Forensic_Pathology_Autopsy_Services_(Addendum_#1_Revision).pdf

COUNTY OF ORANGE

COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE - CPO

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

FOR

FORENSIC PATHOLOGY AUTOPSY SERVICES

RFP NO. RFP-017-3121602-JL2

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/ocgov https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

County of Orange RFP

County Executive Office - CPO - Forensic Pathology Autopsy Services, RFP-017-3121602-JL2

County of Orange

County Executive Office - CPO

Procurement and Contract Services

400 W. Civic Center Dr.

Santa Ana, CA

92701

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Release of RFP Solicitation October 12, 2026

Question Submission Deadline October 28, 2026, 2:00pm

RFP Submittal Closing October 30, 2026, 2:00pm

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED ON

OR BEFORE

Friday, October 30, 2026

2:00 pm

SECTIONS

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 4. SCORING CRITERIA

SECTION 5. COST PROPOSAL

SECTION 6. SUPPLIER RESPONSES

SECTION 7. OCLSB AND DVBE PREFERENCE POLICIES CERTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS

Attachments:

A - Forensic Pathology Model Contract Final

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The County of Orange (“County”), on behalf of its County Executive Office/County Procurement

Office (“CEO/CPO”), intends that the successful Respondent shall provide Forensic Pathology

Autopsy Services proposed in accordance with contract requirements set forth in the solicitation and Model Contract, including its Attachments (collectively, the “Contract Documents”).

1.2 COUNTY HOLIDAYS DURING SOLICITATION PERIOD

During this solicitation period, the County Executive Office - CPO will be closed on the County holidays listed at - https://hrs.oc.gov/employee-relations/employee-resources

1.3 INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTAL

A. Responses are to be uploaded via the County's eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov. For assistance on uploading Response via County’s eProcurement Portal, please contact procurement-support@opengov.com or https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/

B. Examine the Contract Documents and the site of the proposed work carefully before submitting a Response for the work contemplated. Investigate the conditions to be encountered, as to the character, quality, and quantities of work to be performed and materials to be furnished and as to the requirements of all Contract Documents.

C. The County has attempted to provide all information available. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to review, evaluate, and, where necessary, request any clarification prior to submission of a Response. If any person contemplating submitting a response to this

Request for Proposal ("RFP") is in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the solicitation documents attached hereto or finds discrepancies in or omissions from the specifications, they may submit a written request for clarification/interpretation to the

County Deputy Procurement Agent ("DPA") via the County’s eProcurement Portal under the bid page for this solicitation.

D. If clarification or interpretation of this solicitation is considered necessary by County, an addendum shall be issued, and the information will be posted via the County’s eProcurement Portal. Any interpretation of, or correction to, this solicitation shall be issued by the DPA. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to periodically check the County’s eProcurement Portal to ensure that they have received and reviewed any and all addenda to this solicitation.

E. The County will not be responsible for any other explanations, corrections to, or interpretations of the documents, including any verbal information. If an addendum is https://hrs.oc.gov/employee-relations/employee-resources https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/ issued, Respondents must acknowledge the addendum via the County’s eProcurement

Portal.

F. All questions or requests for interpretations regarding this solicitation must be received by the County before Wednesday, October 28, 2026, before 2:00 pm. The DPA will provide all official communication concerning this solicitation. Any County response relevant to this solicitation other than through or approved by the DPA is unauthorized and will be considered invalid.

G. Responses must be valid for a period of at least three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days from the closing date and time of receipt. No Response may be withdrawn after the submission date.

H. Each Respondent must submit their Response electronically via the County’s eProcurement Portal.

I. All pages must be submitted in a standard 8.5 x 11-inch sized document format, numbered and identified sequentially by section. Responses must be organized and indexed as outlined in the Response Requirements Section. It is imperative that all Respondents comply, exactly and completely, with the instructions set forth herein. All Responses shall be type written or word-processed (except where otherwise provided or noted), concise, straightforward, and must fully address each requirement and question. Although not as a substitute for a complete written response, additional material, such as technical documents, may be referenced in any Response if the material is included in the same section as additional information.

J. Responses are not to be marked as confidential or proprietary. The County may refuse to consider any Responses so marked. All Responses and supporting documents will be subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (California Code

Government Code 7920.000 et seq.) ('PRA') and public disclosure in accordance therewith. The County shall not be liable in any way for disclosure of any such records.

Additionally, all Responses shall become the property of the County.

K. Respondents should not request that certain information be treated as exempt from public disclosure, and statements in the Responses should not be marked as confidential or proprietary. In the event that any information submitted to the County is confidential or proprietary, Respondents have the sole responsibility of obtaining applicable injunctive relief to prevent the public disclosure of such confidential proprietary information in connection with any request made to County pursuant to the PRA or a subpoena for disclosure of such information.

