RFI No. 3773 Hospital at Home WEBS 09-12-2024.docx

9/12/2024

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

RFI No. 3773

SERVICE:

Acute Hospital at Home Care

ISSUED BY:

UW Medicine Supply Chain Seattle, WA.

ON BEHALF OF:

Harborview Medical Center University of Washington Medical Center Valley Medical Center

RESPONSE DUE DATE:

October 1, 2024, 12:00PM Pacific Time

CONTENTS OF THE REQUEST FOR RFI:

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION

SECTION 2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR SUPPLIERS

SECTION 3. RESPONSE FORMAT

SECTION 4. RESPONSE SPECIFICATIONS

ATTACHMENT A. RESPONSE CERTIFICATION

SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (“RFI”) ONLY.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) or a promise to issue an RFP, or any other type of solicitation, in the future. This RFI does not commit UW Medicine Supply Chain (“UWMSC”) to contract for any product or service. Further, UW Medicine is not seeking proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Supplier responses to this RFI will also be used to ensure any future competitive solicitations in this area reflect the general product or service capabilities available on the market.

Suppliers are advised that UW Medicine will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will solely be at responding Supplier(s) expense.

Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future UW Medicine competitive solicitation, should one be issued. If a formal competitive solicitation is released, it will be posted on the Department of Enterprise Services (“DES”) Washington Electronic Business Solution (“WEBS”) Procurement Website at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/. It is the responsibility of potential Suppliers interested in any future UW Medicine competitive solicitation to monitor WEBS for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

1.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF UW MEDICINE

The University of Washington (“UW”) is an institution of higher education and an agency of the State of Washington. UW Medicine is a comprehensive healthcare organization that includes three hospitals, primary and specialty clinics, the UW School of Medicine, a large physician practice plan and a critical care air transport service as follows: Harborview Medical Center and its associated clinics (“HMC”); Public Hospital District No. 1 dba Valley Medical Center and its associated clinics (“VMC”); the University of Washington Medical Center, operating at two separate campuses, Montlake and Northwest, and its associated clinics (“UWMC”); UW Physicians Network dba UW Neighborhood Clinics (“UWNC”); The Association of University Physicians dba UW Physicians (“UWP”); the University of Washington School of Medicine (“UW SoM”); and Airlift Northwest (“ALNW”).

UW Medicine’s mission is to improve the health of the public by advancing medical knowledge, providing outstanding primary and specialty care to the people of the region, and preparing tomorrow’s physicians, scientists and other health professionals. For further information on UW Medicine, please see www.uwmedicine.org.

UW Medicine Hospitals participating in this RFI #3773shall be as follows:

Harborview Medical Center University of Washington Medical Center Valley Medical Center

1.2 INFORMATION ABOUT UW MEDICINE HOSPITALS

University of Washington Medical Center has two campuses since Jan. 1, 2020, when Northwest Hospital & Medical Center became part of University of Washington Medical Center as a single hospital.

· UW Medical Center – Montlake (formerly University of Washington Medical Center) is a 529-bed comprehensive medical care facility. It is ranked as the top hospital in the state by U.S. News & World Report. Areas of specialization include cardiology, high-risk pregnancy and neonatal intensive care, oncology, orthopedics and organ transplantation. UW Medical Center – Montlake is one of the two major teaching hospitals for the UW School of Medicine and a site for significant clinical research.

· UW Medical Center – Northwest (formerly Northwest Hospital & Medical Center) is a 281-bed community hospital and Level I Stroke Center located in North Seattle. It provides inpatient, outpatient and emergency services. Areas of specialization include neurosciences, childbirth and women’s health, cardiac care, geropsychiatry, cancer care, orthopedics and sports medicine, palliative and supportive care, multiple sclerosis and hernia specialty centers.

Harborview Medical Center is a 413-bed safety-net hospital owned by King County and managed by UW Medicine. Harborview is the only Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center for Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. Other areas of specialization include burn care, eye disease, HIV/AIDS, limb viability and re-implantation, neurosciences, orthopedic rehabilitation and reconstruction, stroke care, and vascular conditions. Harborview is one of the two major teaching hospitals for the UW School of Medicine and a site for significant clinical research.

