revisions to their proposals for the purpose of obtaining best and final offers. The Best and Final Offer, if requested, will be the basis for the final determination of contract award to the Respondents. Any best and final offer, as well as the entire Respondent’s proposal, will become part of the contract.

8. Demo of Finalists

Based on the results of the proposal evaluation, CommUnityCare may determine that it is necessary to demo short-listed finalists prior to making a recommendation for negotiations, best and final offer and ultimate contract award. Short-listed finalists will be invited to present their proposals to the Evaluation Committee. The purpose of the demo, if conducted, is to ensure the committee’s understanding of the proposal, Respondent’s qualifications and to evaluate the Respondent’s team. When conducted, demo scores will stand-alone and will be used to finalize the short listed proposals. The Procurement Manager will schedule the time for each Respondent’s presentation. All Respondent presentations will be held at CommUnityCare location indicated in the Notice to Bidder Section. Each interviewee will be allowed one (1) hour for the presentation, this includes setup time.

9. Contract Award

Respondents are reminded that this is a negotiated procurement and, as such, an award will not necessarily be made to the Respondents submitting the lowest-priced Proposal. If an award is made as a result of this RFP, that award will be made to the Respondent or Responders submitting the best responsive proposal that satisfies CommUnityCare’s requirements and provides the best overall value to CommUnityCare over the life of the project, as determined by CommUnityCare in its sole discretion.

C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Acceptance of Conditions Governing the Procurement. Respondents must indicate their acceptance of the Conditions Governing the Procurement in the letter of transmittal.

2. Incurring Cost. Any cost incurred by the Respondent in preparation, transmittal, presentation of any Proposal or material submitted for this RFP shall be borne solely by the Respondent.

3. Prime Contractor Responsibility. Any contract that may result from this RFP shall specify that the prime contractor is solely responsible for fulfillment of the contract with CommUnityCare. CommUnityCare will make contract payments to only the prime contractor.

4. Subcontractors. Use of subcontractors must be clearly explained in the

Proposal, and major subcontractors must be identified by name on Attachment E, The prime contractor shall be wholly responsible for the entire performance whether or not subcontractors are used.

5. Amended Proposals. Respondents may submit an amended proposal before the deadline for receipt of proposals. Such amended proposals must be a complete replacement for a previously submitted proposal and must be clearly identified as such in the transmittal letter. CommUnityCare personnel will not merge, collate, or assemble proposal materials.

6. Respondents Rights to Withdraw Proposal. Respondents will be allowed to withdraw their proposals at any time prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals. The Respondents must submit a written withdrawal request signed by the Respondents duly authorized representative addressed to the Procurement Manager.

The approval or denial of withdrawal requests received after the deadline for receipt of the proposals is governed by the applicable procurement regulations.

7. Proposal Offer Firm. Proposals to this RFP, including proposal prices, will be considered firm for ninety (90) days after the proposal submittal due date.

8. Disclosure of Proposal Contents. It is CommUnityCare's intention that proposals will be kept confidential until a contract is awarded. At that time, all proposals and documents pertaining to the proposals may be presumed to be public information under the Texas Public Information Act unless the Office of the Attorney General determines otherwise. The Procurement Manager will not disclose or make public any pages of a proposal on which the Respondent has stamped or imprinted “proprietary” or “confidential” unless required to by law or regulation.

• Proprietary or confidential data as identified by the Respondents must be readily separable from the proposal in order to facilitate eventual public inspection of the other portions of the proposal. The price of products offered, or the cost of services proposed shall not be designated as proprietary or confidential information.

9. Negotiations. The Procurement Manager or designee shall participate in all negotiations. Discussions may be conducted with responsible Respondents who submit proposals to the RFP and who is determined to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for award. Those Respondents will be accorded fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion and revision of proposals. Respondents may be required to submit additional data and/or clarify previously submitted information during the process of any negotiations. Revisions and supplements to Respondents proposal may also be permitted after submission and before award for the purpose of obtaining best and final offers. Any best and final offer, as well as the entire submitted proposal, will become part of the awarded contract.

• CommUnityCare reserves the right to negotiate the price and any other term with any, all, or none of the Respondents. Any oral negotiations must be confirmed in writing prior to an award.

10. Termination. This RFP may be canceled at any time and any and all

Proposals may be rejected in whole or in part when CommUnityCare determines such action to be in the best interest of CommUnityCare.

