REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
RFP: 002-13
ELDERLY SERVICES PROGRAM
HOME C ARE AS S IS T ANCE
Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio
175 Tri County Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
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Contents
Section One: General Information ... 3
Section Two: Service Specifications ... 12
Section Three: Proposal Requirements ... 21
Section Four: Proposal Evaluation ... 28
Appendix A: Required Forms ... 31
Appendix B: Required Documentation... 35
Appendix C: Emergency Preparedness Plan ... 37
Appendix D: Computer Hardware and System Requirements ... 39
Appendix E: General Terms & Conditions ... 41
Appendix F: ESP Service Provider Conditions of Participation ... 43
Appendix G: Sample Contract ... 68
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Section One - General Information
Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio (COA)
175 Tri County Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
is accepting proposals from qualified Bidders for the following Request For Proposal (RFP)
Request For Proposal Number Proposal Name
002-13 Elderly Services Program
Home Care Assistance Important Dates
Last Day to Submit Questions 1/10/14 @ 12pm EST
Last Day for COA to Answer Questions Submitted 1/17/14 @ 4pm EST
Proposal Due Date 1/24/2014 @ 12pm EST
Estimated Award Date 4/16/2014
Transition Period 5/16/2014 – 7/2/2014
Length of Contract 3 Years
Proposal Delivery
Each submission must have one (1) signed original, five (5) copies, and one (1) CD or flash drive containing an electronic version (*.doc or *.pdf). All bids must be received no later than NOON Eastern Standard Time on 1/24/2014. Bids may be submitted by hand, via delivery service, or via United States mail. The bidder is responsible for ensuring the bid arrives at COA’s office prior to the submission deadline. Bids must be sent to:
Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio Attn: Amy Hoh
175 Tri County Parkway Cincinnati, Ohio 45246
No late Bids will be accepted. COA is not responsible for and will not open or consider Bids arriving after the deadline because of missed delivery, improper address, insufficient postage, accident or any other cause. COA’s building is open from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday. All questions regarding the RFP must be put in writing and submitted to:
Only questions submitted in writing to this e-mail address will receive a response. All questions must be submitted by noon Eastern Standard Time on 1/10/2014. Responses will be posted on COA’s website at http://www.help4seniors.org/service-providers/application-and-rfps/.
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Background Information
Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio (COA) was established in Cincinnati in 1970 and was incorporated as a nonprofit agency in December 1971. In 1974, COA was designated by the Ohio Commission of Aging, now the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA), as the Area Agency on Aging for Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton and Warren counties. These five counties comprise Planning and Service Area Number 1 (referred to as PSA-1) in the State of Ohio.
As a part of COA's services, they provide Home Care Assistance (HCA) through the Elderly Services Program (ESP). HCA is a service designed to enable the elderly in our community to remain safely independent in their own homes by assisting them with their Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Activities covered under HCA are broadly covered under Homemaking, Personal Care, Companion, and Respite Care Services.
Historically, COA has purchased this service in the following manner: Established organizations interested in providing Home Care Assistance for ESP would submit a proposal to COA through an RFP process. If the organization met the RFP requirements, the organization was then required to evidence compliance with the ESP Conditions of Participation and Service Specifications. An organization meeting all requirements would then be awarded an Agreement/Contract to provide the service.
As a contracted Provider, the organization would be eligible to bid on referrals and receive awards to furnish HCA services to eligible ESP clients as referred by the client’s Care Manager.
COA has a history of procuring services in this manner for the Elderly Services Program since the inception of the program in Hamilton County in 1992. COA is the administrator of the Elderly Service Program in Butler, Clinton, Hamilton, and Warren Counties.
The goal of this RFP is to attract the highest quality Providers for the lowest cost who can meet the demand for services. This RFP will use the zones and buildings as identified in the demographics section below. There will be four zones in Butler County, six zones in Hamilton County, and two zones in Warren County. A variety of bidding options will be possible such as by geographic area (one zone, multiple zones, all zones) as well as by buildings. To further drive efficient use of public funds COA is looking to reduce administrative cost and as a result intend to reduce the number of HCA Providers. There is no commitment from COA on volumes due to the unknown nature of RFP responses. COA does expect savings as a result of increased volume.
Bidders receiving awards through this RFP process must agree to provide services in accordance with the Service Specifications and Conditions of Participation.
Please note:
• COA shall award contracts based on the review and evaluation of proposals.
• This is a competitive bid process and not all Bidders will be awarded contracts. A contract in the past does not guarantee a contract in response to this RFP.
