PHPA 3772 Pre-Applicaton Conference Minutes.pdf

Pre-Application Conference Minutes

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA): PRENATAL INNOVATION INCUBATOR: REDUCING

BARRIERS TO TIMELY PRENATAL CARE

Solicitation Number: PHPA 3772/BPM055857

Date: March 19, 2026

Vendor Attendance:

Holly B. Trice, Caroline County Health Department

Teresa Messler, Baltimore County Department of Health

Kara Stambach, Mercy Health Foundation

Emily Engel-Stiles, Chase Brexton Health Care

Jodie Bell, Greater Baden Medical Center

Rock Schuler, Greater Baden Medical Center

Lisa Groff Reuschling, Greater Baltimore Medical Center

Julie Sanders, Garrett County Health Department

Evan Savopoulos, Cornerstone Family Medicine

Kafui Doe, The Global Health Institute for Innovation and Leadership

Rachel Hayes, Frederick County Health Department

Tabitha Long, Primary Care Coalition

Margareth Weaver, Prince George’s Health Department

Faith Seepersad, Mercy Medical Center

Kristen Newman, Prince George’s County Health Department

Dr. Ogo Ekweeme, Career Haven Prince George’s County.

Chibu Anyanwu, CEA Enterprise, LLC

George McFarland, African American Health Program

Maria Friend, Garrett County Health Department

Yael Eskinazi, Chase Brexton Healthcare

Siena Greeenwell

Angela Jones – Jackson

Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Staff:

Samantha Ritter, MDH

Jackie Pelicaric, MDH

Augustus Woyah, MDH

Greetings/Virtual Rules – Augustus Woyah, MDH

Attendees were advised that the virtual conference was being recorded, and virtual conference rules were reviewed.

Greetings/Introductions – Augustus Woyah, Procurement Officer

Augustus Woyah, Procurement Officer, facilitated opening remarks and introductions. MDH staff and attendees introduced themselves. All attendees were asked to sign in using the “Chat” feature within the virtual meeting.

Procurement Overview – Augustus Woyah, Procurement Officer, MDH

The Department intends to make up four (4) awards as a result of this RFA. The anticipated duration of services to be provided under this Agreement is July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028.

State Fiscal Year 2027 (SFY27) Budget: $714,640

State Fiscal Year 2028 (SFY28)Budget: $925,000

It is important to remember that to receive a grant award from the Maryland Department of Health, a vendor must be “registered” on the eMaryland Marketplace Advantage

(eMMA). Registration is free. Please review Section 1.5 on page 4 of the RFA.

Please Note: If you are part of an organization with multiple applicants, please ensure each applicant is registered under its own eMMA number (SUP #). An SUP can only be used once per solicitation. Please reach out to the eMMA Help desk at emma.helpdesk@maryland.gov for any additional information.

Carefully review Section 1.6 Questions on page 4 regarding how to submit questions subsequent to this Pre-Application Conference. Questions to the Procurement Officer, Augustus Woyah, shall be submitted through the email address listed on the RFA Key Information Summary Sheet.

Please identify the Solicitation Number and Title in the subject line.

Questions should be submitted no later than 2:00 PM EST on April 3, 2025.

The Procurement Officer, based on the availability of time to research and communicate an answer, will decide whether an answer can be given before the application due date. Given that, please try to submit any questions as soon as possible.

If the RFA is revised before the application due date, the Department shall provide an

Addendum. Please be sure to check the eMMA website to acknowledge any addenda.

mailto:emma.helpdesk@maryland.gov

Carefully review Section 2- Mandatory Requirements, beginning with page 6 of the RFA. The

Applicant must provide proof with its application that the following Mandatory Requirements have been met:

• The Applicant shall be a social organization as defined per Section 7-402 of the State

Finance and Procurement Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland or a local, state government agency, public college, or state university.

• For social organization Applicants (not local, state government agency, public college, or state university), the Applicant must be a nonprofit organization, classified by the IRS as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Applications must include attachments of the following documentation from the applicant:

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION: Documentation of the tax-exempt status of the Applicant

(i.e., IRS tax-exempt status determination letter).

• Applicants shall provide documentation showing that the organization is a Federally Qualified

Health Center (FQHC), hospital, or provider of prenatal care.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION: Proof of being a FQHC, hospital, or provider of prenatal care.

Examples: proof of designation or certification.

POINTS EMPHASIZED:

A. This solicitation requests a Firm Fixed Price. There are several steps involved in this method, so your attention to the solicitation document is crucial to the successful submission of your application.

B. The Grantee’s Requirements: The Scope of Work is listed in Section 3.2, beginning on page 8. This outlines the responsibilities of the Applicant and provides a clear understanding of what the Department expects from the successful Applicant in the provision of services.

Participants were informed that program staff would further discuss the Scope of Work during the meeting.

C. Proposal Format

Applicants are required to submit their response to the RFA in two parts. Section 4- Application

Format, beginning on page 14, clearly lists all submission requirements.

o Volume I – Project Narrative o Volume II – Budget Narrative

No pricing information is to be included in the Project Narrative (Volume 1) and the transmittal letter. Pricing information is to be included only in the Budget Narrative

(Volume II).

Please include your contact information in the transmittal letter.

D. Section 5 (beginning on page 16) outlines the evaluation committee, evaluation criteria, and selection procedure. Your application will be evaluated by a committee organized for that purpose based on the criteria set forth in the RFA.

Section 5.2 (page 16) lists the project narrative evaluation criteria in descending order of importance, and Section 5.3 (page 16) lists the budget narrative evaluation criteria.

Section 5.4 (page 16) highlights the selection procedures. As noted, the Grant will be awarded according to the Standard Grant Agreement method outlined in the Announcement.