11. Sufficient Appropriation. Any contract awarded as a result of this RFP process may be terminated if sufficient appropriations or authorizations do not exist. Such termination will be effected by sending written notice to the contractor. CommUnityCare's decision as to whether there is sufficient appropriations and authorizations will be accepted by the contractor as final.

12. Legal Review. CommUnityCare requires that all Respondents agree to be bound by the General Requirements contained in this RFP. Any Respondent’s concerns must be promptly brought to the attention of the Procurement Manager.

13. Basis for Proposal. Only information supplied by CommUnityCare in writing through the Procurement Manager or in this RFP should be used as the basis for the preparation of Respondent’s Proposals. Any entity, by and through the submission of a Proposal, understands verbal communication regarding the RFP is not binding and communication either verbal or written to CommUnityCare Staff or Members of the Board prior to the award, their Proposal will be disqualified.

14. Contract Terms and Conditions. The contract between CommUnityCare and

Contractor will follow the specified format and contain the same or similar terms and conditions as those contained in Attachment H, entitled the General Terms and Conditions. CommUnityCare reserves the right to negotiate with the successful Respondent any contract provisions, in addition to those contained in this RFP.

15. Contract Deviations. Any additional terms and conditions, which may be the subject of negotiation, will be discussed only between CommUnityCare and the selected Respondents and shall not be deemed an opportunity to amend the Respondent’s proposal. Any requests for deviations must be made in the Proposal and, where appropriate, the Contractor should suggest alternative contract language. Contracts must also provide a brief discussion of the purpose and impact, if any, of each proposed change.

CommUnityCare may accept the alternative language at its sole discretion.

Extensive revisions to the proposed contract language may be considered non-responsive and grounds for disqualification. General references to the Contractor’s terms and conditions or attempts at complete substitutions are unacceptable to CommUnityCare and may result in disqualification of the Contractor’s Proposal.

16. Respondents Terms and Conditions. Respondents must submit with the proposal a complete set of additional terms and conditions, which they expect to have included in a contract negotiated with CommUnityCare.

Respondents must document additional terms and conditions in the required transmittal letter.

17. Respondents Qualifications. The Evaluation Committee may make such investigations as necessary to determine the ability of the Respondents to adhere to the requirements specified within this RFP. The Evaluation Committee will reject the Proposal of any Respondent who is not a responsible Respondent or fails to submit a responsive offer.

18. Right to Waive Minor Irregularities. The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to waive minor irregularities. The Evaluation Committee also reserves the right to waive mandatory requirements provided that all of the otherwise responsive Proposals failed to meet the mandatory requirements and/or doing so does not otherwise materially affect the procurement. This right is at the sole discretion of the Evaluation Committee.

19. Change in Contractor Representatives. CommUnityCare reserves the right to require a change in contractor representatives if the assigned representative is not, in the opinion of CommUnityCare, meeting its needs adequately.

20. CommUnityCare Rights.

• Reject any or all proposals and discontinue the RFP process without obligation or liability to any respondent;

• waive any defect, irregularity or informality in any proposal;

• accept a proposal other than the lowest-price proposal;

• award a contract on the basis of initial proposal received without discussions or requests for best and final offers;

• request best and final offers from any or all respondents;

• accept proposals from one or more entity;

• procure the services in whole or in part by other means;

• award more than one contract or;

• not award any contract.

21. Right to Publish. Throughout the duration of this procurement process and contract term, potential Respondents, and Contractors must secure from CommUnityCare written approval prior to the release of any information that pertains to the potential work or activities covered by this procurement or the subsequent contract. Failure to adhere to this requirement may result in disqualification of the Respondents proposal or termination of the contract.

22. Ownership of Proposals. All documents submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of CommUnityCare.

23. Electronic mail address (Required). A large part of the communication regarding this procurement will be conducted by electronic mail (e-mail).

Respondents must have a valid e-mail address to receive correspondence from CommUnityCare.

24. Use of Electronic Versions of this RFP. This RFP is being made available by electronic means. If accepted by such means, the Respondent acknowledges and accepts full responsibility to ensure that no changes are made to the RFP.

In the event of conflict between a version of the RFP in the Respondents’ possession and the version maintained by CommUnityCare, the version maintained by CommUnityCare shall govern.

25. Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program and Good Faith Effort. It is CommUnityCare’s policy that HUBs have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of CommUnityCare contracts and subcontracts. Respondents shall make a "good faith effort" to take all necessary and reasonable steps to ensure that HUBs have the maximum opportunity to participate as subcontractors, see Attachment E, HUB form.

