Addition 1

Posted: 1/29/2025

Type of Addition: Questions and Answers

Overview: Attached is an excel spreadsheet of questions and answers that were submitted.

Documents:

• RFP_04_25_Questions_and_answers.xlsx

Addition 3

Posted: 2/26/2025

Type of Addition: Evaluations taking longer than expected

Overview: Evaluations taking longer than expected. New anticipated award date is April 28.

Question 1

Posted: 1/7/2025

Question: Hello! Are we able to submit the rate as an hourly rate with an estimation of monthly services, or does it have to be a flat rate per month?

Response: We would like an annual cost per nurse cost, broken down to an hourly rate, as well as the expected total cost for the annual contract.

Question 3

Posted: 1/7/2025

Question: Who are your incumbent vendors? Are they meeting your expectations? What was the 2023-2024 annual per nurse cost?

Response: The incumbent is the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. This RFP is not awarded to the lowest bid and is evaluated based on the criteria listed in the RFP.

Question 5

Posted: 1/13/2025

Question: Hello! The Scope of Services (pages 17-19) requests training staff and UAPs to provide tracheostomy care, diabetic care and other nursing procedures. If we are not able to provide those specific services, would the district accept that as an exception / deviation to the bid, or is that a requirement to bid?

Response: It is a requirement. Kentucky law allows for delegation to unlicensed personnel for care of students when a nurse is not present in the school - think illness of the nurse, lunch breaks, field trips, etc. This is a necessary piece of our health services to students and without it, we would be unable to cover student needs.

Question 7

Posted: 1/15/2025

Question: Can you please provide the current incumbent's bill rates?

Response: The current contract can be found in the December 2023 Regular Board Agenda

Question 9

Posted: 1/15/2025

Question: Can we provide rate ranges or is the district looking for a flat rate (i.e. $65-70 vs. $70)?

Response: It is far easier for us to budget using a flat rate. We have received proposals for rates for LPNs, RNs and Supervisory staff, which we would consider appropriate.

Question 11

Posted: 1/15/2025

Question: Will the issued PO be staff/ discipline specific or will it be a lump sum amount?

Response: We have historically issued a blanket purchase order, payable monthly. We receive a review of procedures, office visits and work completed. We will now be asking for a report indicating total time worked. This is to insure that our schools are covered.

Question 13

Posted: 1/15/2025

Question: What is the invoicing frequency? What are the time capture requirements? How do you receive your invoices?

Response: Invoicing frequency – monthly, we have no time capture requirements other than having a school covered during the day, we receive invoices via email.

Question 15

Posted: 1/15/2025

Question: Please clarify the reporting structure for Supervision of contract staff within the district?

Response: The contracts are managed by the Health Services Coordinator. Generally vendors provide a point person (who may be factored into the contract) to work through supervision issues.

Question 17

Posted: 1/15/2025

Question: Please clarify if the district or vendor provides any materials (i.e. medical supplies, assessments, protocols/scoring sheets, computers, printers, PPE, etc.).

Response: The District will provide all materials necessary in the first aid space. We keep a robust list of supplies, as well as computers, printer access, assessment sheets, protocols, etc. We do not currently supply blood pressure cuffs or stethoscopes.

Question 19

Posted: 1/15/2025

Question: Are we required to submit page 19 (COST PROPOSAL) with our proposal or are we allowed to utilize our own pricing format?

Response: For budgeting purposes we prefer a cost proposal.

Question 21

Posted: 1/15/2025

Question: How will the district handle situations where community feedback conflicts with the evaluation committee’s decision?

Response: Unable to answer at this time

Question 23

Posted: 1/17/2025

Question: 1. As per page 5 point 25 of the solicitation, can you please clarify if bond is required with the bid response and/or when the contract is awarded? 2. Does the district have a current policy/procedure/program in place for delegation? 3. Would you be open to staffing an RN supervisor? 4. Do you have a lead district RN? If so, would they partner with the contractor to act as a resource and oversee the delegation program? 5. Is the district health services coordinator a licensed nurse (that can help provide support)? 6. Is there a district specific orientation for contracted staff? 7. Are there pre-established monthly and annual audits? 8. Can you expand on what specific training would be requested or expected for transportation and child nutrition workers? 9. Will the district request/obtain access or account information for contracted staff to access state immunization registry? 10. Are the UAPs going to be district employees, contracted staff, or a combination of both? 11. Can you please provide any required and/or preferred qualifications for RN/LPN/UAP?

