PACS-3D_Medical_Imaging_(Addendum_#1_Revision).pdf

County of San Mateo

Request for Proposals (RFP) for PACS-3D Medical Imaging

Health - Health IT

RFP No. 2025-RFP-00358

RFP Contact: Thomas Collins tcollins@smcgov.org

1. Introduction and Schedule

The County of San Mateo (the “County” or “SMC”) covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula. The region covers 744 mi and is home to nearly 800,000 residents and 20 incorporated cities. The County provides for the health and welfare of all people within its borders and serves as the local government for the unincorporated areas. Innovation thrives here in industries including bioscience, computer software, green technology, hospitality, financial management, health care, education and transportation. The

County prides itself on how that prosperity fosters its commitment to protecting and enhancing the health, safety, welfare and natural resources of the community.

1.1. Summary

The County Health is comprised of 11 Divisions providing health and welfare across San Mateo County, including (a) Administration & Central Finance, (b) Aging & Adult Services, (c) Behavioral Health & Recovery Services, (d) Correctional Health, (e) Emergency Medical Services, (f) Environmental Health, (g) Family Health, (h) Health Coverage Unit, (i) Health Information Technology, (j) Public Health, Policy & Planning, (k) San Mateo Medical Center.

The County of San Mateo is seeking proposals from qualified vendors with proven expertise in implementing Radiology and Cardiology Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) within a healthcare setting. The County is specifically looking for vendors who have successfully integrated PACS systems with EPIC Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, as seamless integration with EPIC is a critical requirement for this project. The selected vendor must demonstrate a solid track record of implementing PACS in healthcare environments, ensuring efficient workflows, and meeting the unique needs of both Radiology and Cardiology departments. This includes migrating all existing studies and exploring opportunities for consolidating various imaging applications currently in use within the departments for specialized image interpretation.

As part of the vendor’s proposal, we request that you outline how many successful implementations your company has completed with EPIC in the last five years, specifically focusing on PACS integrations. This information will help the County assess the vendor’s experience and ability to meet the project’s requirements.

The primary objectives for the new PACS system are to enhance system reliability, ensure full HIPAA compliance, and improve overall usability. The system should seamlessly integrate with EPIC EHR, provide robust storage solutions, and offer advanced visualization tools for healthcare professionals. Furthermore, the County envisions expanding the scope of the PACS system to support additional departments in the future, including Neurology, Dentistry, Endoscopy, Laboratory, and Surgery, aiming to create a broader enterprise imaging solution.

1.2. Background

The County of San Mateo Radiology department performs inpatient, outpatient, and ambulatory imaging services, as well as teleradiology services to other facilities. The County of San Mateo Radiology performs approximately 65,000 studies and 5,000 cardiology and 8,000 mammography interpretations annually. Due to the complexity of internal workflows and studies, the County of San Mateo has implemented EPIC as the Electronic Health Record (EHR), with mammography following a Radiology Information Communication System (RICS) workflow.

The County of San Mateo is transitioning from its current ScImage PACS system, with the Picom application, originally implemented in 2009 as part of the move from film to digital imaging. The radiology and cardiology departments are continuously evolving, requiring enhanced capabilities to

Page 3 of 20 Release date of April 25, 2025 support their growing needs. This request for proposal seeks solutions that align with these advancements, ensuring improved efficiency, accuracy, and patient care. The integration with EPIC EHR and the potential for future expansion of imaging capabilities across multiple departments are key priorities in shaping the future of the County’s healthcare imaging infrastructure.

1.3. Contact Information

Project Contact:

Thomas Collins Director, Portfolio and Program Management Email: tcollins@smcgov.org Phone: (628) 258-3275

Procurement Contact:

Thomas Collins Director, Portfolio and Program Management Email: tcollins@smcgov.org Phone: (628) 258-3275

Department:

Health - Health IT

Department Head:

Louise F. Rogers Chief, San Mateo County Health

1.4. Timeline

RFP Released April 25, 2025

Deadline for Questions, Comments and

Contract Exceptions

May 7, 2025, 1:30pm

Question Response Deadline May 14, 2025, 11:30am

Proposal Due Date and Time June 6, 2025, 2:00pm

Interviews (tentative) June 16, 2025

Anticipated Contract Award Date November 4, 2025

2. Scope of Work mailto:tcollins@smcgov.org tel:(628)258-3275 mailto:tcollins@smcgov.org tel:(628)258-3275

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2.1. Scope of Work for PACS-3D Medical Imaging

Note: All responses and questions related to this Request for Proposal (RFP) must be submitted through

OpenGov.com. Please do not contact anyone outside of the official RFP process for inquiries, as doing so may impact the validity of your submission.