To be eligible under this program, HUB contractors and subcontractors must be certified as a HUB, M/WBE, or DBE source by a recognized governmental program, such as:

• City of Austin Municipal Government;

• Texas Unified Certification Program; or

• The state of Texas.

Any entity identified as a HUB (as either a prime or subcontractor) shall submit a copy of its certification with its proposal. CommUnityCare reserves the right to verify any entity's HUB status prior to contract award.

26. Suspension and Debarment Requirement. The Respondent shall certify, by signing the Acknowledgement of Receipt form, attached hereto as

Attachment C that to the best of its knowledge and belief that the Respondents and/or its Principals are not or have not been debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any Federal, state or local departments.

27. Conflict-of-Interest Questionnaire. Pursuant to CommUnityCare’s Conflict of

Interest Policy, no individual at CommUnityCare may enter into any employment, transaction, or other arrangement that may cause to be perceived to cause a conflict of interest. A potential for a conflict of interest may occur when an employee, or a member of an employee’s family, holds an interest in an entity or has an employment or other financial arrangement with any business or entity that conducts or seeks to conduct business or could be in competition, directly or indirectly with CommUnityCare. The acceptance of gifts or business courtesies from any third parties with whom CommUnityCare conducts business or who are seeking to do business with CommUnityCare may pose a conflict. Respondents must complete, sign and return the Conflict of Interest Form, Attachment F.

III. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND ORGANIZATION, MANDATORY

This section describes the format and organization of the Respondents' Proposal.

Failure to conform to these specifications may result in the disqualification of the Proposal.

A. NUMBER OF PROPOSALS

1. Respondents shall submit only one (1) proposal.

B. NUMBER OF COPIES

1. Respondents shall deliver to CommUnityCare at the location specified in the

Notice to Bidder Section on the closing date and time for receipt of Proposals, the following:

• one (1) original copy of their Proposal and supporting technical and/or sample documentation;

• one (1) electronic identical copy of the Proposal on a flash drive

C. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

All areas enumerated below must be addressed. Any questions or section left unanswered shall constitute failure to respond and make the proposal incomplete, and the proposal shall not be considered.

1. Proposal Organization.

a) Letter of Transmittal;

b) Table of Contents;

c) Proposal Summary (optional);

d) Response to Mandatory Specifications, Attachment A;

e) Cost Proposal Worksheet, Attachment B;

f) Required Certificates and License, if any; and

g) Attachments:

• C - Completed and Signed Acknowledgement of Receipt Form

• D - Completed Certificate of Secretary if Respondents is a Corporation

• E - Completed HUB Form

• F – Vendor Confidentiality Agreement

• G - Completed and Signed Conflict of Interest

• I – Respondent References Form

• J – Business Associate Agreement

• K – Completed Technology Questionnaire

• The Proposal must be typewritten and placed within a binder with tabs delineating each section.

• The Proposal summary may be included by Respondents to provide the Evaluation Committee with an overview of the technical and business features of the Proposal; however, this material will not be used in the evaluation process unless specifically referenced from other portions of the Respondents' Proposal.

• Respondents may attach other materials that they feel may improve the quality of their responses. However, these materials should be included as items in a separate appendix.

2. Letter of Transmittal.

A letter of transmittal must accompany each proposal and contain the following information:

a) Identify the submitting organization;

b) Identify the name and title of the person authorized by the organization to contractually obligate the organization;

c) Identify the name, title and telephone number of the person authorized to negotiate the contract on behalf of the organization;

d) Identify the names, titles and telephone numbers of persons to be contacted for clarification;

e) Explicitly indicate acceptance of the Conditions Governing the

Procurement stated in Section II, Paragraph C.1;

f) Be signed by the person authorized to contractually obligate the organization; and

g) Acknowledge receipt of any and all amendments to this RFP.

3. Corporate References.

Respondents must provide three (3) external client references from clients for whom the Respondent has provided services of the same nature and type as those outlined in this solicitation and Scope of Work (see Attachment I).

References submitted must be for services provided in the past two (2) years from the date of this solicitation. If the Respondent has provided services to CommUnityCare during this timeframe, one of the references may be from CommUnityCare Contract Manager. The minimum information that must be provided about each reference is:

a) Name of individual or company services were provided for

b) Mailing Address of individual or company

c) Name of contact person

d) Telephone number of contact person

e) Type of services provided and dates services were provided

f) Current e-mail address of the contact person

CommUnityCare reserves the right to utilize the letters of reference in determining whether a Respondent is a responsible Contractor/Supplier.