L. Each Respondent shall exercise reasonable care and diligence to avoid submitting a

Response that could result in a conflict of interest if Respondent were to be selected. This obligation shall apply to the Respondent, the Respondent’s employees, agents, and relatives, sub-contractors, and third parties associated with accomplishing work and services in response. In the event Respondent has done work for the County on this project in the past or has reason to believe that a conflict of interest may exist for Respondent in regard to this project, Respondent should consult with its legal counsel prior to responding to this solicitation. Any Respondent who is found to have an actual conflict of interest may have its response rejected on that ground.

M. Respondent, its employees and/or consultants may be subject to the provisions of the

California Political Reform Act of 1974 (the “Act”), which (1) requires such persons to disclose any financial interest that may be materially affected by services provided under this Contract, (2) prohibits such persons from making, or participating in making, decisions that could reasonably affect such interest; and (3) may require the filing a Statement of

Economic Interest (Form 700). If subject to the Act, Respondent shall conform to all requirements of the Act. Failure to do so shall constitute a material breach and is grounds for immediate termination of the Contract by County. Respondent shall indemnify and hold the County harmless for any and all claims for damages resulting from Respondent’s violation of this Section.

N. By submitting a response, the Respondent represents that it thoroughly examined the

County’s requirements, is familiar with the services required under this solicitation and is qualified and capable of providing the services to achieve the County’s objectives.

O. Each Respondent must submit its response in strict accordance with all requirements of this solicitation and compliance must be stated in the response. Deviations, clarifications and/or exceptions must be clearly identified and listed separately as alternative items on additional information section for the County’s consideration as specified in the

Response Requirements Section, “Statement of Compliance.” Note: Allow sufficient time to upload all required files. The County’s eProcurement Portal will not allow any uploads after the due date and time specified herein, e.g., if Part 1 and 2 uploaded successfully at 1:58:38 pm and Part 3 is in progress of being uploaded at 2:00:01 pm, Part

3 will not upload successfully.

P. Pre-contractual expenses are not to be included in the Cost Proposal, Attachment B, Pricing and Compensation. Pre-contractual expenses are defined as including, but not limited to, expenses incurred by the Respondent in: a) preparing the response to this solicitation; b) submitting that response to the County; c) negotiating with the County any matter related to the Respondent’s response; and d) any other expenses incurred by the Respondent prior to the date of award and execution, if any, of the Contract.

Q. Any response may be construed as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not comply with the requirements of the solicitation, including but not limited to technical features, acknowledgment of receipt of addenda, and page number limits, etc. These are common causes for deeming a response non-responsive.

R. Where two or more Respondents desire to submit a single response to this solicitation, they must do so on a prime/subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture. The County intends to contract with a single firm that may subcontract with multiple firms (team) but not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.

S. County does not require and neither encourages nor discourages the use of lobbyists or other consultants for the purpose of securing business.

T. The County requires a valid D-U-N-S number prior to Contract Award. If needed, your company may obtain one at no cost at www.dnb.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a D-U-N-S number, please indicate so in your Response.

U. The County requires a valid UEI number and full registration prior to Contract

Award. Your company must obtain one at no cost at www.usfcr.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a UEI number, please indicate so in your Response.

V. Effective from the issuance date of this RFP until a Contract is awarded or the solicitation is withdrawn, all individuals or entities responding—including their employees, agents, representatives, proposed partners, subcontractors, members, lobbyists, or attorneys

(collectively "Respondents")—are prohibited from engaging in any direct or indirect communication with County personnel involved in the selection process, except with the designated DPA. Respondents may continue conducting business with the County on matters unrelated to this solicitation and may communicate with County staff, provided the solicitation is not discussed. Any attempt to engage in discussion regarding this solicitation with anyone other than the designated DPA will be presumed to create an unfair competitive advantage and may result in disqualification.

W. After the closing date and time for receipt of Responses, evaluation, and if requested by the County, in-person interviews will commence. Respondents who submit Responses most responsive to the County’s requirements may be asked to give a presentation of their response to County staff. The County makes no guarantee as to the number of Respondents selected for in-person interviews. Selected Respondents should be prepared to make its presentation within five (5) business days after notification and be prepared to discuss all aspects of its response in detail, including technical questions regarding the response.

Respondents shall not be allowed to alter or amend its response through the use of the presentation process.

The DPA for this solicitation is: Jessica Loy, jessica.loy@ceo.oc.gov http://www.dnb.com/ http://www.usfcr.com/

1.4 COMMUNICATION

Bidders are not to contact other County personnel with any questions or clarifications concerning this solicitation. All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted via the Question

& Answer section of this solicitation within the County’s eProcurement Portal at:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov. Any County response relevant to this solicitation other than through or approved by County is unauthorized and will be considered invalid.

County's Deputy Procurement Agent, Jessica Loy, jessica.loy@ceo.oc.gov, will provide all official communication concerning this solicitation.

1.5 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

PHYSICIAN LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION

A. Physician Licensure and Certification

1. Board Certification

2. Respondent must be current, board-certified Forensic Pathologist through:

a. The American Board of Pathology (ABPath), or

b. The American Osteopathic Board of Pathology (AOBPath).