2.0 Summary

The County of San Mateo is soliciting proposals for a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) with advanced 3D medical imaging capabilities. The selected PACS-3D system will be utilized across various departments within the County’s healthcare facilities to improve the efficiency and quality of medical imaging workflows. This system should be able to integrate seamlessly with existing medical imaging modalities, offer robust storage solutions, and provide advanced visualization tools for healthcare professionals.

2.1 System Requirements

A. Compatibility: The system must fully support DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standards for seamless image storage, sharing, and transmission.

B. Scalability: The system should be scalable, capable of expanding to accommodate future growth in data storage, user access, and additional imaging modalities, without requiring major system modifications.

C. Integration: The PACS must integrate seamlessly with the County’s existing EPIC Electronic Health Record (EHR), ensuring smooth interoperability across healthcare facilities.

D. User Interface: The system must feature an intuitive and user-friendly interface, enabling healthcare professionals to easily access and interpret images with minimal training.

E. Advanced Visualization: The system should support advanced 3D rendering, reconstruction, and manipulation of medical images, allowing users to generate and analyze various views and projections for enhanced diagnostics.

2.2 Performance Specifications

A. Response Time: The PACS-3D system must deliver images to users promptly, ensuring minimal delay.

B. Uptime: The system must guarantee a 99.9% uptime, ensuring continuous availability of imaging services.

C. Storage Capacity: The proposed solution must offer adequate storage capacity to support a minimum of five years’ worth of imaging data for approximately 100,000 studies annually across both

Cardiology and Radiology departments. Additionally, the system should be scalable to accommodate growth, with the ability to support more than 100,000 studies annually as other departments are integrated into the system.

D. Backup and Recovery: A comprehensive backup and recovery solution must be included to prevent data loss, with offsite backup capabilities.

2.3 Security Specifications

A. Data Encryption: The system must utilize industry-standard encryption protocols to ensure the protection of patient data, both while stored (at rest) and during transmission (in transit)

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B. User Access Controls: Role-based access controls (RBAC) must be enforced to limit access to sensitive data according to each user's responsibilities within the healthcare organization.

C. Audit Trails: The system must generate and maintain comprehensive audit logs to track and review all user activities, including data access and modifications, for compliance and security monitoring.

D. SAML/Okta Integration: The system should support integration with identity providers such as Okta using SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) for secure and centralized user authentication and single sign-on (SSO) capabilities.

1. For any integration with other systems or solutions requiring the use of API, the API must be tested for potential exploits prior to production.

2. Any identified risk or security flaw discovered must be mitigated through a patching process must be applied within a reasonable amount of time. Vendor must have an Incident Response Plan including notification of any breaches and/or data loss events within 24 hours.

3. Vendor must demonstrate that employees have undergone a security background check and evidence that employees are provided training to handle confidential data including a yearly security awareness training.

2.4 Compliance and Standards

A. HIPAA Compliance: The PACS-3D system must comply with all requirements under the Health

Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regarding the protection of patient health information.

B. FDA Approval: The technology must be either FDA approved or exempt from FDA regulation concerning medical devices.

C. Interoperability Standards: The proposed PACS must support HL7 and IHE profiles for interoperability with other systems and software.

D. DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine):

The PACS-3D system must support DICOM standards to ensure compatibility with medical imaging devices and software. Compliance with DICOM enables secure and standardized handling, storage, and transmission of imaging data, ensuring interoperability with other clinical systems, and maintaining patient data integrity.

3. Service Requirements

The proposer must provide the following services as part of the PACS-3D Medical Imaging solution:

3.1 Implementation Services

A. Installation: The vendor will be responsible for the complete installation of the PACS-3D system, including hardware setup and software deployment.

B. Configuration: Custom configuration of the system to meet the specific workflows and requirements of County healthcare facilities.