Valley Medical Center is a 321-bed acute care hospital and clinic network. It provides emergency, inpatient and outpatient care to more than 600,000 residents in Southeast King County. Areas of specialization include cancer treatment, childbirth and neonatal care, heart disease, joint replacement and orthopedics, neurosciences, sleep medicine, and stroke and spine care. Valley Medical Center operates a network of more than two dozen primary care, urgent care and specialty clinics and serves some of the most vulnerable members of the community through its extensive outreach programs.

1.3 BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

UW Medicine is comprised of 3 hospitals: UW Medical Center including its Montlake and Northwest campuses, Harborview Medical Center, and Valley Medical Center, and is in process of obtaining a CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCH) waiver for each hospital using its unique CMS Certification Number (CCN).

Following acquisition of the CMS AHCH waiver, UW Medicine will begin design and development of an AHCH program. The primary objective of this program is to increase inpatient capacity and access to UW Medicine’s specialized clinical services by providing inpatient, hospital-level care in eligible patient’s homes and/or an equivalent setting.

In addition, program goals include reducing avoidable hospital readmissions, lowering total cost of care, improving clinical outcomes, and increasing patient satisfaction.

UW Medicine will direct and oversee clinical care 24x7 using its own clinicians and staff in a centralized medical command center. However, nursing services and patient care outside of the command center will be the responsibility of the selected vendor. At a minimum, UW Medicine will insource specimen processing and resulting, and radiology and echo reads and interpretation. Sourcing of services and staff is expected to evolve and change over time based on institutional capabilities, goals and objectives.

The purpose of this Request for Information is to understand the experience, capabilities, and service model flexibility of Suppliers who could provide the services listed in section 1.4, in addition to the associated costs and timelines. This information will be used to determine whether to proceed with a Request for Proposals (RFP), and to provide insight into what the scope should be for that RFP.

1.4 SCOPE

UW Medicine is considering working with a Supplier who would provide:

· consultative services;

· assistance with AHCH program design and development;

· facilitation of clinical readiness (workflows, policies and procedures, operating and staffing model, etc.);

· training and simulations;

· in-home technology, tech support and remote patient monitoring functionality;

· medical command center development;

· logistics coordination and technology configuration;

· platform interface and integration; and

· overall program implementation and delivery of services required by CMS, including service providers for patient care.

1.5 DEFINITIONS

Definitions for the purposes of this RFI include:

Insource – The use of internal UW Medicine resources to provide a service.

RCW – Revised Code of Washington - All references to RCW chapters or sections shall include any successor, amended, or replacement statute.

Supplier -– Individual or company interested in the RFI who may or does submit a Response.

Response – Written Response submitted to UWMSC in accordance with the requirements of this RFI. The Response shall include all written material submitted by Supplier as of the date set forth in the RFI schedule or as further requested by UW Medicine.

RFI – Request for Information, and any amendments or revisions thereto. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) or a promise to issue an RFP, or any other type of solicitation, in the future. This RFI does not commit UWMSC to contract for any product or service.

RFI Coordinator – The person named in this RFI as the RFI Coordinator, or the RFI Coordinator’s designee within UWMSC. The RFI Coordinator shall be the sole point of contact within UW Medicine and the University of Washington (“UW”) regarding this RFI for potential Suppliers and other interested parties.

WEBS – Washington’s Electronic Business Solution is Washington State’s vendor self-registration and solicitation notification system UW Medicine encourages all Suppliers to register with WEBS at https://des.wa.gov/services/contracting-purchasing/doing-business-state/webs-registration-search-tips.

SECTION 2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR SUPPLIERS

2.1 RFI COORDINATOR

The RFI Coordinator is the sole point of contact in UWMSC for this procurement. All communication between the Supplier(s) and Supplier’s representative(s) and participating UW Medicine Hospitals upon release of this RFI shall be with the RFI Coordinator as follows:

2.2 RFI SCHEDULE – TENTATIVE

The RFI Schedule outlines the tentative schedule for important action dates and times. It is the Bidder’s sole responsibility to periodically check WEBS at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ for Amendments to this document.