B. State Medical Licensure

1. Respondent must hold a current, valid, and unrestricted California Physician and

Surgeon License issued by the Medical Board of California. Temporary training or institutional licenses do not meet this requirement.

C. Good Standing

1. Respondent must be in good standing with the Meical Board of California, with:

a. No pending formal disciplinary actions;

b. No license suspensions; and

c. No revocations.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

A. Medical Degree

1. Must possess a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)

from an accredited U.S., Canadian, or internationally acceptable medical school.

B. Residency Completion

1. Must have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited residency program in:

a. Anatomic Pathology,

b. Clinical Pathology, or

c. Combined Anatomic & Clinical Pathology.

C. Forensic Pathology Fellowship

1. Must have completed an ACGME-accredited Forensic Pathology fellowship or equivalent recognized training required for board certification in forensic pathology.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND EXPERIENCE

A. Casework Experience

1. A minimum of 10 years of post-board-certification forensic pathology practice.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov

2. Demonstrated experience conducting forensic autopsies, medicolegal death investigations, and preparing written autopsy reports suitable for legal and regulatory use.

3. Extensive experience working with local law enforcement and the Office of the

District Attorney in the following:

a. Officer involved shooting deaths

b. Custodial death investigations

c. Law enforcement related deaths

4. Demonstrated experience presenting case information to a committee or group of individuals regarding cause and manner of death.

B. Courtroom Testimony

1. Experience providing expert witness testimony in criminal and civil proceedings is preferred and may be required depending on contract scope.

C. Continuing Certification

1. Must participate in ongoing Continuing Certification (CC), Maintenance of

Certification (MOC), or equivalent continuing medical education processes.

REGULATORY AND COMPLICANCE REQUIREMENTS

A. Background Clearance

1. Must pass all required background checks, including criminal history checks.

B. Professional Conduct

1. Must demonstrate ethical practice, absence of substantiated professional misconduct, and compliance with HIPAA and all applicable statutory requirements.

ORGANIZATIONAL INDEPENDENCE

A. The Proposer and all assigned forensic pathologists must demonstrate organizational independence from the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office. The following are disqualifying:

1. Current employment by the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office;

2. Any financial arrangement, ownership interest, or referral relationship with the

Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office that could compromise independent professional judgment; and

3. Any prior formal finding by a court, licensing board, or professional body that the

Proposer or an assigned pathologist was subject to undue influence by law enforcement in the performance of forensic pathology services.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

A. Organizational Structure for Private Entities

1. Private forensic pathology entities must additionally demonstrate:

a. Organizational governance and chain of command that insulates forensic pathologists from direction by law enforcement clients on matters of professional judgment;

b. Written policies and procedures governing the independence of cause-of-death determinations; and

c. A conflict-of-interest policy prohibiting the revision of forensic findings at the direction of law enforcement.

GEOGRAPHIC ELIGIBILITY

Respondents must be located within 80-miles of the Orange County Coroners Office at 1071 W

Santa Ana Blvd, Santa Ana, CA 92703 to ensure timely availability, on-site response, and efficient coordination of forensic pathology services.

DESIRABLE QUAIFICATIONS

A. The County seeks respondents who offer unique regional availability and independence. Of particular value is the ability to provide forensic pathology services without employment-based restrictions that limit contractual engagement with the Orange

County District Attorney’s Office. Candidates possessing such unrestricted availability – given the limited number of forensic pathologists in the region – represents a rare and highly advantageous resource for ensuring continuity of operations and timely case support.

1.6 EVALUATION PROCESS

Responses deemed to meet all minimum solicitation requirements will be scored based on the established evaluation criteria, and will be assigned points that measure the responsiveness to each identified criterion. The total number of points earned will be tallied for each response, based upon the Respondent(s) submitted written materials.

Responses shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Panel of job knowledge experts on the basis of the responsiveness to the requirements in this RFP. The County may request clarifications, or otherwise verify the contents of the response, including information about the Respondent, Contractors and subcontractors.

The scoring is based on evaluation of the response as measured against the Scoring Criteria, which includes County of Orange Procurement Preference Policy, in accordance with Sections 1.8-103 and 4.3-112 of the 2026 County Contract Policy Manual (CPM). A copy of the 2026 CPM can be found at https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm. Responses will be evaluated from the most advantageous to the least advantageous to the County.

1.7 SELECTION/AWARD PROCEDURES

Upon the completion of the evaluation process, the Evaluation Committee will make a recommendation for an award to the County’s DPA. Final award determination shall be subject to reference checks and past performance.

The Model Contract contained herein this RFP is the Contract proposed for execution. It may be modified to incorporate negotiated items and other pertinent terms and conditions set forth in this

RFP, including special conditions and requirements and those added by addendum, necessary attachments and/or exhibits, and to reflect Respondent’s response and qualifications. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent after submission of its response may result in its elimination from further consideration.

https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm

Exceptions to the terms and conditions of the Model Contract or the statements regarding

Respondent’s inability to comply with any of the provisions thereof are to be declared in the response to the RFP in SUPPLIER RESPONSES - Statement of Compliance.