C. Integration: The vendor will ensure seamless integration of the PACS-3D system with existing medical imaging modalities and the EPIC Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. This includes

Page 6 of 20 Release date of April 25, 2025 ensuring that imaging data is properly linked with patient records in EPIC, enabling clinicians to access imaging results directly within the patient's electronic health record. The integration process will also involve configuring workflows so that images are automatically transmitted and appropriately stored within the EPIC system. Additionally, the PACS-3D system must support bidirectional data exchange with EPIC, ensuring real-time synchronization of clinical data, image access, and patient information to enhance overall workflow efficiency, reduce errors, and improve patient care coordination.

3.2 Training Services

A. User Training: The vendor must provide comprehensive training for all users, including radiologists, technologist, and administrative staff, covering both basic and advanced system features. Training should include hands-on, role-specific sessions and train-the-trainer options for staff to share knowledge within the organization.

B. Training Materials: The vendor must supply detailed training materials such as user manuals, quick guides, and video tutorials, available in both digital and downloadable formats. These resources should be easy to navigate and updated regularly to reflect system enhancements and new features.

3.3 Technical Support Services

A. 24/7 Availability: The vendor must provide 24/7 help desk support, including live assistance during system outages.

B. Tiered Service: A tiered service model should be in place, with issues classified based on urgency.

C. Service Level Agreement (SLA): The SLA will clearly outline response times for critical issues, including specific timeframes for addressing system outages and downtime.

D. Direct Support: Preference is for the vendor to handle help desk support directly within their company, rather than outsourcing it to third-party providers, ensuring prompt and direct communication.

E. System Maintenance: Scheduled Maintenance: Regular maintenance must be performed on a predetermined schedule to ensure system performance, security, and compliance with industry standards.

F. Software Updates: Updates & Patches: The vendor is responsible for providing timely software updates and security patches to maintain the integrity, functionality, and compliance of the system.

G. Remote Access: Any onsite assets that require remote access for support services by the vendor must comply with the County’s remote access approved solutions, which include the following:

1. Standard client side VPN (Palo Alto Global Protect)

2. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

3. Dedicated VPN Tunnel (IPsec)

4. Remote, attended screen sharing through Teams or Zoom

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i. At no time will a remote connection for solution support be anonymous or unnamed, or be unattended specific to remote screen connectivity. In addition, utilizing client side

VPN, VDI or dedicated Tunnel technology requires all users to be registered with the

County domain environment.

4. Delivery Requirements

The following delivery requirements must be met by the vendor:

4.1 Delivery Timeline

A. The full PACS-3D system must be delivered and fully installed minimum of 9 -12 months following the contract award date.

B. The vendor is required to provide a detailed implementation timeline, outlining key milestones and deadlines for all phases of the project.

4.2 Delivery Location

D. All products and equipment must be delivered to the specified County healthcare facility locations as outlined in the purchase order. Cloud-based solutions are preferred over hosted options.

E. The delivery should include all required installation components and accompanying documentation.

4.3 Acceptance Testing

A. The vendor must provide a comprehensive acceptance test plan that outlines the testing procedures, criteria, and metrics used to validate the system’s functionality, performance, and integration prior to going live. The plan should include test scenarios, timelines, and expected outcomes to ensure that all system components meet agreed-upon specifications.

B. The County’s technical team must actively participate in the acceptance testing process. This involvement is essential to verify that the system meets all functional and performance requirements, and to ensure that it aligns with the County’s specific needs and operational standards.

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, the County of San Mateo is seeking proposals for a PACS-3D Medical Imaging system that meets the outlined specifications and addresses the evolving needs of the Radiology and Cardiology departments. The system should seamlessly integrate with the County’s EPIC Electronic Health Record (EHR), enhance imaging workflows, and support future expansion to other departments. Proposals should demonstrate the vendor's ability to provide a secure, scalable, and user-friendly solution that ensures compliance with HIPAA and other relevant regulations. The selected vendor will play a crucial role in improving patient care, system performance, and overall efficiency within the County’s healthcare facilities.

3. Submission Requirements

3.1. Submission Deadline

Proposals must be electronically received by 2:00 pm, on Friday, June 6, 2025 via eProcurement system.

Allow sufficient time for the upload to complete by the Due Date and Time. Partial uploads will automatically terminate, and proposals will be rejected. The eProcurement system submission time will

Page 8 of 20 Release date of April 25, 2025 be the official submission time. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to slow internet connections or for any other failure of the eProcurement system.