RFI posted on WEBS

September 12, 2024

2.3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Supplier(s) must e-mail questions to the RFI Coordinator, listed in Section 2.1. Questions be submitted in writing via e-mail only until the date set forth in Section 2.2 RFI SCHEDULE – TENTATIVE.

Questions must cite the particular RFI No. and Section No. Early submission of questions is encouraged. Questions and answers will be posted by amendment on WEBS.

If Supplier did not receive this RFI through WEBS, it is available on the Department of Enterprise Services (“DES”), Washington Electronic Business Solution (“WEBS”) Procurement Website at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/. All interested proposers must be registered with WEBS under one or more of the following commodity codes in order to receive further notifications: 948-37.

Amendments(s) to this RFI may be issued to address questions raised during the inquiry period. Supplier(s) will be notified via email through the WEBS system that there is an amendment available for download once UW Medicine makes such document available.

Supplier(s) should consider the RFI Coordinator or designee as the only point of contact on all matters related to the procedures associated with this RFI. If additional information is needed from any source, the RFI Coordinator will work with the Supplier and the various specific UW Medicine Hospitals involved in this RFI to provide that information.

Unauthorized contact by Supplier(s), potential Supplier or Supplier’s representatives regarding this RFI with any other UW Medicine or University of Washington employee except the RFI Coordinator listed in Section 2.1 of this document, may result in Supplier’s disqualification.

2.4 RESPONSE SUBMISSION

The following shall apply to all RFI Responses:

2.4.1 The RFI Response must be sent via e-mail to the RFI Coordinator listed in Section 2.1 as a PDF formal attachment. Documents submitted as ZIP files will not be accepted. The PDF document must include all documents that require original signatures. This e-mail response must be submitted on or before the Response due date of this RFI as stated in Section 2.2 above, using the following format on the e-mail subject line.

2.4.2 If the Supplier does not follow the submission instructions stated in this section, UWMSC shall not be responsible for non-delivery of the Bidder’s e-mail.

2.4.3 To be considered responsive, Supplier must include all information requested in this RFI in their Response. RFI quotations that do not meet the requirements as stated in this section and in other sections of this RFI may be deemed non-responsive.

2.4.4 Late Responses will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. All Responses and any accompanying documentation will become the property of UWMSC and will not be returned.

2.4.5 In support of the University of Washington Policy on Environmental Stewardship, UWMSC is committed to promoting environmental and socially responsible actions. To assure compliance with these policies, all RFI Responses are to be presented simply and economically as follows:

2.4.5.1 Electronic Mail (E-mail) submission of PDF documents for any forms requiring Supplier signature(s). Documents submitted as ZIP files will not be accepted.

2.4.5.2 E-mail submission of any data shall be via Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

2.4.6 The Response must be signed by such individual(s) who have full authority from the Supplier to provide such information on behalf of the Supplier.

2.5 INTERPRETATION, CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES IN RFI

Should a Supplier find any discrepancies in, or omission from, the specification, or have doubt as to their meaning, the Supplier shall notify the RFI Coordinator in writing at once, and in any case no later than the last day to submit written questions.

All amendments issued shall be incorporated into the RFI. UW Medicine Hospitals shall not be responsible for or bound by any oral interpretations.

Any interpretation, correction or change in the RFI will be made by formal amendment by UWMSC RFI Coordinator and posted on WEBS. Interpretations, corrections, or changes to the RFI allegedly made in any other manner will not be binding, and no Supplier may rely upon any such interpretation, correction or change.

2.6 MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSES

A Supplier may withdraw a Response or modify same at any time prior to the specified time and date set for the RFI closing. Such a request for modification or withdrawal must be in writing executed by a person with authority as set forth under paragraph 2.3.6 above, or by electronic notice subsequently confirmed in writing.

No oral, telephone, or facsimile (“FAX”) Responses or modifications to the Responses will be accepted. Responses marked “CONFIDENTIAL” will be rejected in their entirety. Strikethroughs, interlineations, or other changes in the Response must be initialed by the person(s) signing the Response.