Negotiations may or may not be conducted with the finalist(s); therefore, the response submitted should contain Respondent(s) most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without further discussion or need for clarification. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent(s) after submission of its response may result in elimination from further consideration.

The County will enter into negotiations with the selected Respondent and award a contract upon completion of negotiation of fees and contract terms. The award may be subject to approval by the

County Board of Supervisors.

If a satisfactory Contract cannot be negotiated in a timely manner, County, in its sole discretion, may terminate negotiations with the selected Respondent and begin negotiations with the next

Respondent.

1.8 RIGHTS RESERVED TO COUNTY

The County reserves the following rights:

A. Make use of any information or ideas in the responses submitted.

B. Request response revisions and hold discussions and negotiations with any Respondent as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

C. Seek publicly available information about the Respondents.

D. Conduct, or not to conduct, in-person interviews and/or presentations with the highest-scored

Respondent(s).

E. Waive, at its discretion, any procedural, non-material defects, irregularity, or informality, which

County deems correctable or otherwise not warranting rejection of the response that do not result in any unfair competitive advantage. Any waiver will not excuse a proponent from full compliance.

F. Verify and validate any information prior to Contract Award and during the entire term of the

Contract.

G. Negotiate the final Contract with any Respondent(s), including pricing/fee schedule, as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

H. Withdraw or cancel in part or in its entirety this solicitation at any time without prior notice and furthermore makes no representations that any Contract will be awarded to any Respondent responding to this solicitation.

I. Award its total requirements to one Respondent or to apportion those requirements among two or more Respondents as the County may deem to be in its best interests;

J. Reject any response if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates significantly from the services requested in this solicitation.

K. Request Best and Final Offer from any Respondent determined to be within the competitive range.

Unless requested by the County, late Best and Final Offers will not be accepted by the County for any reason. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with Respondents.

L. Make multiple awards to Respondent(s) for services requested in this solicitation, at its sole discretion, to serve the best interests of the County.

M. Defer award of this Contract for a period of 180 days after the solicitation opening. During this period, Respondent shall guarantee the prices and terms quoted in their responses. The County and the responsive, responsible Respondent may mutually agree in writing to extend this deferral period.

Therefore, responses submitted shall contain the Respondent’s most favorable terms and conditions, as the selection and award may be made without discussion with any Respondent.

1.9 CONTRACTOR SCREENING

Throughout the term of the Contract, Contractor shall not be listed on any state or federal exclusionary rosters, listed below. County may screen Contractor on a monthly basis to ensure

Contractor is not listed on the exclusionary rosters, listed below. If Contractor or its employee(s) are found to be included on any of the rosters indicated below, Contractor shall be deemed in default of its obligation under this Paragraph and shall constitute a cause for County to exercise its right to terminate the Contract immediately. County, in its sole discretion, may afford Contractor an opportunity to cure said default within a reasonable time.

a. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General

(OIG) List of Excluded Individuals & Entities (LEIE) (http://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov)

b. General Services Administration (GSA) System for Award Management (SAM) Excluded

Parties List (http://sam.gov)

c. State of California Department of Health Care Services Medi-Cal Suspended and Ineligible

Provider List (County Health Care Agency Internal Database)

1.10 TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE

The County of Orange, in accordance with the provisions of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all

Respondents that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

1.11 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE FORM

W-9/W-8 REQUIREMENTS

Effective June 3, 2006, all Contractors entering into a Contract with County, who are not already established in Countywide ERP System as an Auditor-Controller supplier, will be required to submit to County a federal Form W-9, or form W-8 for foreign suppliers. County will inform

Contractor, at the time of award, if the Form W-9 or W-8 will be required.

In order to comply with this County requirement, within ten (10) days of notification of selection of award of Contract but prior to official award of Contract, the selected Contractor agrees to http://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/ http://sam.gov/ furnish to Contract administrator, or the Deputy Procurement Agent (DPA) the required W-9 or

W-8.

1.12 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT

Effective January 1, 2023, all Contractors entering into a contract with the County will be required to submit the Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form for any contributions made on or after

January 1, 2023. In order to comply with this requirement, Respondent agrees to furnish the required Campaign Contribution Disclosure Information form as a required submittal with its response. Failure to include the form as required will render the response nonresponsive.

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

Any actual or prospective bidder or respondent who alleges an error or impropriety in the solicitation or award of a contract may submit a grievance or protest to Jessica Loy at jessica.loy@ceo.oc.gov, as set forth herein.

PROTEST PROCEDURES

All protests shall be typed under the protestor’s letterhead and submitted in accordance with the provisions stated herein. All protests shall include at a minimum the following information:

A. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestor;

B. The signature of the protestor or the protestor’s representative;

C. The solicitation or contract number;

D. A detailed statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest; and

E. The form of relief requested.

Protest of Solicitation Specifications:

A. All protests related to solicitation specifications must be submitted to the Deputy

Procurement Agent (DPA), Jessica Loy at jessica.loy@ceo.oc.gov, no later than five (5) business days prior to the Closing Date of the solicitation. Protests received after the five

(5) business-day deadline will not be considered by the County.