NOTE: The County does not maintain the eProcurement system and is not liable for site failures or technical problems. To resolve technical issues, contact OpenGov Technical Support by using the real time chat located in the lower right hand corner of the screen, or via email at procurement-support@opengov.com https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov

3.2. Pre-submission Registration

Organizations or individuals interested in responding to this solicitation must register online with the

County of San Mateo at:

• https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov

It is recommended that organizations complete this registration as soon as possible. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to a failure to register in the eProcurement system.

3.3. Submission via eProcurement Portal

Required Documents

Please refer to the Technical Proposal section for submittal documents and requirements.

Electronic Submissions

Include the proposer name and the RFP title and number in each filename. Submit proposals via the eProcurement website, allowing sufficient time for the upload to complete by the Due Date and Time. As noted above, the eProcurement portal submission time will be the official submission time, and partial uploads will automatically terminate, and proposals will be rejected. Contact eProcurement Portal with technical questions regarding this site.

Conflicts between Certain Requirements

Prior to the submission deadlines and solely relating to a determination of the timeliness of questions, comments, and proposal submissions, information displayed on the eProcurement portal site will take precedence in the event of a discrepancy between that information and the information within the solicitation documents. For all other discrepancies, the information in the solicitation documents will take precedence.

Format

Documents should be created in the following format:

• Text should be Times New Roman (12-point minimum font size) and unjustified (i.e., with a ragged-right margin)

• Pages should have margins of at least one inch on all sides (excluding headers and footers) mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov/projects/139446/document?section=1259507

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• If the proposal is lengthy, a Table of Contents should be included.

• PDF format is preferred.

Errors in Proposals

The County will not be liable for any errors in proposals. Proposals may be rejected as unresponsive if they are late, incomplete, missing pages or information, or cannot be opened for any reason. The County may waive minor irregularities, but such waiver will not modify any remaining RFP requirements.

4. Minimum Qualifications and Technical Proposal

4.1. Minimum Qualifications - Contracting

4.1.1. Does the vendor have experience integrating with EPICs Radiant?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

4.1.2. Provide your Details

4.1.3. Insurance Requirements Confirmation*

The vendor agrees to be insured for the following coverages, naming the County of San Mateo as an additional insured.

Comprehensive General Liability $1,000,000

Motor Vehicle Liability $1,000,000

Professional Liability $1,000,000

Cyber Liability:

Privacy and Network Security/Technology

Errors and Omissions

$5,000,000/$1,000,000

Workers' compensation and employer’s liability insurance

Full statutory coverage, per

California Law

By submitting your proposal for this RFP, you agree to the above coverages.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

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4.1.4. Limitation of Liability Confirmation*

By submitting your proposal for this RFP, the vendor agrees to not limit liability contractually in any manner that may reduce or deny insurance coverage or payment for any covered claim that might otherwise be made available to cover damages to the County caused by the vendor’s operations or services:

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.1.5. Please confirm your firm is registered with System for Award Management (SAM)*

SAM.gov

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.1.6. Agree to Use County Standard Template for the Agreement.*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.1.7. What is the registered Business Name and Unique Entity ID (UEI) No.?*

• UEI number can be obtained by registering your business through SAM.GOV

• Should you be in the process of obtaining your UEI number, please enter the digits ‘123’ temporarily for your response below in order to proceed with proposal. This temporary number should be replaced with the correct registration number for submission of the proposal.

*Response required

4.2. Minimum Qualifications - Product/Application

4.2.1. Does the proposed Product Manager have at least two (2) years of experience within the past five (5) years providing account management services related to PACS systems or

Epic Radiant integration?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.2.2. Does the proposed Project Manager have at least two (2) years of experience within the past five (5) years managing the implementation, coordination, and delivery of PACS systems or Epic Radiant projects?*

☐ Yes

☐ No https://sam.gov/content/home

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4.2.3. Has the Proposer been actively providing similar PACS-related services for a minimum of four (4) years within the past seven (7) years?

☐ Yes

☐ No

4.3. Technical Proposal

4.3.1. Introduction and Executive Summary *

Submit a letter of introduction and executive summary of the proposal. The letter must contain:

• Name, title and contact information (email, phone, and address) for representative of proposer that is responsible for communication related to this RFP.

