Delaware Health And Social Services DIVISION OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES PROCUREMENT DATE: June 18, 2009 PSC#868 CLINIC AND LONG TERM CARE FACILITY LABORATORY SERVICES FOR DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH Date Due: July 30, 2009 11:00 AM ADDENDUM # 1 Please Note: THE ATTACHED SHEETS HEREBY BECOME A PART OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED BID. ___________________________ SANDRA S. SKELLEY, CPPO PROCUREMENT ADMINISTRATOR (302)255-9291 _____________________________ ARMOND MARTIN (302) 744-4780 Clinic and Long Term Care Facility Laboratory Services RFP – PSCO-868 (Questions and Answers) Pre-bid Meeting June 18, 2009 1. What are the hours necessary for phlebotomist at the Long Term Care facilities? Answer: The hours would be 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and PRN for stats 2. Please clarify the phlebotomy requirements for the Clinics. Answer: None needed for Northern Health Services and Southern Health Services, but is needed for the School-Based Wellness Centers. 3. Is the Lead test the only test that needs to be sent to the Public Health? Answer: Yes, blood lead needs to be sent to PH Lab for analysis. 4. Please clarify the training for ICD-9/ICD-10. Answer: Not aware that this is part of the RFP and therefore does not need to be addressed. 5. Since DHIN is scheduled to go live on June 17th 2009, and since DHIN is a state initiative, will the contract accommodate for this change or allow providers to choose which delivery system is the most cost effective? Answer: DHIN is not addressed in the RFP and will not be part of the contract. See RFP. The following questions, 6 – 10, are not pertinent to this RFP. The Division of Public Health has determined that this is the way in which this RFP is to be released. 6. Why does the State continue to refuse to separate Clinical Pathology (CP) and Anatomical Pathology (AP) for purposes of this proposal (PSCO-868)? Has the State considered separating AP and CP and is so, what are the reasons for not separating them? 7. What, if any, cost benefit is achieved by combining CP and AP in the same proposal? Are there studies available to view if they have been used? 8. If any cost benefit is achieved by combining CP and AP, what is the basis and source for such cost benefit and what alternatives, if any, were considered or evaluated? 9. How does the combination of CP and AP in one proposal serve your stated goals of providing positive health for Delaware residents and to provide cost effective, timely, and reliable test results? 10. What, if any, advantage accrues to the State of Delaware and/or Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS) by combining CP and AP? 11. Was a notice of award given for the previous RFP (PSCO-826)? Answer: All bidders were notified of the results of the evaluation of the proposals received for RFP PSCO 826. One bidder received a letter stating our intent to enter into contract negotiations with that bidder. It was not a notice of award. 12. Why was the previous RFP (PSCO-826) not awarded? Answer: During contract negotiations, we could not come to satisfactory terms with that bidder and none of the other bidders were deemed acceptable. 13. If a notice of award was given for the previous RFP (PSCO-826), why was the successful bidder released from its obligations under the said RFP? Answer: As previously stated, the contract was not awarded. We were negotiating with a bidder and those negotiations did not result in a contract award. 14. Was there a next most responsible bidder for the previous RFP (PSCO-826)? If so, why was the contract not awarded to the next most responsible bidder? Answer: No, there was not a next most responsible bidder. 15. a. If there was not a next successful bidder for the previous contract (PSCO-826), what was the basis for the determination that there was no next successful bidder? Answer: The determination was based on the evaluation of the bid proposals received for RFP PSCO 826. b. Why were other bidders (or the next responsible bidder) for PSCO-826 not contacted to fill the contract? Answer: Based on the evaluation of the bid proposals received, the other bidders were deemed not acceptable. 16. Why were bidders not present at the previous pre-bid meeting (for PSCO-826), given an opportunity to bid on the current proposal (PSCO-868). Answer: This bid, PSCO 868, is open to any interested party. 17. Did any communications occur between DHSS and any bidder or potential bidder between the time PSCO-826 was rescinded or otherwise terminated and the issuance of PSCO-868? Answer: Only communication necessary for the provision of services provided by the current contractor. 18. Given the current economic conditions both within the state budget, and the national economic climate, will more weight be given to bidders that can achieve very low cost bids? Answer: As you can see from the evaluation criteria stated in RFP PSCO 868, cost is a factor but it is not the only factor. All of the evaluation criteria will be taken into account in choosing a bidder to enter into negotiations with. 19. Will the state consider Delaware-based laboratory services as a priority given that they pay Delaware taxes and contribute more so than a non-Delaware based lab? Answer: There is no priority given to Delaware based labs, just as there is no penalty given for labs based out of state in our evaluation process. It will be our opinion, based on evaluation of the proposals received, of which bidder can provide the services we need in the best manner who will be selected to enter into negotiations. 20. Who is the DAG for the Division? Answer: The determination of the need for any bidder to contact the Deputy Attorney General assigned to the Division of Public Health for any matter related to this RFP, will be made by the Division of Public Health. If determined to be necessary, the name and contact information will be provided at that time. 21. Who is the decision maker regarding the combination of Clinical Pathology and Anatomical Pathology as stated in RFP PSCO 868? Answer: The RFP was written to best reflect our needs for the services we are asking to be provided. The ultimate decision maker concerning why we asked for these services to be provided in this manner is our Division Director, Dr. Karyl Rattay.