B. In the event the protest of specifications is denied, and the protestor wishes to continue in the solicitation process, the protestor must still submit a bid/response prior to the close of the solicitation in accordance with the solicitation submittal procedures provided in this solicitation.

Protest of Award of Contract:

A. Protests related to the award of a contract must be submitted to the DPA, Jessica Loy at jessica.loy@ceo.oc.gov, no later than five (5) business days after the Notice of Solicitation

Results is provided by the DPA.

B. Protests relating to a proposed contract award received after the five (5) business day deadline will not be considered by the County.

C. If the five (5) business day period expires without the receipt of a protest, the department may move forward with the contract award or if necessary, file the item for approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Protest Process

A. In the event of a timely protest, the County shall not proceed with the solicitation or award of the contract until the DPA issues a decision on the protest.

B. Upon receipt of a timely protest, the DPA will, within ten (10) business days of receipt of the protest, issue a decision in writing which shall state the reasons for the actions taken.

C. The County may, after providing written justification, make the determination that an immediate award of the contract is necessary to protect the substantial interests of the

County. The award of a contract shall in no way compromise the protester’s right to the protest procedures outlined herein.

D. If the protestor disagrees with the decision of the DPA, the protestor may submit a written appeal to the County Procurement Officer requesting an appeal to the Procurement Appeals

Board, in accordance with the process stated below.

APPEALS PROCESS

• If the protestor wishes to appeal the protest decision of the Deputy Procurement Agent, the protestor must submit, within three (3) business days from receipt of the Deputy

Procurement Agent’s decision, a written appeal to the Office of the County Procurement

Officer.

Written appeals must be sent by mail to the address below with a courtesy copy by email:

County of Orange/County Executive Office

County Procurement Office

400 W. Civic Center Drive, 5th Floor

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attn: County Procurement Officer

CPOAppeals@ceo.oc.gov

• Within fifteen (15) business days, the County Procurement Officer will review all materials in connection with the appeal, assess the merits of the protest and provide a written determination that shall contain his or her decision on whether the appeal shall be forwarded to the Procurement Appeals Board.

• The decision of the County Procurement Officer on whether to allow the appeal to go forward will be final and there shall be no right to any administrative appeals of this decision.

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 GENERAL INFORMATION:

The County of Orange is comprised of 22 Departments and over 18,000 employees located throughout the County. The County’s core businesses are public safety, public works, construction management, public health, environmental protection, regional planning, public assistance, social services, and aviation.

I. SCOPE OF SERVICES:

A. Availability: 1. Contractor shall be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. 2. Contractor shall perform autopsy within 72 hours of notification Contractor must provide autopsy services Monday through Friday, excluding County holidays during the hours of 9:00

A.M. and 12:00 P.M., unless otherwise approved by the County’s Project Manager. County holidays are as follows: New Year’s Day Martin Luther King’s Birthday Washington’s Birthday

Farmworker’s Day Lincoln’s Birthday Juneteenth Memorial Day July 4th – Independence Day

Native American Day Labor Day Veterans Day Christmas Day Thanksgiving & Friday After

New Year’s Day Martin Luther King’s Birthday Lincoln’s Birthday

Washington’s Birthday Farmworker’s Day Memorial Day

Juneteenth July 4th – Independence Day Labor Day

Native American Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving & Friday After

Christmas Day

B. Hours: 1. Contractor shall provide at least one (1) Forensic Pathologist for telephone consultation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

2. Contractor shall be available by phone for consultation on organ procurement cases within 4 hours of notification from the County agency and/or Participating Agency or Coroner staff.

C. Contractor shall be available for, including but not limited to, the following:

1. Court proceedings

2. Conference/meetings

3. Conference calls

4. Depositions

5. Coroner case review sessions

6. Responding to death scene upon request

7. Responding to hospital for organ procurement upon request

8. Special autopsy (refer to Attachment A / Scope of Work, Section – Special Autopsy

Requirements)

9. Assisting other County governmental agencies and municipalities at the direction of the

County agency and/or Participating Agency..

D. Evidence:

1. Assist and/or direct the Collection a. Collection of trace evidence (hair, fibers, gunshot residue, paint chips, etc.) b. Collection of physical evidence (bullet(s), knife(s), etc.)

2. Viral/Bacteriology/Serology a. Collect cultures and specimens as required

3. Photographs a. Take or direct all appropriate photographs for (evidence, court, training, etc.)

4. Toxicology a. Collect required toxicological samples

5. Tissue a. Collection of tissue for diagnosis pertaining to cause of death b. Collection of tissue for research as approved by the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner

6. Forms, diagrams and appropriate computerized data entry a. Appropriate computerized data entry completed at the conclusion of autopsy

7. Dictation (gross)

a. Completed at the conclusion of autopsy

8. Wet tissue a. Cut wet tissue for slide preparation in accordance with Coroner’s evidentiary protocol E. Histology (Refer to Histology/Reports Section Below):

1. Transport Cassettes to and from the Coroner’s office five (5) days a week, or as needed, excluding weekends and all County holidays

2. Procedures: following the standard histology preparations methods for hematoxylin and eosin stains approved by the College of American Pathology and/or the Armed Forces Institute of

Pathology

3. Procedures (special stains): to have the capability for special stain preparation as needed by the pathologist and outside agencies, following standard preparation methods approved by the

College of American Pathology and/or the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.