Response: 1. As per page 5 point 25 of the solicitation, can you please clarify if bond is required with the bid response and/or when the contract is awarded? Bonds are a requirement for construction projects. Health Providers are only required to provide liability insurance. 2. Does the district have a current policy/procedure/program in place for delegation? There is a Kentucky statute that allows for delegation of medication to UAP (Unlicensed Authorized Personnel), our District policies require each school to have at least one (preferably more) UAPs on staff, and the Kentucky Department of Education has provided all districts a program for delegation. 3. Would you be open to staffing an RN supervisor? Our current contractor provides a School Health Manager, as well as two school health team leads. 4. Do you have a lead district RN? Not at the current time. If so, would they partner with the contractor to act as a resource and oversee the delegation program? The Health Services Coordinator serves in that capacity. 5. Is the district health services coordinator a licensed nurse (that can help provide support)? Not at the current time, we do have an APRN in on staff supporting our Special Education Department who can be consulted 6. Is there a district specific orientation for contracted staff? Should the contract be awarded to a new vendor we would provide orientation. 7. Are there pre-established monthly and annual audits? Medication audits are conducted monthly in schools, and as this will be the first time the District has applied for Medicaid reimbursement, other audits will be conducted. 8. Can you expand on what specific training would be requested or expected for transportation and child nutrition workers? We generally cover emergency medications. Bus drivers will have training on all emergency meds – glucagon, epi pens and seizure medications. Child Nutrition workers get Epi Pen training. 9. Will the district request/obtain access or account information for contracted staff to access state immunization registry? Yes. 10. Are the UAPs going to be district employees, contracted staff, or a combination of both? UAPs must be district employees. 11. Can you please provide any required and/or preferred qualifications for RN/LPN/UAP? RNs and LPNs must have a current license in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, must be able to pass a criminal background check, and have some familiarity with pediatric nursing. UAPs are chosen by School Administrators, however if the nurse who is providing the training feels they are not comprehending the materials being taught, we can request a replacement. Most have been trained for years and understand their roles and responsibilities.

Question 25

Posted: 1/22/2025

Question: 1. Can you clarify what qualifications are expected of the offeror’s staff to supervise required tasks, particularly for specialized procedures like tracheostomy care? Are additional certifications or training required? 2. For students, performing self-catheterization, what level of supervision is expected? Is it a one-time training, or is there ongoing supervision throughout the process? 3. For UAPs, what are the expectations regarding the training of UAPs in performing tasks? Will there be ongoing training or refresher courses, and who will be responsible for these? 4. Are exceptions are permitted? If exceptions are permitted, should they be in the form of redlines to the General Terms & Condition or a supplemental document included with the offeror’s proposal? 5. Are there any specific reporting requirements (e.g. progress reports, performance metrics or compliance updates that the offer is expected to fulfill during the contract term? 6. Will there be any provisions regarding solicitation of the offeror’s staff during and after the contract term? If not, would the District be open to including such language to align expectations? 7. What are the payment terms for services provided under this contract (e.g. invoicing frequency, deadlines, late payment penalties). Will additional payment terms be provided upon award or should offerors propose terms in their responses?

Response: 1. Can you clarify what qualifications are expected of the offeror’s staff to supervise required tasks, particularly for specialized procedures like tracheostomy care? We generally have one on one nurses cover tracheostomy care, however we do ask the school nurse to be available if there are concerns, and for some reason the nurse is not there. Are additional certifications or training required? No. The school nurse is there to support a student’s health needs, students who have specialized medical needs are generally covered by our Exceptional Child nurse, who is on call to address major concerns. We do ask that the school nurse be the first line until the ECN can respond. 2. For students, performing self-catheterization, what level of supervision is expected? Is it a one-time training, or is there ongoing supervision throughout the process? We have very few students who are self-catheterizing, again the school nurse would be available to support the student should there be an issue. 3. For UAPs, what are the expectations regarding the training of UAPs in performing tasks? The main responsibility for a UAP is medication administration (daily medications). This has been ongoing for years, and a great number of our employees have been doing it for a long time. Will there be ongoing training or refresher courses, and who will be responsible for these? We are required to train new UAPs for a minimum of 2 hours, with a skills test at the end (prior to the nurse signing off). Employees who have been previously trained must get a passing score on a 50+ question exam, and do a hands on skills review/test with the nurse each year. If a staff member makes an error or seems not to know what they are doing, we do a refresher, and may not re-certify if the nurse is not comfortable with their skill level. 4. Are exceptions are permitted? What sort of exceptions? Exception for the contractor to not train? Exception for the UAP to not be certified? Not sure what is meant by this question, would you mind clarifying? If exceptions are permitted, should they be in the form of redlines to the General Terms & Condition or a supplemental document included with the offeror’s proposal? 5. Are there any specific reporting requirements (e.g. progress reports, performance metrics or compliance updates that the offer is expected to fulfill during the contract term? Generally, we receive a report outlining services that are performed (stomach aches, sore throats, medication administration, etc.). We will share a year end report with our Board to show what is being provided through the contract. We also require immunizations be entered into our system, and every effort made to get students to receive their required immunizations. That report is pulled from our student attendance software by the Kentucky Department of Public Health and Kentucky Department of Education – this serves as a compliance report. 6. Will there be any provisions regarding solicitation of the offeror’s staff during and after the contract term? If not, would the District be open to including such language to align expectations? Solicitation for what? Please clarify. 7. What are the payment terms for services provided under this contract (e.g. invoicing frequency, deadlines, late payment penalties). Will additional payment terms be provided upon award or should offerors propose terms in their responses? Generally, the contract is placed in the District’s budget as a lump sum, with the contractor issuing monthly invoices, invoices are generally paid within 30 days of the receipt of the invoice.

