PUR 7778 FACE program.docx

NOTICE OF INTENDED DECISION

TO ENTER INTO A SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACT

(PUR 7778)

This Notice of Intended Decision to Enter into a Single Source Contract is posted in accordance with Rule 60A-1.045, Florida Administrative Code, and section 287.057(3), Florida Statutes.

AGENCY: Department of Elder Affairs

TITLE: NAN Navigator Short description of the commodity or service desired: The Florida Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence (FACE), a program under the Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA), is tasked with providing support to families and caregivers of persons living with dementia. The need for advanced, personalized care and specialized services for individuals living with Alzheimer’s Disease and their family caregivers is critical, especially when the challenges become too complex for current FACE resources to address. The Department seeks to partner with NAN Navigator to provide critical Care Navigation services to Florida residents, particularly those on the Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative (ADI) waitlist and those being supported by FACE.

NAN Navigator stands as the sole service provider capable of offering comprehensive, innovative, and personalized care solutions needed to address the intricate challenges faced by persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their family caregivers. While there are other Care Navigation platforms available in the marketplace, we know of no other providers capable of delivering outcomes with similar rates of success within a bespoke platform.

NAN Navigator is founded by Dr. Rosemary Laird, whose expertise in geriatrics and Alzheimer's care is unmatched in the state of Florida. Dr. Laird's extensive experience, coupled with NAN Navigator's bespoke software with documented success, positions the organization as the only entity capable of effectively meeting the needs of DOEA’s FACE program

CONTACT

Name: Justin Taylor Address: 4040 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee, FL 32399 Telephone: 850-414-2153 Email: taylorj@elderaffairs.org

Internal tracking number, if any: SS - 2601 DMS Single Source number, if applicable: SS-15290

Date posted: 4/3/2026 Time posted: 4:00 pm

Commodity or Contractual Service (commodity or United Nation Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC), manufacturer, model, and description, as appropriate):

85121606 Geriatric Services

Requestor (division, bureau, office, individual, as appropriate):

Department of Elder Affairs; Cari Eyre, Deputy Secretary and Dementia Director

Performance and/or Design Requirements (intended use, function or application, compatibility, requirements; reference to policy, rule, statute or other act of the Legislature, as appropriate):

Performance and Design Requirements for Dementia Care Navigation Program

1. Intended Use and Program Purpose

2. Evidence-Based Care Model Requirements

3. Care Navigation Services and Functional Capabilities The program must provide a comprehensive care navigation platform that includes:

3.1 Personalized Care Planning

3.2 Caregiver Engagement and Support

3.3 Resource Navigation

4. Technology Platform Requirements The program must include a customizable care navigation software platform with the following capabilities:

5. Data Collection and Outcome Monitoring The system must support comprehensive data collection and reporting to evaluate program effectiveness.

Required capabilities include:

6. Caregiver Registry and Longitudinal Data Tracking

7. Research and Program Evaluation Support

8. Scalability and Adaptability The program must demonstrate the ability to scale to meet increasing demand within the state of Florida.

Required capabilities include:

9. Integration with Community and Provider Networks The program must support collaboration with local healthcare and community partners.

Required elements include:

10. Performance Outcomes and Impact Indicators The program should demonstrate the ability to achieve measurable outcomes, including:

11. Alignment with Department Goals The program must support the objectives of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Florida Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, including:

Intended Single Source:

NAN Navigator, Inc.

3801 Avalon Park E. Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32828 https://nanforcaregivers.com

Patricia Allman, NAN Chief Executive Officer (main point of contact) 301-213-7006 pallman@nanforcaregivers.com

Rosemary Laird, MD, NAN Chief Medical Officer 321-261-1314 rlaird@nanforcaregivers.com

Price:

$538,461

Justification for Single Source Purchase (what is necessary and unique about the commodity, contractual service, or source; steps taken to confirm unavailability of competition, as appropriate):

The NAN program is rooted in the Laird Model of Care, which has consistently demonstrated extraordinary success in improving both the medical and emotional outcomes for people living with dementia. The model is supported by data that reflects significant reductions in caregiver burden, emergency room visits, and healthcare costs. Specifically, Dr. Laird’s program has shown the following outcomes:

These outcomes provide irrefutable evidence that NAN Navigator’s approach to Care Navigation improves both the health and wellbeing of the PLWD and their caregivers, making it the ideal partner for FACE.

Tailored and Scalable Support:

The NAN Navigator tool offers a bespoke software platform that is capable of continuous customization, ensuring that it can be specifically adapted to meet the unique needs of the FACE program. This personalized platform is not only tailored to track critical data related to the PLWD and their caregivers, but it also allows monitoring of health indicators, emotional health, and social outcomes. The software can scale with the growing needs of the FACE program, ensuring that as more individuals are supported, the system can adjust seamlessly.