Integrity of the Procurement Process
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permitted to have communication regarding this RFP with only the Provider Services Team for the duration of the procurement process ending when the RFP is awarded and contracted. Providers are strictly prohibited from having contact with Elected Officials, Boards or others who may have decision making authority regarding the funding for this program. A Provider that demonstrates the behaviors listed below at any time during the procurement process will be disqualified from submitting a proposal for the resulting service.
The list includes, but is not limited to, the following examples:
• Hiring a representative to lobby on your company’s or another company’s behalf • Third party communications
• Direct communication • Telephone calls • Emails • Facsimiles • Personal visits • Mail
Demographics
The following chart represents Home Care Assistance (HCA) clients served and units delivered for a full year ending 6/30/13. HCA combines Homemaking, Personal Care, Companion, and Respite services.
Butler County
Butler County ESP Zones: Home Care Assistance Service Delivery by Zone, 7/1/2012 - 6/30/2013
Zone ZIP Clients Served Delivered Units Unit Cost Average
BC West 45030 1 123 45053 7 441 45056 55 4,601 45064 2 31 45067 1 8 Zone Total 66 5,202 $22.88 BC Central 45011 316 24,088 45013 364 29,972 45055 1 154 45062 4 564 45063 3 27 Zone Total 688 54,805 $22.92 BC Northeast 45005 1 27 45036 2 252 45042 230 22,071
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45044 338 29,436 45050 32 2,471 45067 94 6,890 Zone Total 697 61,147 $23.12 BC Southeast 45014 261 20,127 45015 103 8,918 45069 166 12,124 45231 1 4 45241 37 2,761 45246 3 375 Zone Total 571 44,308 $22.41BCESP Grand Total
2,022 165,461
$22.86
Butler County ESP Buildings:
Zone Building Name Clients Served Delivered Units BC Northeast Mayfield Village 19 1,247
Trinity Manor 38 3,150
BC Southeast Bell Tower 27 2,535
BCESP Building-Based Total
84
6,932
Hamilton County
Hamilton County by Zone
Zone ZIP Clients Served Delivered Units Unit Cost Average
HC Zone 1- West 45001 9 399 45002 40 4,012 45030 95 11,039 45033 4 592 45041 4 401 45052 17 3,350 45211 209 22,026 45233 47 5,240 45238 220 21,827 45247 81 9,061
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45248 121 13,065 Zone Total 847 91,011 $21.18 HC Zone 2- Downtown 45202 35 2,814 45203 22 2,091 45204 17 1,419 45205 78 8,605 45206 98 12,792 45214 55 6,441 45219 36 4,553 Zone Total 341 38,714 $20.47 HC Zone 3- Central 45207 77 8,419 45212 79 6,838 45213 67 6,519 45216 55 4,779 45217 46 4,845 45220 85 9,045 45223 42 3,671 45224 152 14,517 45225 55 5,575 45229 139 16,071 45232 16 2,062 45237 239 24,144 45239 174 18,337 Zone Total 1,226 124,821 $20.49 HC Zone 4- North 45215 182 18,237 45218 14 1,603 45231 329 32,004 45240 125 12,997 45246 154 16,353 45251 89 6,994 45252 24 2,313 Zone Total 917 90,501 $20.34 HC Zone 5- Northeast 45140 50 5,049 45236 160 16,745 45241 48 5,551 45242 72 5,465 45249 17 1,914 Zone Total 347 34,725 $20.56Page | 8
HC Zone 6- Southeast 45111 1 133 45174 5 484 45208 29 2,502 45209 96 10,009 45226 13 637 45227 126 14,689 45230 149 12,999 45243 36 3,744 45244 29 3,672 45255 103 8,718 Zone Total 587 57,586 $20.62HCESP Grand Total
4,258 437,357
$20.55
Hamilton County ESP Buildings:
Zone Building Clients Served Delivered Units
HC Zone 1 - West Delhi Estates 28 2,107
Zone Total 28 2,107
HC Zone 2-
Downtown Senior Cheateau Stanley Rowe 19 20 2,029 2,060
Walnut Hills Apts 31 4,234
Zone Total 70 8,323
HC Zone 3- Central Booth Residence 30 4,018
Clifton Place Apts 45 4,109
Courtyard Apts 24 2,295
Evanston Apts 17 1,405
Hillcrest Elderly 29 2,696
Shiloh Adventist Gardens 27 2,548
The Carthaginian 18 1,531
Zone Total 190 18,602
HC Zone 4- North Affinity Place 17 1,445
The Meadows & Baldwin Grove 99 10,015
Mercy at Winton Woods 21 1,764
Mt. View Terrace 20 2,197
Ridgewood II Apts 51 4,598
Zone Total 208 20,020 HC Zone 6-
Southeast Cambridge Arms SEM Manor 55 17 5,824 1,017 St. Paul Lutheran Village 41 3,560 Zone Total 113 10,401
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Warren County
Warren County ESP by zones
Zone ZIP Served Clients Delivered Units Average Unit Cost WCESP Zone 1 - North 45005 336 29,709 45032 6 502 45036 330 26,991 45042 6 262 45044 13 1,325 45050 2 144 45054 7 801 45066 84 7,053 45068 72 6,437 45342 1 12 45458 2 177 Zone Total 859 73,412 $22.49 WCESP Zone 2 - South 45034 9 323 45039 108 10,580 45040 206 17,708 45065 59 5,908 45107 7 617 45113 1 29 45122 3 181 45140 70 6,307 45152 90 7,684 45162 5 528 45238 1 84 45249 3 347 Zone Total 562 50,296 $21.90
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Warren County ESP Buildings
Zone Building Served Clients Delivered Units WC Zone 1-
North Carriage Hill Harding House 21 16 1,337 1,517
Meadow Crossing 18 1,377
Otterbein & Otterbein (Phillipi Hall) 76 4,960
Sherman Glen 28 2,460
Springboro Commons 23 1,711
Station Hill 20 2,057