4. Process cassettes/ blocks/stained slides for pathologist review

5. Slides and blocks must be properly labeled for evidentiary purposes

6. Furnish all histology processing supplies and containers except formalin and specimen/transport jars

F. Reports:

1. Autopsy report must be signed and completed within 30 days of receipt of final testing/analysis

2. Microscopic dictation/report a. Must be signed within five (5) days of receipt of completed transcription

3. Upon determination of the circumstances, manner, and cause of death, the findings of the examination shall be delivered to the recipients required by law and as directed by the County agency and/or Participating Agency, which may include the Coroner, the District Attorney, the

County Health Officer, and the Board of Supervisors of the county in which the death occurred. These findings shall also be delivered to the decedent's next of kin.

G. Court presentation:

1. Contractor and forensic pathologist sub-contractors/employees shall testify in criminal, civil and family courts when subpoenaed and must qualify as an expert witness.

2. Provide expert testimony in all areas of forensic pathology H. Consultations:

1. Coroner

2. Coroner Investigator

3. Pathologist

4. Toxicologist

5. Forensic Scientist

6. Law Enforcement Investigators

7. County agency and/or Participating Agency personnel, including District Attorney personnel

8. Public Defender Personnel

9. Other medical specialist

10. Other government agencies

11. Other community service agencies I.

Miscellaneous:

1. The pathologist shall adhere to established policies and procedures of the County agency and/or Participating Agency applicable to the Services.

2. At no time shall the Contractor or its personnel or any employee of the Contractor be rude, uncooperative, or argumentative with any County agency and/or Participating Agency employee or employee of the County of Orange or any citizen involved in a situation where the Contractor is providing services under this Contract. The County reserves the right to cancel a particular autopsy without Contract ramifications if, in the opinion of Coroner or County agency and/or

Participating Agency personnel, the Contractor personnel are acting in an incompetent or dangerous manner or in a manner which is likely to destroy or damage evidence. Any such rude or incompetent behavior or activity may be a breach of this Contract.

3. Contractor shall be responsible for the cost of their own neuropathology consultations

4. Upon the request of the County agency and/or Participating Agency and/or Coroner, Contractor shall submit supplemental proposals for additional work not called for under the

Scope of Work of this Contract. Contractor must obtain County Project Manager’s written approval prior to commencing any additional work.

J. Special Autopsy Requirements:

1. Special autopsies shall be performed in certain types of deaths, including but not limited to:

officer-involved shootings, in-custody deaths, post-custody deaths, fetal demise, and any other law enforcement death determined by the County agency and/or Participating Agency in accordance with the law

2. Officer-Involved shootings, in-custody deaths, post-custody deaths, fetal demise, and any other law enforcement death determined by the County agency and/or Participating Agency in accordance with the law shall be performed in the Special Autopsy Room designated by the

County agency and/or Participating Agency or Coroner

3. Special autopsies may include the following activities in addition to those performed in the routine autopsy:

a. Attend and participate in the sharing of information during the pre-autopsy conference and briefing

b. Collect special samples (SMAC, VIT, glucose, toxicological samples, drowning profiles, blood for typing, etc.) as needed

c. Participate in the collection of trace evidence with criminalistics team (hair, fibers, sexual assault, gunshot residue paint chips, etc.)

d. Collection of physical evidence with criminalistics team (bullets, knives, ligatures, etc.)

e. May be required to inspect death scenes in homicide and suspicious deaths

f. May be required to conduct all or part of the autopsy at the scene

g. Shall adhere to all Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office policy regarding use of county provided PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

h. Direct still and/or video photography

i. Consult with Coroner Investigator, Toxicologist, Forensic Scientist, Neuropathologists, Anthropologist, Odontologist, Radiologist, Law Enforcement and County agency and/or

Participating Agency staff, and other specialist and officials as required by the County agency and/or Participating Agency

j. Shall qualify and provide testimony as an expert witness in all areas of forensic medicine, including but not limited to: gunshot wounds, stab wounds, blunt force trauma, microscopic examinations and toxicology

K. Histology/Reports:

1. Contractor shall provide or subcontract with a fully equipped and staffed Histology Laboratory for the preparation of all of the necessary sectioning and staining required for the evaluation of the cause of death. Contractor shall also furnish all histology processing supplies and containers except for formalin and storage/transport containers.

2. Contractor shall provide pick-up service for cassettes from the Coroner’s Office to their own or a subcontracted Histology Laboratory five (5) days a week, or when needed, excluding weekends and County holidays.