• Name, title, contact information, and signature of person authorized to obligate firm to perform the commitment contained in the proposal.

Submission of the letter will constitute a representation by proposer that it is willing and able to perform the commitments contained in the proposal and has not violated the terms of this RFP.

*Response required

4.3.2. Statement of Minimum Qualifications *

Please complete the attached Excel spreadsheet (SCM-Functional_Requirements-PRJ-2094-PACS-

3D_Medical_Imaging_0425) and upload it. In the spreadsheet, indicate whether the company can meet each requirement out of the box by marking "Yes." If customization is required to meet the standard, please note it accordingly.

*Response required

4.3.3. Project Approach*

This section should correlate to the Scope of Work . Proposer should give a short summary describing how it will perform the relevant work

*Response required

4.3.4. Scope of Work tasks/milestones*

Describe your proposed approach to tasks/milestones

*Response required

4.3.5. Proposed schedule *

Attach proposed schedule reference ability to complete the project within the County's required time frame

*Response required

4.3.6. Innovations*

Refence any notable innovations or improvements that you expect to provide (with respect to, for example, efficiency, technology, sustainability)

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4.3.7. Performance Measures*

Describe a plan for achieving performance measures

*Response required

4.3.8. Firm Qualifications *

Attach information regarding background and qualifications, including the following:

• A brief description of the proposer.

• A description of not more than three (3) projects similar in size and scope conducted by the proposer, including the client, reference and telephone numbers, primary staff members involved, budget, schedule, and project summary. Descriptions should be limited to one (1) page for each project.

• If subcontractors are anticipated, identify them (if known) and provide information on how they will be used.

*Response required

4.3.9. Team Qualifications*

Provide a chart identifying:

▪ Project team and reporting structure

▪ Lead project manager

▪ Role each person will play in the project

Provide a brief description of the experience and qualifications of the project team members, including short resumes if desired.

Written assurance that the key individuals listed and identified will be performing the work and will not be substituted or reassigned without the County’s prior approval

*Response required

4.3.10. References*

Provide 3 references for each of the following, including the name, address, and telephone number of recent clients (preferably other public agencies):

*Response required

4.3.11. Fee Proposal*

The Fee Proposal should be submitted as a separate PDF file from the Technical Proposals detailed in

Required Documents.

The County reserves the right to accept other than the lowest priced offer and to reject any proposals that are not responsive to this request.

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5. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

The proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee with relevant expertise. The County intends to evaluate the proposals generally in accordance with the criteria itemized below. Proposers with the highest scoring proposals may be interviewed by the committee to make the final selection.

5.1. Phase 1 - Contracting Team Evaluation

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

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1. Contract Minimum Qualifications

A vendor will receive a pass under this evaluation criterion if they have provided confirmation that demonstrating full agreement and compliance with all of the following requirements:

1. Experience Integrating with EPIC’s Radiant

Module

Vendor must confirm prior experience integrating their solution with EPIC Radiant.

2. Insurance Requirements

Vendor must agree to comply with all insurance requirements as outlined in the RFP without exceptions or conditions.

3. Limitation of Liability

Vendor must not include any limitation of liability provisions in their final agreement with the County.

4. System for Award

Management (SAM)

Vendor must be actively registered and in good standing with the federal

System for Award

Management (SAM) at the time of proposal submission.

5. Use of County Standard

Contract Template

Pass / Fail 100 (100% of Total)

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Vendor must agree to use the County’s standard contract template without requiring substantive modifications.

Failure to comply with any of the above conditions will result in a

Fail and disqualification from further evaluation.

5.2. Phase 2 - Project Team Evaluation

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Service Level/Experience Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

2. Proposal Price Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

3. Team Qualifications Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

4. Technical Capabilities Points Based 50 (50% of Total)

6. Instructions to Proposers

6.1. Instructions

There will be no pre-proposal conference or site visit for this project.

6.2. Communications

A. As of the issuance date of this RFP and continuing until it is canceled or an award is made, no proposer or person acting on behalf of a prospective proposer may discuss any matter relating to the RFP with any officer, agent, or employee of the County, other than through eProcurement portal, to the Authorized Contact Person, or as outlined in the evaluation or protest procedures.