4. Required Certificates and License

a) Respondents must provide a current copy of all required regulatory certifications and licenses.

5. Financial Information.

• CommUnityCare reserves the right to ask the Respondent for a copy of the Respondents’ Financial Statement including the latest Balance Sheet and Income Statement showing assets, liabilities and retained earnings.

• When asked, Respondents must provide a letter from an authorized person who can contractually obligate the organization validating the Financial Statement.

• When asked, provide the name, address and contact phone number for your bonding company and Agent and provide a letter from your Surety or Agent stating that your firm is bondable for this project based on the budget and the timeframe stated herein.

IV. EVALUATION

A. Evaluation Process

The evaluation process will follow the steps listed below:

1. Respondent Proposals will be reviewed for compliance with the mandatory requirements stated within the RFP. Proposals deemed non-responsive will be eliminated from further consideration.

2. Procurement Manager may contact the Respondents for clarification of the

Proposal as specified in Section I Paragraph B.

3. The Evaluation Committee may use other sources of information to perform the evaluation as identified in Section I, Paragraph B.

4. Responsive proposals will be evaluated on the factors in Specifications, Section V that have been assigned a point value. The responsive and responsible Respondent’s proposal with the highest scores will be selected as finalist. Finalist may be placed on a “short list” and invited to present their proposals to the Evaluation Committee. Points awarded from the interviews will be evaluated and scored separately. The responsible Respondents whose proposal is most advantageous to CommUnityCare, taking into consideration the evaluation factors in Section V, will be recommended for contract award as specified in Section II, Paragraph B. Respondents, who are asked, or choose to submit a revised proposal for the purpose of obtaining best and final offer, will have their points recalculated accordingly. Please note, however, that a serious deficiency in the Proposal to any one factor may be grounds for rejection regardless of overall score.

B. Evaluation Point Summary

The following is a summary of evaluation factors with percentage weight value assigned to each. These, along with the general requirements, will be used in the evaluation of Respondent’s proposals.

FACTOR POINTS AVAILABLE

1. Functional Capability & Workflow Support 30

2. Epic Integration and Interoperability 20

3. Reporting, Dashboards & Data Visibility 15

4. Compliance, Security & Regulatory Adherence 10

5. Vendor Experience & Implementation Approach 10

6. Cost & Overall Value 15

TOTAL 100

7. Demo TBD

V. EVALUATION FACTORS

Respondents should respond in the form of a thorough narrative to each mandatory specification. The narratives along with required supporting materials will be evaluated and awarded points accordingly.

Failure to respond to Mandatory Specifications will result in the disqualification of the proposal as non-responsive.

A. MANDATORY SPECIFICATIONS

1. Functional Capability & Workflow Support (Total of 30 points)

End-to-end referral lifecycle support (sent→received→scheduled→completed→closed); automation of routing, follow-up, and reminders; bi-directional communication among referral team, external specialists, and referring providers; ability to electronically request/receive consult notes for closing the loop; ease of use for referral staff/providers; reduction of manual tasks. Duplicate referral detection and prevention. Platform build, set up and onboarding. Ongoing onboarding and software support for all users and updates. See Service Level Agreement in SOW. Ability to retrieve consult notes after specialist appointments for close the loop processes. Support with specialist use of vendor software and platform.

2. Epic Integration and Interoperability (Total of 20 Points)

Proven Epic interoperability, real-time or near–real-time data exchange for referrals, HL7 and FHIR API's support. Referral order synchronization for one time entry of referral order and processing with patient demographic synchronization such as MRN, Provider, specialty requested, referral priority, diagnosis codes, insurance information and supporting documentation.

Consult note retrieval into Epic. Real-time interface monitoring.

3. Reporting, Dashboards & Data Visibility (Total of 15 Points)

Real-time dashboards for referral status (sent/received/scheduled/declined/completed); customizable and role-based reports; referral aging and exception queues; export capabilities for compliance and leadership; drill-through to cases for actionability. Monthly reporting that includes system uptime, down time, ticket response and resolution performance. Ability to see scheduling conversion rates, such as no show rates. Urgent referral compliance tracking.

4. Compliance, Security & Regulatory Adherence (Total of 10 Points)

HIPAA and security controls; audit trails and role-based access; referral closure auditability.

