On-Call Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is issuing a Request for Proposal to procure on-call psychiatric nurse practitioner or physician assistant services for the Cherokee Mental Health Institute, a 36-bed acute psychiatric hospital located in Cherokee, Iowa. The Agency intends to contract with a maximum of two qualified bidders to provide week night and weekend on-call coverage for psychiatric patients. Required qualifications include current Iowa licensure as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant with a minimum of one year of relevant psychiatric care experience. The contractor must maintain telephone availability during all scheduled on-call periods, respond to calls within five minutes, and arrive at the facility within twenty minutes when immediate medical or psychiatric attention is required. Additionally, the contractor must conduct daily in-person patient rounds for coverage periods of at least sixteen consecutive hours. Key deadlines include a letter of intent due February 3, 2026; written questions due February 10, 2026; proposal submission deadline of March 3, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Central Time; and announcement of the apparent successful bidder on March 24, 2026. The initial contract term begins July 1, 2026, for one year with the option to extend for five additional one-year terms at the Agency's discretion.

Compensation will be provided at separate hourly rates for on-call availability and on-duty services, with a maximum contract value of $300,000 across the full contract term ($50,000 per year). The cost proposal must include four distinct hourly rates: on-call standard rate, on-duty standard rate, on-call holiday rate, and on-duty holiday rate. The contractor must maintain professional liability insurance of $2 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, along with general liability, automobile liability, workers' compensation, and excess liability coverage. The Agency reserves the right to withhold 10 percent of invoices if performance measures are not met, with release upon return to compliance. The contractor is responsible for all costs associated with service delivery, including providing their own phone device for availability, though the Agency will provide accommodations including a private room, bed, linens, and bathroom facilities for optional use. No set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types have been identified, and no incumbent vendors or existing infrastructure integration requirements are specified in the available documentation.