Question 27

Posted: 1/22/2025

Question: Regarding background checks. “If there is a break in service, a new background check must be completed.” Does this mean termination then rehire only or would an extend leave count? Regarding “EMR, etc.”, can you please clarify what other requirements you have specific to Electronic Medical Records by adding “etc.”? Under Background information Healthfirst Bluegrass is listed as having Health Clinics in 11 schools, but under the Scope of Work they are listed as having Health Clinics in 10 schools. Please clarify how many schools Healthfirst Bluegrass currently has Health Clinics in and how many Health Clinics they will have during the 25-26 school year. Lastly, will they no longer have a Health Clinic at Tates Creek elementary? Will the part-time (.5) nurse cover both Audrey Grevious Center and Family Care Center or are you requesting a part-time (.5) at each of the centers? Are you asking for a part-time (.5) nurse for each of the district programs or one part-time (0.5) to cover all of them: MLK, The Learning Center, The Stables, Locust Trace? Was Opportunity Middle College intentionally left off the RFP? If not, what are your expectation for nurse staffing? Will FCPS supply the hearing screening equipment at each school and has Fayette County selected certain grades for screening similar to vision screenings? When will trainings occur for nurses in reference to FCPS related trainings such as: orientation, infinite campus, stop-the-bleed, etc.? Will the school district bill Medicaid for all nursing services such as acute (sudden illnesses such as stomachache, headache, etc.) and chronic (Diabetes management, urinary catheters, etc.) health office visits or will the contractor be able to bill Medicaid for these types of services? With the opportunity for this RFP how might you adjust the current model to best align with your future vison for school health services? Can you share how the scoring grid for each category translates to the final score of 1000 points? For example, Criteria: Cost-Total contract, number of nurses, cost for additional nurses, staffing ratios. Is each item a set amount of points or are they weighted? Will every bidder be given the opportunity to interview and how much time is allocated for the interview? Will all schools follow the traditional school calendar?

