Dietician - Glasgow State Nursing Facility (C2682)

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, issued Request for Proposal (RFP) 729 to procure part-time dietician services for Glasgow State Nursing Facility (GSNF), a 100-bed licensed nursing facility located in Glasgow, Kentucky. The solicitation sought qualified individuals or organizations to provide clinical dietary services to facility patients with special dietary needs, with an anticipated workload of 12 to 15 hours per week (approximately 700 to 800 hours annually) scheduled Monday through Friday between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM Central Standard Time on campus unless otherwise authorized. Qualified applicants must hold a current Kentucky state license as a dietician, possess a bachelor's degree or higher in nutrition or dietetics from a regionally accredited institution, maintain current membership with the American Dietetic Association, and demonstrate a minimum of three years of professional experience. The proposal evaluation consisted of a technical proposal worth 900 points that required documentation of credentials, malpractice and professional liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $3,000,000 annually, three professional references, and proof of criminal clearance, tuberculosis testing, drug screening, and OIG LEIE checks; a cost proposal worth 550 points requiring submission of an all-inclusive hourly rate with no travel reimbursement permitted; and potential oral presentations valued at up to 200 points. The solicitation closed on March 31, 2021, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, with no bidders conference held. The initial contract term was scheduled to run from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, with renewal options for up to two additional two-year periods subject to Secretary and Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee approval.

The solicitation documents do not indicate any specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting participation to particular organization types; however, the contract required the contractor to assume full responsibility for all employee-related costs including salary, benefits, tax withholding, worker's compensation insurance, orientation training, interviews, and relocation expenses, as well as obtaining and maintaining all required professional liability insurance independent of the procuring agency. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the available solicitation materials. The contract was funded 100 percent with agency funds and was contingent upon available funding and legislative approval; no specific contract award value or budget range was disclosed in the procurement documents, though the estimated 800 hours did not guarantee actual hours, which could fall below or above this projection. Invoices were required to be submitted within 30 days of service completion, referencing the PON2 number and hours worked multiplied by the hourly rate. All individuals providing services were required to undergo criminal background checks, tuberculosis testing, a 10-panel drug screen including oxycodone, and FBI/state fingerprint checks through the Kentucky Applicant Registry and Employment Screening (KARES) program. Submission of all proposal documents was required through the MOVEit TRANSFER secure file transfer system at https://ftp.ky.gov using provided credentials.