3. If histology services are subcontracted, the subcontractor shall be duly licensed by the State of

California, shall comply with established confidentiality and evidence handling protocol, and is subject to Paragraph I (Assignment or Sub-contracting). The subcontract laboratory shall provide a secure area for evidence storage and is subject to site inspection by County agency and/or

Participating Agency.

4. The following procedures shall be followed:

a. Contractor shall provide the County with a written policy that will govern the handling, labeling, storing and transportation of the specimens to ensure the proper evidentiary and chain of custody rules are in place.

b. Standard histology preparation methods for hematoxylin and eosin stain preparation in accordance with methods approved by the College of American Pathology and /or Armed Forces

Institute of Pathology.

c. Have capability for special stain preparation in accordance with methods approved by the

College of American Pathology and /or Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.

d. Label all stains and blocks in accordance with Orange County Sheriff-Coroner's evidentiary requirements.

e. All slides and blocks shall be returned in appropriate containers to the Coroner facility.

f. Contractor's Forensic Pathologists shall adhere to the established policies and procedures of the County agency and/or Participating Agency

g. Contractor's Forensic Pathologists shall be subject to a quality control review at least once a year as directed by the County agency and/or Participating Agency. ·

h. All work shall be performed in a professional manner.

i. j. Established guidelines for the collection of specimens shall be followed. Dictation shall be complete and thorough.

k. The work shall be clean and orderly.

L. Consultations:

1. Upon request, all available scene documentation, law enforcement reports, photographs, videos and other investigative material shall be made available to the Contractor's Forensic

Pathologists.

II. COUNTY SUPPLIED ITEMS & ASSISTANCE: At the discretion of the County agency and/or Participating Agency or Coroner, the County agency and/or Participating Agency or

Coroner, may furnish Contractor the following items and resources:

• Lights/electricity Water • Gas • Telephone Communication (Landline and Fax Machine)

• Copy Machine (On-Site) B. PERSONAL WEAR:

• Scrub suits

• Plastic aprons

• Shoe covers

• Gloves

• Face shield

• N95 Mask

• Hair cover

• Eye protection

• All Protective garments per Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Division and Department policies

C. AUTOPSY EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES:

• Knives

• Saw

• Scalpel

• Scalpel blades

• Forceps

• Scissors

• Hemostats

• Rib Shears

• Syringes

• Syringe needles

• Probes

• String

• Cutting board

• Wet tissue containers

• Toxicology containers

• Blood bottles

• Vacutainer tubes

• Swabs

• Filter paper

• Scales

• Measuring tape

D. HISTOLOGY EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES: Formalin E. CAMERA EQUIPMENT: Camera F.

DIGITAL DICTATION SYSTEM: Transcription services

G. RADIOGRAPHY: X-ray machine, full body film/prints H. DENTALX-RAYMACHINE:

Dental film/prints and equipment needed to remove, cast, and clean

I. MISCELLANEOUS: • Paper towels • Hand soap • Labels • Evidence tags J. ACCESS TO

COMPUTER K. BIOLOGICAL, SHARPS and PATHOLOGICAL WASTE CONTAINERS and

DISPOSAL SERVICE L. SECURE ON-SITE PARKING

III. SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS & LOCATION:

A. Contractor shall coordinate all services with the Project Manager of the County agency and/or

Participating Agency, the Coroner, or their designees.

B. Contractor shall perform services at the location(s) identified in the Subordinate Contract unless otherwise instructed. Service locations may include any facility, hospital, death scene or other site within the County of Orange, or elsewhere as designated by the County agency and/or

Participating Agency or the Coroner.

C. Anticipated Service Locations. The following locations are provided for informational and pricing purposes only. They are not exclusive, do not obligate any County agency and/or

Participating Agency to use them, and may be changed or supplemented in a Subordinate

Contract. Contractor’s pricing shall include all travel to any Service Location, as stated in

Attachment B.

Location Address Anticipated Use

Orange County District

Attorney’s Office

300 N. Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703

Coordination, meetings, case review, consultations

Coroner facility 1071 W Santa Ana Blvd, Santa

Ana, CA 92703

Autopsies, special autopsies, histology cassette transport

[confirm]

Hospitals and death scenes

As designated by the County agency and/or Participating

Agency or the Coroner

Organ procurement consults, scene response

SECTION 4. SCORING CRITERIA

Phase 1 - Written Response Scoring: 900 points maximum

Phase 2 - Cost Proposal: 100 points maximum

4.1 PHASE 1

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Qualifications and Experience

A. Licensure and Certifications

1. List all applicable physician licensures and certifications

2. Does Respondent hold current, valid, and unrestricted California

Physician and Surgeon

License issued by the

Medical Board of California?

3. Is the Respondent in good standing with the Medical

Board of California?

B. Education and Training

Experience

1. List the type of degree held by the Respondent, including the accredited medical school obtained from.

2. Where did Respondent complete residency? Must meet what is included in

Minimum Requirements.

3. Where did Respondent complete Forensic Pathology

Fellowship?