2.7 ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS OF RFI

Receipt of all addendums/amendments to this RFI must be acknowledged by the Supplier on the Response Certification, Attachment A.

2.8 REJECTION OF RESPONSES

All Responses will be reviewed by the RFI Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFI.

2.9 PREPARATION COST

UWMSC will not be liable for any costs associated with preparation and presentation of a Response submitted in response to this RFI.

2.10 RESPONSE CONFIDENTIALITY

It is the intent to receive a Response to this RFI, at the time and place designated in Section 2.2. At that time, only the names of the Suppliers will be released.

Each Supplier, as an expressed condition for UW Medicine’s consideration of such Response, agrees that all Responses received, with the exception of items therein which are public information shall remain confidential. All documents submitted as part of this RFI process must be considered part of the public record as defined in Chapter 42.56 RCW and shall be available for any party upon request. Any information in the Response that the Supplier desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for the non-disclosure of the Supplier’s document must be clearly designated. The information must be clearly identified and the particular exemption from disclosure upon which the Supplier is making the claim must be cited. Each page containing the information claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified by the words “Proprietary Information” printed on the lower right-hand corner of the page.

Marking of the entire Response as “PROPRIETARY” will be neither accepted nor honored.

Washington State Law RCW 42.17.310(h) allows an exemption from public disclosure for materials that contain “valuable formulae, designs, drawings, and research data when disclosure would produce private gain and public loss.” This is the only exemption granted by law that might apply to this acquisition; however, please be advised that Supplier’s will need to demonstrate that disclosure of their materials would produce both private gain and public loss.

If a request is made to view a Supplier’s Response, UWMSC will release the requested information. Prior to release, the University of Washington (“UW”) Office of Public Records will provide notice to Supplier(s) of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the requester unless Supplier obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If Supplier fails to obtain a court order enjoining disclosure, UW Office of Public Records will release the information on the date specified.

2.11 SUPPLIER PRESENTATIONS

UW Medicine may request Suppliers to provide a presentation of some of the requirements in this RFI. All costs associated with such presentation will be borne by the Supplier(s). Promotional material or items shall not be provided at this presentation.

SECTION 3 – RESPONSE FORMAT

Responses are to be straightforward, clear, concise and specific to the information requested. In order for submissions to be considered complete, Suppliers must provide the following information;

SECTION 4 - RESPONSE SPECIFICATIONS

4.1 GENERAL SUPPLIER INFORMATION

UW Medicine is requesting interested Suppliers to submit a Response containing at the minimum the following:

1) helping us launch an AHCH program and

2) meeting the requirements outlined in section 4.2 for one year following the launch?

For each AHCH service listed below, describe your offerings and indicate which model(s) fit your approach.

Each model indicates who would provide the named service in the patient's home (or to and from the patient's home for 4.1.18 – Patient Transportation).

As noted above, UW Medicine will insource specimen processing and resulting, and radiology and echo reads and interpretation.

UW Medicine

4.2 PROJECT OVERVIEW

• Pharmacy

• Infusion

• Respiratory care including oxygen delivery

• Diagnostics (e.g. labs, pathology, radiology)

• Monitoring with at least 2 sets of patient vitals daily

• Patient transportation

• Food services

• Durable Medical Equipment

• Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy

• Social work and care coordination

What applications do you use for your AHCH services, and how would patient data flow between your systems and ours?

ATTACHMENT A

RESPONSE CERTIFICATION

UW MEDICINE SUPPLY CHAIN

The undersigned, as proposer, declares that he/she has read the Request for Information and the following Response is submitted on the basis that the undersigned, the company and its employees or agents, shall meet, or agree to, all specifications contained therein. It is further acknowledged addenda numbers _____ to ____ have been received and were examined as part of the RFI document.

Name of Supplier

Authorized Supplier Signature

Title

Firm Name

Street Address

City, State, Zip

Telephone

E-mail Address

Federal Tax I.D. Number

RFI FINAL 12.09.16 Rev 3 UWMC Int. 01.10.2020 Page 1 of 10 image1.png