B. Proposers (including any agent, owner, employee, board members, or other such affiliates) shall not offer any gift, favor, or other personal benefit to any County officer or employee during the procurement process for this agreement, including during the solicitation period and contract negotiations.

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Violation of the foregoing prohibitions may result in a proposer being found non-responsible and barred from participating in this or future procurements.

6.3. Contract Award

A. Award Procedure

Contract negotiations are neither an offer nor guarantee that a contract will be executed. A contract award, if any is made, will be to the responsive, responsible proposer offering the overall best value to the County for the services and goods described in this solicitation, or as applicable, for a specific portion of the services and goods described. Any agreement reached will be memorialized in a formal agreement using the attached template, executed by the appropriate authority.

B. Notice of Intent to Award

If a decision is made to take steps to enter into an agreement with one or more proposers, the

County will post a Notice of Intent to Award or otherwise notify proposers the remaining proposers of their non-selection. Notice may instead be provided by including approval of the agreement as an item on an agenda for a meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

C. Commencement of Performance

After all parties have signed the agreement, the County will notify the contractor and performance may proceed. Prior to execution of the agreement by the County, no County employee may authorize work under the agreement. Any work performed prior to the full execution of the Agreement may not be compensated.

6.4. Term

Health - Health IT is issuing Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 2025-RFP-00358 for PACS-3D Medical

Imaging.

The agreement shall have a term of five (5) year. The County’s standard contract template has been included with this solicitation. The awarded contractor will be expected to sign an agreement prepared by the County using this template. Please ensure that your firm has completed legal review of these contract terms. If your firm wishes to request exceptions to these standard terms, submit a Contract Exceptions

Request by the Deadline for Questions, Comments and Contract Exceptions listed in the Solicitation

Schedule below. The County will consider Contract Exceptions Requests but reserves the right to reject requested modifications to its standard terms.

7. Terms and Conditions for Receipt of Proposals

7.1. Errors, Omissions and Inquiries regarding the RFP

Proposers are responsible for reviewing all portions of this RFP. Proposers are to notify the department, in eProcurement portal, if the proposer discovers any ambiguity, discrepancy, omission, or apparent error in the RFP. Such notification should be made promptly after discovery, but in no event later than five business days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals. Modifications and clarifications will be made by addenda as provided below.

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Inquiries regarding the RFP should be lodged in eProcurement portal.

7.2. Objections to RFP Terms

Should a proposer object on any ground to any provision or legal requirement set forth in this RFP, the proposer must, not more than ten calendar days after the RFP is issued, provide written notice to the department, via eProcurement portal, setting forth with specific grounds for the objection.

7.3. Addenda

The County may cancel, revise, or reissue this RFP, in whole or in part, for any reason. Revisions will be posted as Addenda on eProcurement portal. No other revision of this RFP is valid. Proposers shall be responsible for ensuring that their proposals reflects any and all Addenda issued by the County prior to the proposal due date regardless of when a proposal is submitted. Therefore, the County recommends that proposers consult eProcurement portal frequently, including shortly before the proposal due date, to confirm that all Addenda have been downloaded.

7.4. Term of Proposal

Submission of a proposal signifies that the proposed services and prices are valid for the duration of the proposed agreement term and that the quoted prices are genuine and not the result of collusion or any other anti-competitive activity.

7.5. Revision or Withdrawal of Proposal

A proposer may revise a proposal on the proposer’s own initiative at any time before the deadline for submission of proposals. The proposer must submit the revised proposal in the same manner as the original on or before the proposal due date.

A proposer may withdraw a proposal at any time before the deadline for submission of proposals. After that time, whether or not a new RFP is issued for the same subject matter, withdrawal of a proposal may preclude the proposer from participating in the procurement as a proposer or subcontractor, except that an original equipment manufacturer may participate indirectly through a reseller.

7.6. Errors and Omissions in Proposal

The County will not be liable for any errors in proposals. Proposals may be rejected as unresponsive if they are incomplete, are missing pages or information, or cannot be opened for any reason. The County may waive minor irregularities, but such waiver will not modify any of the remaining RFP requirements.

7.7. No Commitment

Neither submission of a proposal nor the County’s receipt of proposal materials confers any right to the proposer nor any obligation on the County. This RFP does not commit the County to award a contract.