5. Vendor Experience & Implementation Approach (Total of 10 Points)

The vendor shall guarantee 99.9% system availability, provide real-time referral status visibility, maintain referral and interface data accuracy of at least 99.5%, notify Community Care of security incidents within 24 hours, and achieve support response and resolution times as defined in the Service Level Agreement. Failure to meet SLA thresholds for three consecutive months may result in corrective action plans and service credits. Documented success with FQHCs/health systems; references and outcomes; implementation methodology and realistic timeline; training and change management plan;

post-go-live support model (SLAs, escalation, success metrics). Support and resolution timelines for Critical, High priority and routine issues.

6. Cost & Overall Value (Total of 15 Points)

Total cost of ownership (subscription, per-provider/transaction, one-time setup and Epic integration fees); cost transparency and predictability; value relative to functionality, efficiency gains, and risk reduction; flexible pricing and contract terms.

7. Demo (TBD)

If selected as a finalist, Bidders agree to provide the Evaluation Committee the opportunity to demo proposed staff members identified by the Evaluation Committee in the finalist notification letter at the interview.

ATTACHMENT A

Scope of Work

Project Background CommUnityCare manages referrals to specialists across Travis County and surrounding areas to ensure timely patient access to care. We seek a proven third-party vendor that can provide a closed-loop referral management solution capable of tracking referrals from creation through final resolution, including scheduling, completion, consultation receipt, and communication back to the originating provider.

Referral Workflow requirements The vendor shall provide a comprehensive, referral management platform that supports the complete lifecycle of outbound specialty referrals, diagnostic imaging facilitation, including referral intake, authorization management, specialist scheduling status monitoring, consultation retrieval, referral closure, analytics, and interoperability with Epic.

• Electronic receipt of referral receipt with Epic integration that does not depend solely on fax

• Duplicate referral detection and prevention

• Prior authorization management

• Closed loop referral management with Status monitoring and alerts from received, scheduled, completed

• Specialist consults note retrieval with PCP notification upon referral completion and automated closure workflows of specialty orders

• Platform build, set up and onboarding. Ongoing onboarding and software support for end users and role-based users

• Bi-directional communication ability with ordering providers, specialists, and referral team

• Option for diagnostic imaging facilitation and tracking

Epic Integration and Interoperability

• Proven Epic integration experience.

• HL7 and FHIR API’s support

• Referral order synchronization for one time entry of referral order and processing with patient demographic synchronization such as MRN, Provider, specialty requested, referral priority, diagnosis codes, insurance information, and supporting documentation.

• Consult note retrieval into Epic.

• Appointment status monitoring: scheduled, did patient attend, was it canceled, outreach efforts.

• Real-time interface monitoring

Analytics and Dashboards

• Monthly reporting includes system uptime, downtime, ticket response, and resolution performance.

• Full support for real time data and dashboards and analytics with ability to customize for required data.

• Full unrestricted access to referral management data for meta-analysis

• Referral Processing volume, aging, completion rates, closing the loop compliance, leakage.

• Ability to see scheduling conversion rates, no show rates.

• Specialist performance metrics

• Authorization turnaround times

• Time to appointment metric, wait times.

• Urgent referral compliance tracking

Patient Engagement Capabilities

• SMS reminders

• Automated patient outreach

• Multilingual communications

• Monitoring failed outreach attempts

• Patient communication audit trail

Vendor Security, Privacy, and Compliance Requirements

• Describe your cybersecurity framework and certifications?

• How does your organization support HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule Compliance?

• What controls exist to prevent unauthorized access to patients, referral, financial, or operational data?

• What data can users export or download from the system, and can this be limited by user or dataset.

• How is PHI protected during exports and file transfers?

• Can you elaborate on any Artificial Intelligence data models, or machine learning activities and opt out opportunities?

• Please explain practical safeguards against insider threats and large-scale data exfiltration.

Vendors Selected for demonstration will be required to execute end-to-end workflows using scenario-based demonstrations reflecting Community Care referral operations

• Referral created in Epic

• Referral transmission to an external specialist

• Specialist status updates for received, scheduled, outreach efforts, completion

• Consult note generated and returned to Epic

• Referral closure once consult note received

• Dashboards that are available and that can be customized

• If available demonstrate AI assisted referral routing

• Demonstrate duplicate referral prevention

Service Level Agreement The vendor shall guarantee 99.9% system availability, provide real-time referral status visibility, maintain referral, and interface data accuracy of at least 99.5%, notify Community Care of security incidents within 24 hours, and achieve support and resolution times as defined in the Service Level Agreement. Failure to meet SLA thresholds for three consecutive months may result in corrective action plans and service credits.

