RFP 26/0004 - Inpatient Psychiatric Services for Harris Health

Harris Health System is issuing Request for Proposal 26/0004 for the procurement of Inpatient Psychiatric Services for adult and adolescent patients in Harris County, Texas. The solicitation seeks qualified vendors to provide inpatient behavioral health services beginning July 1, 2026, for an initial twelve-month term with four optional one-year renewal periods. The primary objective is to ensure timely access to inpatient psychiatric care for eligible Harris Health patients when Harris Health facilities lack capacity while maintaining compliance with state and federal healthcare regulations. Vendors must dedicate 25 beds available 24/7 to Harris Health transfers and provide all-inclusive pricing on a per-bed-day basis for an estimated annual quantity of 6,432 bed days, with pricing subject only to annual adjustments capped at the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. Key qualifications include Texas psychiatric facility licensure, board-certified or board-eligible psychiatrists with active Texas licensure, active Texas licensure for all nursing and clinical staff in accordance with CMS Conditions of Participation, and 24/7 service availability including holidays. Additional requirements include maintaining professional liability insurance of $5,000,000 per claim, general liability insurance of $5,000,000 per claim, and cyber liability insurance of $2,000,000 per occurrence; achieving 90% transfer acceptance within four hours and 99% bed availability; and full compliance with EMTALA, HIPAA, HITECH, and Texas healthcare regulations. Services must be provided exclusively within Harris County and surrounding areas with no direct patient billing permitted. The evaluation committee will assess proposals based on qualifications (30%), solution approach (40%), and pricing (30%). A mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for January 26, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time via Microsoft Teams, with written questions due by January 28, 2026. Proposals must be submitted through the Bonfire platform no later than February 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time, with vendor selection anticipated for March 8, 2026, and contract execution expected by May 2, 2026.

Vendors must comply with Harris Health's Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) utilization policies, and failure to meet published utilization goals may result in proposal rejection. All prospective vendors must be certified as not excluded from federal health care programs by the General Services Administration and the HHS/OIG and must immediately report any principals who become excluded during the contract term. Vendors must certify their Texas residency status under Texas Government Code Section 2252.001 and disclose all taxable property owned in Harris County and any debts owed to Harris County; vendors owning delinquent taxes to Harris County or indebted to Harris Health are ineligible for award. Subcontractors must be identified on the Subcontractor Listing Form prior to contract award, and Harris County reserves the right to reject proposed subcontractors on any reasonable basis. The current contract supports non-funded and uninsured patients meeting Harris Health's eligibility criteria, with 688 patients transferred to vendor facilities during fiscal year 2025, indicating established demand for services. The estimated contract budget is approximately $5,000,000, subject to availability of funding, with pricing quoted as a flat daily rate per patient per bed inclusive of all costs associated with inpatient psychiatric services and setup fees.