Zone Total 202 15,418 WC Zone 2-
South Berrywood Apt Deerfield Commons 22 36 1,355 4,754
Earl J. Maag Retirement Comm 34 2,254
Mason Christian Village 25 1,670
Union Village 20 2,218
Zone Total 137 12,251
WCESP Building-Based Total
339
27,669
How This RFP is Different from Previous RFPs
Bidders should understand two important details that are changes from previous
RFPs for Home Care services through COA.
The first change is that at some point during the life of this contract NEW clients will
select an eligible provider which will result in a direct award to the provider. The exact
timeframe of the change has yet to be determined. At the time of this change the need for
the Referral for Service (RFS) function in the QMCO database will be eliminated. Under this
new process, clients will select their provider from a list of providers contracted to serve their
zone. This list, supplied by COA, will contain basic information from COA’s client satisfaction
(SASI – Service Adequacy and Satisfaction Instrument) survey results and other metrics
from the Provider Quality Report (PQR) to help the client make this decision. COA staff will
not influence the client’s selection.
This change from a referrals-based system to a direct awards system is aligned with COA’s
commitment to client choice, and it has important implications for providers, including:
• Care Managers will no longer send a Referral for Service (RFS) for Home Care
Assistance services via QMCO. All new Home Care services will be assigned to a
provider via Direct Award, based on the client’s directive to their Care Manager.
• It is expected that providers will accept majority, if not all, referrals in the zones/
buildings they are awarded.
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• There will be great importance put on the accuracy of provider capacity: Please
pay close attention to the capacity number required by this RFP. Service capacity
stated in your proposal is used in initial contract award decision-making and
determining availability for new client direct awards. COA will implement a new
procedure to place providers on temporary holds when they reach or exceed 100%
capacity. This will help ensure that the Direct Award process does not result in
excessive demands on available provider resources. However, if a provider wishes to
expand capacity during the contract period, they will be able to submit a capacity
increase request. This in no way guarantees additional clients/units. It simply will
remove the hold placed on a provider when reaching their initially stated capacity.
The direct award process will be utilized across other COA services, some of which will be
implemented prior to HCA. A detailed plan will be given to all providers before
implementation.
The second change introduced with this RFP is that COA requires Bidders to extend
to us “Most Favored Nation” pricing. This means you must extend to COA the lowest
pricing you offer any company, governmental unit, or other customer in the same areas
served. For example: You may bid to provide a service to a COA-administered Elderly
Services Program (ESP) for $11/hour. Later, you have an opportunity to bid for another
customer, and you bid the same service to them at $10/hour. As of the effective date of the
contract award for the other customer, you must lower COA’s rate to $10/hour.
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Section Two: Service Specifications
HOME CARE ASSISTANCE (HCA) SERVICES SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS 1.0 Objective
The HCA service enables a client to achieve optimal independence by assisting them with their Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL).
2.0 Unit of Service
2.1 A full unit of service is equal to one hour of in-home service to the client. The smallest unit of service is equal to one-quarter hour of service to the client. 2.2 The unit rate must include administration, supervision, travel, and documentation
costs.
2.3 The number of units is determined by the Care Manager. All additional units of service will require prior authorization from the Care Manager except in the circumstance where immediate action must take place by the Provider’s staff to ensure client protection in high risk or acute episodes. The Provider must notify the Care Manager within one business day after completing the service to request authorization for additional units. After review of each request for units, the Care Manager will determine if additional units of service will be authorized. 3.0 Client Eligibility
3.1 Clients who are eligible for this service must be enrolled in Elderly Services Program and meet the following criteria as determined by the Care Manager: a) Functional, cognitive and/or mental health impairments restricting his/her
ability to perform specific tasks related to daily living activities.
b) The services that are needed are not provided under another service such as Independent Living Assistance.
