SOLE SOURCE Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program-DM

This opportunity is a sole source contract award by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) to manage the federal Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (FLEX) grant program in the state of Illinois. The FLEX program supports small rural hospitals in achieving Critical Access Hospital (CAH) certification, improving operations and services, and supporting rural emergency medical services. ICAHN has managed this grant program for over 15 years and is the sole source in Illinois for the required Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) certification and CAH designation process. The contract term is from September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021, with the possibility of up to four non-competitive renewals. The total contract value is $803,071, which will be used for grant administration, quality improvement activities, financial assistance, population health initiatives, EMS support, and innovation projects that directly benefit the CAHs in Illinois.

This appears to be a sole source contract award, as ICAHN is the only organization in Illinois with the required expertise and experience to manage the FLEX program and provide the necessary technical assistance to the CAHs. The hearing for this sole source award will be canceled unless an interested party submits written comments or makes a written request for a public hearing by June 5, 2020. There is no information provided on any set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond. Additionally, no incumbent vendors or current contractors are listed, and the documentation does not mention any existing infrastructure or technology that requires integration.