Dental assistant services

The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDOC) issued a fixed-price bid solicitation for Dental Assistant Services across 21 correctional facilities and the Health Services Mental & Behavioral Health office. The procurement seeks to establish a Qualified Provider List (QPL) of staffing vendors capable of supplying licensed dental assistants who meet stringent professional requirements. All dental assistants must be licensed in South Carolina, pass equivalent background checks to SCDOC employees, maintain current CPR certification, and successfully complete tuberculosis testing and sexual abuse/neglect screenings. The solicitation was released with bids due on December 14, 2021, at 10:00 AM, with initial award notification scheduled for December 17, 2021. The contract term is structured for one year with four optional one-year renewal periods, creating a potential maximum contract duration of five years. The maximum hourly rate for dental assistants is set at $25.50 per hour, with bids exceeding this rate subject to automatic rejection. Vendors must register with the State of South Carolina and obtain a vendor number prior to submission.

Six vendors were ultimately selected for the contract: Global Empire, LLC, MedFirst Staffing, LLC, Health Advocates Network, Inc., On Call Staffing, LLC, Hire Power Recruits, LLC, and R.L. Klein & Associates. The total maximum award for the contract's entire lifecycle shall not exceed $530,400.00, with the initial contract amount totaling $106,080.00. R.L. Klein & Associates submitted the lowest bid at $24.95 per hour. No specific set-aside designations or preferences were mentioned in the solicitation. The contract allows for multiple awards and placement on the QPL, though inclusion does not guarantee any minimum work volume. Contractors remain responsible for all payroll withholding, taxes, workers' compensation insurance, and personnel administration. Payment will be processed electronically within 30 days of service provision, contingent upon detailed invoices documenting employee names, dates, hours worked, and applicable rates.