Hospice Services

Walworth County, Wisconsin, issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for hospice services to be provided to residents of Lakeland Health Care Center, a 120-bed skilled nursing facility. The procurement seeks qualified hospice agencies to deliver comprehensive end-of-life care services, including physician care, registered nursing, medical and social services, counseling, medical supplies, appliances, and pharmaceutical support for terminally ill patients with a life expectancy of six months or less. Vendors must demonstrate a minimum of three years of verifiable hospice industry experience, possess appropriate state licensing and federal certification, and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including $1,000,000 professional liability and $1,000,000 commercial general liability. The RFP required vendors to comply with HIPAA regulations and Wisconsin confidentiality laws, with all personnel subject to background checks by the Walworth County Sheriff's Office. Key deadlines included a July 26, 2017, deadline for questions and a proposal submission deadline of August 9, 2017, at 1:00 p.m., with an anticipated contract start date of October 1, 2017. The contract was structured with an initial one-year term and four optional one-year renewal periods available under mutual agreement. Proposal evaluations would focus on responsiveness, vendor qualifications, references, questionnaire responses, and demonstrated ability to meet hospice care requirements and quality assurance standards.

The RFP did not specify specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Seven hospice providers submitted proposals, including Agrace HospiceCare Inc, Allay Home & Hospice Inc, Mercy Assisted Care Inc, Odyssey HealthCare Operating B LP (Kindred Hospice), Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care of Wisconsin Inc, St Croix Hospice, and Visiting Nurse Association of WI Inc (Aurora at Home). Prior contract holders included Aurora, Seasons, and St. Croix Hospice. Odyssey HealthCare noted an exception regarding Medicare certification requirements, specifically the need to execute a skilled nursing facility agreement with CMS-required language. Walworth County reserved the right to award the contract to a single vendor or split awards among multiple vendors based on lowest cost and vendor responsibility. While specific award values were not explicitly stated, the contract would cover comprehensive hospice services for residents of Lakeland Health Care Center. Vendors were required to provide pricing that included all outlined services without additional charges, with pricing to remain firm for the entire contract term.