Additional Information

• Proven experience working with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or healthcare systems

• Guarantees that the organization will not sell Community Care data

• Full compliance with HIPAA regulations

• Documented success in implementing referral management solutions

• Platform capabilities that include user-level role management, approval workflows, and regular software updates

• References from current clients using the proposed referral management system, with permission for direct contact

• Ability to process prior authorizations for referrals

• Disclosure of Secondary Data center and if it is geographically separate from primary data center

• Is Data Center cloud based or on premises?

• How long does it take to transition to secondary backup data center?

5. Reporting and Analytics SLAs Metric Target Dashboard Data Refresh Real-time or ≤15 minutes Standard Report Generation ≤30 seconds Ad Hoc Report Generation ≤2 minutes Monthly Performance Report Delivery Within 5 business days Data Accuracy ≥99.5%

6. Security & Compliance SLAs

Security Incident Notification Within 24 hours Critical Vulnerability Remediation ≤72 hours High Risk Vulnerability Remediation ≤30 days Annual Security Assessment Required Audit Log Retention Minimum 6 years

7. Training & Adoption SLAs

Administrator Training Completion Prior to go-live End User Training Availability ≥95% of identified users New Employee Training Request Response ≤5 business days Training Material Updates Within 30 days of major release

8. Data Conversion & Implementation SLAs

Project Kickoff Within 10 business days of contract execution Initial Configuration Environment Within 30 days User Acceptance Testing Support Within agreed project timeline Go-Live Support Coverage First 30 days post-implementation Data Migration Accuracy ≥99.5%

9. Close-the-Loop Performance SLAs

Referral Completion Tracking Rate ≥95% Closed-Loop Documentation Rate ≥95% Specialist Outcome Receipt Tracking ≥95% Referral Status Visibility 100% Referral Audit Trail Availability 100%

10. Vendor Account Management SLAs

Executive Business Review Quarterly Customer Success Meeting Monthly Enhancement Request Review Quarterly Release Communication ≥14 days before deployment

ATTACHMENT B

Cost Proposal Worksheet

Provided in a Separate Document

ATTACHMENT C

Acknowledgment of Receipt Form

NOTE: RESPONDENT SHALL COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS ATTACHMENT (all pages)

WITH THEIR PROPOSAL. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF THE

PROPOSAL.

By signature hereon, the Respondent certifies that:

• All statements and information prepared and submitted in response to this Request for Information are current, complete and accurate.

• He/she has not given, offered to give, nor intends to give at any time hereafter, any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan gratuity, special discount, trip, favor, or service to a CommUnityCare in connection with the submitted response. Failure to sign the Acknowledgement of Receipt Form or signing it with a false statement shall disqualify the Proposal.

• Neither the Respondent or the firm, corporation, partnership, or institution represented by the Respondent or anyone acting for such firm, corporation, or institution has violated the antitrust laws of this State, codified in Section 15.01, et seq., Texas Business and Commerce Code, or the Federal antitrust laws, nor communicated directly or indirectly the Offer made to any competitor or any other person engaged in such line of business.

• Respondent agrees that any payments due under this Contract will be applied towards any debt, including but not limited to delinquent taxes and child support that is owed to the State of Texas.

• Respondent represents and warrants that the individual signing this Execution of Offer is authorized to sign this document on behalf of the Respondent and to bind the Respondent under any Contract resulting from this Offer.

• Suspension, Debarment, and Terrorism: Respondent certifies that the bidding entity and its principals are eligible to participate in this transaction and have not been subjected to suspension, debarment, or similar ineligibility determined by any federal, state or local governmental entity and that Respondent is in compliance with the State of Texas statutes and rules relating to procurement and that Respondent is not listed on the federal government’s terrorism watch list as described in Executive Order 13224. Entities ineligible for federal procurement are listed at http://www.epls.gov.

ATTACHMENT C, continued

Acknowledgment of Receipt Form

In acknowledgment of receipt of this Request for Submittal, the undersigned agrees that he/she has received a complete copy, beginning with the title page and table of contents, and ending with Attachment I

Complete (Legal) Name of Respondent:

Respondent Tax Identification Number:

Business Address:

Telephone Number:

Type of Organization: Individual Partnership Corporation Association

Other (please describe)

If incorporated, state of incorporation:

Date organization was formed (month/year):

Number of years providing services/systems similar to those requested in this RFP:

Addendum Receipt:

Offer hereby acknowledges the receipt of Addenda Numbers ________ through ____________.

Please certify the following by placing an “X” in the appropriate column:

Certification Yes No Is…