SOPSCHK27003

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is seeking proposals through Request for Proposal SOPSCHK27003 to procure on-call psychiatric coverage services for the Cherokee Mental Health Institute, a 36-bed acute psychiatric facility in Cherokee, Iowa. The procurement requires a qualified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant to provide on-call week night coverage from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday and weekend coverage from 4:30 p.m. Friday through 8:00 a.m. Monday, with potential coverage during state-paid holidays. Prospective contractors must maintain current Iowa licensure and demonstrate at least one year of psychiatric training or experience. Key performance requirements include responding to phone calls within five minutes 98 percent of the time, arriving on-site within twenty minutes of notification 98 percent of the time, and completing required patient rounds 100 percent of mandated days. The contractor bears responsibility for all operational expenses, including providing their own communication device, and must maintain professional liability insurance with a minimum of $2 million aggregate coverage, while the Agency will provide a private room and bathroom access during scheduled on-call periods. Evaluation criteria consist of approach to meeting deliverables (375 points), experience and references (175 points), personnel qualifications (50 points), and cost proposal (400 points), totaling 1,000 possible points. The procurement timeline includes a letter of intent deadline of April 1, 2026; written questions due by April 8, 2026; agency responses by April 14, 2026; proposal submissions due by April 29, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.; anticipated Notice of Intent to Award on May 13, 2026; contract execution by June 30, 2026; and service commencement on July 1, 2026.

The Agency has established an annual maximum budget of $50,000 per contract year, with compensation provided at separate hourly rates for on-call availability and on-duty services, including differentiated rates for standard and holiday periods. The initial contract term is one year with the option for five additional one-year extensions at the Agency's sole discretion, resulting in a potential six-year total contract period. No minimum compensation is guaranteed, and the contract is not exclusive, meaning the Agency reserves the right to make multiple awards under this solicitation if deemed in the best interest of the Agency. The RFP does not indicate set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular types of organizations, disadvantaged enterprises, or minority-owned businesses. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available procurement documentation, nor are specific existing infrastructure or technology requirements mentioned that would necessitate integration with contractor-provided services.