E. RFA Attachments are listed on page 18 with clear descriptions.

F. Other than composing your Project Narrative and Budget Narrative, the most important matter is to have your applications submitted by the date and time listed on the RFA.

Applications are due no later than April 9, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST Local Time and must be submitted to the State's e-procurement system, eMMA.

No applications will be accepted after 2:00 PM

Overview of Grantee’s Requirements and Scope of Work – Samantha Ritter. PowerPoint slides are attached to the minutes.

Questions and Answers

Question #1: What is the expected impact, relative to the baseline, for the target number of people?

Answer: This is up to you. We understand that typically few funds are made available to folks who require the most intensive care, and so we encourage you to propose your baseline and anticipated performance measures based on who you must need to serve.

Question #2. What is the definition of a perinatal care coordination program at the LHD? Is it specifically those that receive BBH, Thrive by Three, or Title V funding?

Answer: A perinatal care coordination program does not have to be limited to one that receives the specific funding streams referenced. We are looking for programs that, regardless of funding, identify individuals through the MPRA, PIMR, or other referral mechanisms such as the ACCU, hospitals, community providers, etc., assess those individuals for their needs, and, for those deemed high-risk, the development of a care coordination plan to ensure a healthy pregnancy and postpartum period.

Question #3. Is the award amount being split amongst all applicants or is this the total each applicant will receive?

Answer: The award is being split among applicants.

Question #4. Can we select more than one jurisdiction?

Answer: Yes, you can work in multiple jurisdictions.

Question #5: How many grants are you expecting to make?

Answer: We are going to make up to four awards.

Question #6. How did you come to the determination of 8 to 10 weeks gestation? Many do not identify their pregnancies before 8-12 weeks gestation. Then they have to apply for Medicaid prior to beginning care which would further delay initiation of care.

Answer: The 8-10 week timeline was developed with guidance from our Women’s Health Physician Specialist, an OB/GYN, and other clinicians, as the ideal time to enter prenatal care.

We recognize that a lot of people do not know that they are pregnant at this time, which is why there is also an expedited option for those who find out later. However, the goal is to reduce delays in entry to care. If Medicaid enrollment is a barrier, funds can be used to cover the cost of care prior to enrollment.

Question #7: Our region does not have high rates of infant mortality. I believe this is the result of hardworking pregnancy/prenatal service providers in our area. If we apply for this funding it will be with the intent to continue our low mortality rates. We will still be eligible for funding even with a lower rate of infant mortality?

Answer: All regions may apply, but priority will be given to applicants with higher rates of infant mortality.

Question #8: Can you please let us know if patient incentives are an allowable cost? This may be baby items or snacks during patient appointments.

Answer: Yes, these are allowable costs.

Question #9. Could you give a few examples of what you might consider "innovative"?

Answer: These are just examples, and may not be considered innovative in every setting. First, while doulas may be common towards the end of a pregnancy and in delivery, utilizing doulas or acompañantes early in the prenatal period is uncommon. Second is utilizing nurses or other clinicians to deliver care at home or outside of the clinic if clients are unable to or feel unsafe going to clinical settings. There are also some interesting models from HIV around rapid, immediate medication initiation. For example, in DC, if you test positive for HIV, there is someone who makes an appointment for you, starts labs, and pay for medications and appointments until insurance coverage is established. So innovative can mean anything a little outside of the box to best respond to client needs.

Question #10: Are only those providing clinical services eligible?

Answer: Yes, the application is restricted to FQHCs, hospitals, and other prenatal care providers, which are by definition clinical.

Question #11: If awarded, will quarterly reports include uploading receipts of expenditures paystubs to prove all spenddown, similar to the Centering grants?

Answer: Yes, quarterly invoices with backup documentation will be required.

Question #12. I was hoping to clarify which attachments are required for the Prenatal Innovation Incubator: Reducing Barriers to Timely Prenatal Care RFA application. If I am understanding correctly, some would only need to be submitted as part of the grant agreement if awarded.

Could you please confirm that the following documents are required at the time of submission:

Attachment C: Debarment Affirmation Attachment D: Certification Regarding Tobacco Smoke Attachment E: Certification Regarding Lobbying Answer: None of these attachments are required at the time of submission. There are parts of the Standard Grant Agreement.

Question #13. We have a Prenatal Center that serves Frederick County and the surrounding regions. We serve the uninsured and underinsured who are unable to access the two practices in the community. Frederick County is the fastest growing county in the state, but our private practices have not grown in kind, and often, patients are unable to access prenatal care. We’d like to expand our Prenatal Center by adding an additional midwife and rooms. This would also expand our centering program. The cost would be roughly $245,000. Would this project be within scope?

Answer: This proposal is likely outside of the project scope, as it is not designed to meet the needs of the general prenatal population. It is possible it would fall within scope should the added midwife and rooms serve those who are typically not easily engaged in care or are late to enter prenatal care.

Question #14. We attended the RFA webinar last week, and we inquired if we could include multiple jurisdictions within one application. Our OB program serves patients at four Centers, but, for this application, we would like to focus on prenatal care patients served at the Glen Burnie Center in Anne Arundel County and the Columbia Center in Howard County. Please let us know if this is allowable.

Answer: This is allowable.

Question #15: If we are current recipients of other Thrive by Three Funding, are we still eligible to apply for this opportunity and is any prior funds going to be taken into consideration?

Answer: You are still eligible for this opportunity. Prior funds are not taken into consideration.

Question #16. I can’t find any page limits/font size/etc parameters for this opportunity – am I missing anything or is it fully open in terms of length and formatting?

Answer: There are no page limits/font size requirements for this RFA.