Furthermore, the NAN Navigator system supports caregiver engagement through a robust platform that includes:

Unique Data and Research Opportunities:

One of the standout features of the NAN Navigator program is its Caregiver Registry. This unique tool tracks data on both caregivers and persons living with dementia over the course of a year, capturing outcomes before, during, and after interventions. The registry provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of specific care strategies, helping to reduce caregiver burnout and improve care quality for individuals with dementia.

In addition to enhancing program outcomes, the NAN Navigator registry will be leveraged for a joint research initiative with an insurance provider to assess health outcomes, healthcare costs, and potential savings from Care Navigation services. This partnership promises to generate further evidence supporting the efficacy of the NAN Navigator model. This research initiative began in 2024. Due to the proprietary nature of the software, there are no other Care Navigation platforms that can continue to analyze this program’s success.

Local Partnership and Community Investment:

The NAN Navigator program also offers the potential for scalability and local community engagement through its partnership with Florida-based external care providers. NAN Navigator works with local clinics, health systems, and care providers to introduce a Care Navigation model that maximizes existing resources at the local community level. This collaboration will help train and coach DOEA’s FACE Care Navigators, ensuring that the model is adaptable and scalable within Florida’s senior care network.

Alignment with DOEA and FACE Goals:

The proposed contract aligns seamlessly with the goals of FACE and DOEA by enhancing the care and support provided to individuals on the ADI waitlist, as well as supporting family caregivers in a holistic and personalized manner. The following benefits of the NAN Navigator partnership further demonstrate how it aligns with the objectives of FACE:

Hospital Admissions (24 hours +)

Falls

Source: Laird, R., Abrevaya, J., “Virtual support for family caregivers to reduce hospitalization and fall risk in people with Alzheimer’s disease”, Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, July 28-August 1, 2024, https://alz.confex.com/alz/2024/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/94318

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA), through the Florida Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence (FACE), requires advanced Care Navigation services to support persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their family caregivers, particularly those on the Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative (ADI) waitlist whose needs exceed the capacity of current resources. NAN Navigator is uniquely qualified to provide these services due to its proprietary software platform, evidence-based Laird Model of Care, and the specialized expertise of its founder, Dr. Rosemary Laird, a recognized leader in geriatrics and Alzheimer’s care in Florida. The NAN Navigator system delivers comprehensive, personalized care navigation that integrates risk assessments, individualized care planning, caregiver education, and ongoing engagement while capturing outcome data through a proprietary caregiver registry that tracks medical, emotional, and social indicators. Documented program outcomes demonstrate significant reductions in caregiver burden, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, falls, and overall healthcare costs for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. While other care navigation platforms exist in the marketplace, DOEA is not aware of any providers that combine Dr. Laird’s clinical model, the proprietary technology platform, the established caregiver registry supporting ongoing research initiatives, and the demonstrated outcomes associated with this approach.

As part of due diligence, the Department’s Alzheimer’s and Brain Health team has conducted extensive market research by attending national industry conferences, meeting with commercial care navigation service providers, and reviewing conference presentations highlighting care navigation models implemented in other states. The team has also reviewed available industry research, publications, and white papers related to dementia care navigation platforms and outcomes. Based on this review and engagement with the broader care navigation marketplace, the Department determined that no alternative vendor offers the same integrated clinical model, proprietary data infrastructure, ongoing research continuity, and demonstrated outcomes. For these reasons, NAN Navigator represents the only source capable of delivering the specialized, scalable, and evidence-based care navigation services required to support the FACE program and improve outcomes for Florida families affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Approved By (names & titles, as appropriate, e.g., requestor, requestor management, information systems, budget, purchasing):

In conclusion, NANCares offers a comprehensive, evidence-based solution that meets the specific needs of persons living with dementia and their caregivers. The bespoke nature of NANCares’ software, combined with Dr. Laird’s unparalleled expertise in geriatrics, makes it the only viable partner capable of supporting the goals of the Florida Alzheimer's Center of Excellence and the Department of Elder Affairs. The program’s proven outcomes, scalable nature, and ability to integrate with existing systems provide the optimal foundation for improving dementia care across Florida.

Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section 120.57(3), Florida Statutes, or failure to file a bond or other security within the time allowed for filing a bond, shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes. Protests may be filed with the agency by:

Mail:

Email: solicitations@elderaffairs.org

Fax:

PUR 7778 (Revised 07/2022) Page 2 of 2 Incorporated by Reference: Rule 60A-1.045, F.A.C.