7.8. Financial Responsibility

The County shall have no financial responsibility for any costs incurred by a firm in responding to this

RFP or participating in any presentations or negotiations.

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7.9. Estimated Quantity

If the RFP results in an indefinite quantity or a requirements agreement, the goods and services actually requested by the County may be less than the maximum value of the agreement and there is no guarantee, either expressed or implied, as to the actual quantity of goods and services that will be authorized under the agreement.

7.10. Public Record

A. General

1. All proposals, protests, and information submitted in response to this solicitation will become the property of the County and will be considered public records. As such, they may be subject to public review.

2. Any contract arising from this RFP will be a public record.

3. The County is not seeking proprietary information and will not assert any privileges that may exist on behalf of the proposer.

4. Submission of any materials in response to this RFP constitutes:

▪ Consent to the County’s release of such materials under the Public Records Act without notice to the person or entity submitting the materials; and

▪ Waiver of all claims against the County and/or its officers, agents, or employees that the

County has violated a proposer's right to privacy, disclosed trade secrets, or caused any damage by allowing the proposal or materials to be inspected; and

▪ Agreement to indemnify and hold harmless the County for release of such information under the Public Records Act; and

▪ Acknowledgement that the County will not assert any privileges that may exist on behalf of the person or entity submitting the materials.

7.11. Reservations of Rights by the County

The issuance of this RFP does not constitute an agreement by the County that any contract will actually be entered into by the County. The County expressly reserves the right at any time to:

• Waive or correct any defect or informality in any response, proposal, or proposal procedure;

• Reject any or all proposals;

• Reissue an RFP;

• Prior to submission deadline for proposals, modify all or any portion of the selection procedures, including deadlines for accepting responses, the specifications or requirements for any materials, equipment or services to be provided under this RFP, or the requirements for contents or format of the proposals;

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• Procure any materials, equipment or services specified in this RFP by any other means; or

• Determine that no project will be pursued.

7.12. No Waiver

No waiver by the County of any provision of this RFP shall be implied from any failure by the County to recognize or take action on account of any failure by a proposer to observe any provision of this RFP.

7.13. Cooperative Agreement (Piggyback)

This competitive solicitation is being conducted as a Cooperative Procurement. The services, terms and conditions of any agreement resulting from this solicitation may be used by other organizations as a

Cooperative Agreement.

This provision in no way commits any affiliate to procure services from any awarded contractor, nor does it guarantee that any additional orders will result. At their discretion, and subject to their own procurement policies, interested organizations may make use of this competitive procurement and contract directly from the awarded contractor.

8. Protest Procedures

8.1. Protest of Non-Responsiveness Determination

Within five (5) working days of the County's issuance of a notice of non-responsiveness, any firm that has submitted a proposal and believes that the County has incorrectly determined that its proposal is non-responsive may submit a written notice of protest. Such notice of protest must be received by the County on or before the fifth working day following the County's issuance of the notice of non-responsiveness. The notice of protest must include a written statement specifying in detail each and every one of the grounds asserted for the protest. The protest must be signed by an individual authorized to represent the proposer, and must cite the law, rule, local ordinance, procedure or RFP provision on which the protest is based. In addition, the protestor must specify facts and evidence sufficient for the County to determine the validity of the protest.

8.2. Protest of Contract Award

Within five (5) working days of the County's issuance of a notice of intent to award the contract, any firm that has submitted a responsive proposal and believes that the County has incorrectly selected another proposer for award may submit a written notice of protest. Such notice of protest must be received by the

County on or before the fifth working day after the County's issuance of the notice of intent to award.

The notice of protest must include a written statement specifying in detail each and every one of the grounds asserted for the protest. The protest must be signed by an individual authorized to represent the proposer, and must cite the law, rule, local ordinance, procedure or RFP provision on which the protest is based. In addition, the protestor must specify facts and evidence sufficient for the County to determine the validity of the protest.

Page 20 of 20 Release date of April 25, 2025

8.3. Delivery of Protests

All protests must be received by the due date. If a protest is mailed, the protestor bears the risk of non-delivery within the deadlines specified herein. Protests should be transmitted by a means that will objectively establish the date the County received the protest. Protests or notice of protests made orally

(e.g., by telephone) will not be considered. Protests must be delivered to:

Protests@smcgov.org

Subject: PACS-3D Medical Imaging, 2025-RFP-00358