Points Based 200

(40% of Total)

2. Technical Expertise

A. Professional Competence and Experience

1. Provide the following information:

a. Number of years of post-board-certified forensic pathology practice.

b. Provide an example of experience conducting forensic autopsies and/or medicolegal death investigations.

c. Provide an example of experience preparing written reports suitable for legal and regulatory use.

d. Provide an example of experience working with local law enforcement and/or the

District

Attorney’s

Office

Points Based 100

(20% of Total)

B. Describe level of experience of handling the following:

1. Officer-involved shooting deaths

2. Custodial death investigations

3. Law enforcement related deaths

C. Describe ability to present case information to multidisciplinary groups (DA’s, law enforcement, review boards, etc.)

3. Scope of Work Capability &

Responsiveness

A. Evaluation of Respondent’s ability to perform required

OCDA forensic pathology operations (all drawn from

Scope of Work)

1. Ability to meet availability requirements

2. Ability to meet autopsy completion window

3. Ability to perform the following:

a. Court testimony

b. Scene response

c. Organ procurement consultation

d. Meetings, conferences, depositional support

e. Evidence handling, photography, toxicology sampling, tissue collection

B. Demonstrated ability to provide or coordinate histology services meeting

CAP/AFIP standards, chain-of-custody requirements, and transport workflow

Points Based 75

(15% of Total)

4. Organization Independence &

Integrity

A. Does Respondent have any employment, financial, supervisory, or referral ties to Orange County Sheriff-

Coroner’s Office?

B. Can Respondent demonstrate a conflict-of interest policy protecting professional judgment from law-enforcement influence?

Points Based 25

(5% of Total)

5. Desired Qualifications – Regional

Uniqueness

A. Does Respondent have ties to other employment, other than that of forensic pathology, that would limit contractual engagement with the OCDA?

B. Does Respondent have any other contractual agreements with other counties?

1. If so, how many?

C. What is the distance of the

Respondent from the OCDA

Office (300 N. Flower St., Santa Ana)?

Points Based 50

(10% of Total)

6. Compliance with the County

Model Contract

*Note: Respondents submitting exceptions to the County Model

Contract of this RFP, will receive a score of “0” for this criterion.

Points Based 50

(10% of Total)

4.2 PHASE 2

1. Cost Proposal

The Response with the lowest cost receives the maximum points allowed for this criterion. All other proposals receive a percentage of the points available based on their cost relationship to the lowest-priced Response.

Should any Preference Policies apply, the Preference Policy

Applicable to Cost Proposal criteria will be scored.

Points Based 100

(92.6% of Total)

2. Preference Policy Applicable to

Cost Proposal

A. Request for Proposal (RFP):

An additional five percent

(5%) shall be applied to the tallied cost score of each certified OCLSB or DVBE to obtain their final score. If the final score of any

OCLSB or DVBE matches the final score of a non-

OCLSB or non-DVBE, preference shall be given to the certified OCLSB. If two or more OCLSB or DVBEs have the same final score, the County shall determine the contract award based on the County’s best interest.

B. Dual OCLSB and DVBE

Preference provides for the following:

1. Business Certified as

OCLSB and DVBE

If a State-certified

OCLSB is also a State-certified DVBE, the preference given to that business shall be 8% instead of 5%.

C. Subcontractors:

If bidder is submitting subcontractors to qualify for the OCLSB or DVBE preference, bidder must demonstrate through the

Points Based 8

(7.4% of Total)

Staffing Plan that 20% of the total bid amount is allocated to the OCLSB and/or DVBE subcontractor(s).

*NOTE: DVBE PREFERENCE IS

NOT APPLICABLE TO PUBLIC

WORKS OR A-E

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

4.3 PHASE 3

1. Presentation/Interview Scoring

Format: 400 points maximum:

County reserves the right to conduct, or to not conduct, in-person interviews and/or presentations with the highest-scored Respondent(s). The decision whether to conduct in-person interviews/presentations rests solely with County and the decision of the

DPA is final. Respondents shall be ready to attend in-person interview within five (5) calendar days of notification. Any inquiry to determine the responsibility of a

Respondent to this RFP may be conducted. Respondent agrees that the submission of a Response is permission by Respondent for

County to verify all information contained therein. If County believes it necessary, additional information may be requested from

Respondent. The County may also send written questions and ask for written responses within five (5) business days. Failure to comply with any such request may disqualify a Respondent from further consideration. Respondents must be prepared to discuss all aspects of their Response in detail, including technical questions.

Respondents will not be allowed to alter or amend their Response through the use of the presentation process.

NOTE: If interview/presentations are not conducted, the designated points will be reallocated into the written total points.

Points Based 400

(100% of Total)

SECTION 5. COST PROPOSAL

Line Item Description Quantity Unit of

Measure Unit Cost Total

1 Cost for Pathologist per individual job.

Cost shall be inclusive of all business-related expenses including travel time, parking, mileage, supplies/materials or any other operating expense.

1 Per Job

TOTAL

SECTION 6. SUPPLIER RESPONSES

Resp…