Two states have issued RFPs to find qualified vendors to manage and operate healthcare services for their state Departments of Corrections. Both RFPs include requirements for Electronic Health Records and telemedicine to efficiently deliver healthcare to inmates in the prison setting.
The North Carolina Department of Corrections on July 21, 2011 issued RFP (201100607) with will proposals accepted until May 16, 2012. Services are to be provided onsite but specialized services may be provided through agreements with area providers such as hospitals, clinics, medical specialties, and laboratories.
The North Carolina Department of Corrections would like to increase the number of inmates using telemedicine clinics presently held at two correctional facilities and expand these services to other prison facilities. The Department encourages the use and expansion of telemedicine to the extent possible if used without jeopardizing inmate health status and security.
Presently, telemedicine services are available in cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, ear, nose, and throat, gastroenterology, infectious disease, internal medicine, pulmonary, physical therapy, speech pathology, rheumatology, podiatry, sound management, and psychiatry.
The Unified Electronic Health Record System with a data integrated software application in the correctional facility must comply with the Reform Act to allow access to patient information at all North Carolina Department of Corrections facilities. The system needs to be able to integrate all clinical patient data plus any treatment data from any external providers. The system needs to support at a minimum 40,000 active patients dispersed over a minimum of 70 geographic locations.
For more information, contact Mildred Christmas, Division of Purchase and Contract at mildred.christmas@doa.nc.gov or call (919) 807-4525. To view the RFP, go to www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/AGENCY/PDF/08403200.pdf.
The state of Maryland on July 8, 2011 issued a Request for Proposals for Inmate Medical Healthcare and Utilization Services RFP (DPSCSQ0012013) to be delivered September 7, 2011.
Telemedicine has priority for inmates located in the western and eastern parts of the state. The contractor will need to continue to maintain the Department’s Hepatitis Tele-medical program as required by the department’s infectious disease manual. Telemedicine specialty care will need to be available within the first 6 months of the contract award for cardiology, wound care orthopedic optometry, dermatology, and for trauma care. The contractor will need to maintain the electronic log documenting the use of telemedicine.
Presently, the EHR system known as NextGen maintains demographics notes, outside consults, dialysis flow sheets, obstetrical prenatal flow shees, and data on specialty care, diabetics, cardiology patients, and patients with infectious diseases.
For more information, contact Andrea R. Lockett at alockett@dbm.state.md.us or call (410) 260-7374. To view the RFP, go to www.dbm.maryland.gov/agencies/procurement/Pages/InamteMedHealthCare.aspx.