Response: 1. Regarding background checks. “If there is a break in service, a new background check must be completed.” Does this mean termination then rehire only or would an extend leave count? A break in service would mean that they are no longer employed by the organization (they resigned or were let go). A leave would imply that the position was left open for the employee until they were able to return (medical leave, maternity leave, etc.). 2. Regarding “EMR, etc.”, can you please clarify what other requirements you have specific to Electronic Medical Records by adding “etc.”? It reads EMR, charting etc., which would indicate if the organization was familiar with use of Electronic Medical Records, paper charting or any other methods of record keeping 3. Under Background information Healthfirst Bluegrass is listed as having Health Clinics in 11 schools, but under the Scope of Work they are listed as having Health Clinics in 10 schools. Please clarify how many schools Healthfirst Bluegrass currently has Health Clinics in and how many Health Clinics they will have during the 25-26 school year. They currently have 10, but will be opening a new clinic in the new Henry Clay High School facility. There is currently discussion about placing a Healthfirst team at the facility prior to its opening, which could happen either during the 2025-26 school year or the 2026-27 school year. 4. Lastly, will they no longer have a Health Clinic at Tates Creek elementary? We are not aware of any plans to close the Clinic at Tates Creek Elementary, although it was inadvertently included in the list of schools. 5. Will the part-time (.5) nurse cover both Audrey Grevious Center and Family Care Center or are you requesting a part-time (.5) at each of the centers? A .5 nurse can cover both facilities. 6. Are you asking for a part-time (.5) nurse for each of the district programs or one part-time (0.5) to cover all of them: MLK, The Learning Center, The Stables, Locust Trace? We prefer a .5 for each of the facilities. 7. Was Opportunity Middle College intentionally left off the RFP? If not, what are your expectation for nurse staffing? Opportunity Middle College is housed in a non-FCPS facility, thus there is no office space for a nurse. We would ask that student’s vaccination records be recorded in Infinite Campus and a nurse be available for consultation if needed. 8. Will FCPS supply the hearing screening equipment at each school and has Fayette County selected certain grades for screening similar to vision screenings? We have generally been asked to provide equipment necessary for required screenings in our schools. 9. When will trainings occur for nurses in reference to FCPS related trainings such as: orientation, infinite campus, stop-the-bleed, etc.? We will conduct trainings during our Professional Learning period the week prior to the start of school. We will also be in communication with successful bidder(s) throughout the summer to insure we have everything in place to open for the 2025-26 school year. 10. Will the school district bill Medicaid for all nursing services such as acute (sudden illnesses such as stomachache, headache, etc.) and chronic (Diabetes management, urinary catheters, etc.) health office visits or will the contractor be able to bill Medicaid for these types of services? The school district currently bills for most all special education services, and we are exploring other options. 11. With the opportunity for this RFP how might you adjust the current model to best align with your future vison for school health services? There is no way to answer this question. We prefer a model will be flexible enough to address changes in the environment and market. 12. Can you share how the scoring grid for each category translates to the final score of 1000 points? For example, Criteria: Cost-Total contract, number of nurses, cost for additional nurses, staffing ratios. Is each item a set amount of points or are they weighted? We utilize both a subjective scoring system (interviews), as well as a weighted scoring system used by the Purchasing Department. 13. Will every bidder be given the opportunity to interview and how much time is allocated for the interview? That would depend on how many responses are received. If five or fewer, we will interview all. More than five, we would only interview the five vendors who score highest with their overall proposal (which would include the cost). 14. Will all schools follow the traditional school calendar? That is an instructional decision that has not yet been determined.

Question 29

Posted: 1/24/2025

Question: As per the Cost Proposal, could you please specify the job titles for which we are providing services and provide the monthly and annual hours for each job title? Additionally, should we include the pricing for all job titles combined in a single box?

Response: As per the Cost Proposal, could you please specify the job titles for which we are providing services and provide the monthly and annual hours for each job title? We are hiring full time in person nurses for our students. Additionally, should we include the pricing for all job titles combined in a single box? This contract will not cover job titles, so no. We just need a cost for a live body to cover our health rooms in a school.

Question 31

Posted: 1/24/2025

Question: Could you please specify which job titles we need to provide services for? Also, how many FTEs are required for each job title?

Response: Could you please specify which job titles we need to provide services for? Also, how many FTEs are required for each job title? This contract will not cover job titles

Question 33

Posted: 1/24/2025

Question: Kindly clarify exact cost format should we submit hourly bill rates for Regular, Holiday, Overtime, and Shift Preference separately, or is it required to provide a breakdown for each preference, including Pay Rate, Markup, and Bill Rate?

Response: Kindly clarify exact cost format should we submit hourly bill rates for Regular, Holiday, Overtime, and Shift Preference separately, or is it required to provide a breakdown for each preference, including Pay Rate, Markup, and Bill Rate? We are asking for rates based on annual cost per licensed nurse, a projected annual cost, and may ask for billing on a daily rate for the time the actual nurse is in the school.

Question 35

Posted: 1/24/2025

Question: Please provide the number of FTEs with respect to job titles working under the current contract.

Response: Please provide the number of FTEs with respect to job titles working under the current contract. As we are not covering job titles, there is no answer to this question.

Question 37

Posted: 1/24/2025

Question: Is there any preference to the local vendor while evaluating the proposal?

Response: Not necessarily

Question 39

Posted: 1/24/2025

Question: Is it required to present references exclusively from the education department where we have offered similar services, or is it acceptable to provide references from diverse environments or clients?

Response: . Is it required to present references exclusively from the education department where we have offered similar services, or is it acceptable to provide references from diverse environments or clients? It is your decision what references you provide.

Question 41

Posted: 1/24/2025

Question: Please provide the list of all the attachments & forms that are necessary to attach to the proposal.

Response: Please provide the list of all the attachments & forms that are necessary to attach to the proposal. You may attach forms and documents that you feel would benefit you in being awarded the contract.

Question 43

Posted: 1/24/2025

Question: What is the estimated budget for this RFP? If unknown, please specify previous spending.

Response: What is the estimated budget for this RFP? If unknown, please specify previous spending. The current contract is located on our website in the December 2023 Board Agenda.