4.0 Provider Requirements 4.1 General
a) The Provider must comply with all of the Conditions of Participation of the Elderly Services Program.
b) The Provider must be capable of delivering services seven days a week. Telephone coverage must be provided for staff and clients twenty four hours a day, seven days per week including all holidays.
c) The Provider must have the capacity to respond to inquiries or requests pertaining to client care within 24 hours.
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4.2 Employees
a) The Provider must maintain in employee files, documented evidence verifying that each of the individuals providing HCA services meet all applicable training and certification requirements prior to client contact.
b) The Provider must document training and testing for staff, including training site information, the date of training, the number of hours of training, a list of instruction materials, a description of the subject areas covered, the qualifications of the trainer and tester, the signatures of the trainer and tester to verify the accuracy of the documentation, and all testing results applicable to section 5.8 e of this specification.
c) HCA Supervisor
1. The Provider must ensure that all HCA Supervisor and/or trainer shall be a RN or a LPN. An LPN serving in this capacity must be under the supervision of an RN. RN and LPN shall have a current and valid license to practice nursing in the State of Ohio.
2. The Provider must have a system in place to ensure that the Nurse Supervisor is accessible to respond to emergencies during times when the HCA Aides are scheduled to work.
d) HCA Aide
1. The Provider must assure HCA Aide is qualified to complete the tasks outlined in the Care Manager’s authorized plan, which may include any of the following tasks with client approval:
a) Personal hygiene and care b) Mobility c) Elimination d) Nutrition/Meal Assistance e) Homemaking/Laundry f) Companion g) Respite
2. The Provider must maintain documented evidence of completion of eight hours of in-service education for each HCA Aide annually, excluding Provider and program-specific orientation, initiated after the first anniversary of employment with the Provider.
Documentation maintained in the employee’s file of in-service education must include:
a) Date
b) Length of training c) Signature of trainer
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4.3 Service Delivery
a) The Provider must maintain individual client records for each episode of service delivery containing all required documentation including:
1. Date of service delivery
2. A description of the service tasks performed captured in either written or electronic form
3. The printed name of the HCA Aide providing the service(s) 4. The HCA Aide’s arrival and departure time.
5. The HCA Aide’s written or electronic signature to verify the accuracy of the record
6. The client’s or client’s caregiver’s signature for each episode of service delivery
7. Providers that utilize an electronic verification system (e.g. TELEPHONY) must capture all required elements identified in section 4.3 a 1-5. If using TELEPHONY Providers are not required to collect signatures.
8. If a Provider utilizes an electronic verification system, in the event the system is unavailable, the provider must maintain written verification of service delivery including all required documentation as identified in section 4.3 a 1-6.
9. The Provider must deliver service only when the client is at home. With the exception, that the HCA Aide may assist in preparing the client’s home prior to their return from the hospital or nursing facility. The client’s representative must be present for this service and prior authorization from the Care Manager must be obtained.
4.4 Monitoring System
a) The Provider shall have a monitoring system to verify services are provided according to the care plan.
1. In this system, the Provider shall include a written plan for monitoring: a) Whether the HCA Aide is present at the location where the services
are to be provided and at the time the services are to be provided b) At the end of each working day, whether the provider's employees
have provided the services at the proper location and time
2. A protocol to be followed in scheduling a substitute employee when the monitoring system identifies that an employee has failed to provide home care services at the proper location and time this shall include standards for determining the maximum length of time that may elapse before the substitute arrives at the client’s home without jeopardizing the health and safety of the client;
3. Procedures and written documentation for maintaining records of the information obtained through the monitoring system;
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4. Procedures and written documentation for compiling annual reports of the information obtained through the monitoring system, including statistics on the rate at which home care services were provided at the proper location and time; and,
5. Procedures and written documentation for conducting random checks of the accuracy of the monitoring system. A random check is considered to be a check of not more than five percent of the home care visits each HCA Aide makes to different clients.
5.0 Requirements of HCA Aide
5.1 The Home Care Assistance Aide will enable a client to achieve optimal function with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL).
5.2 Must be at least 18 years old and meet one of the training criteria requirements listed under Section 5.8 of this specification.
5.3 Is able to understand the written task sheet, execute instructions, and document services delivered.
5.4 Is able to communicate with clients/families and emergency service systems personnel.
5.5 The HCA Aide must be able to assist the client with personal care/hygiene as authorized.
5.6 The HCA Aide can assist a client to maintain a clean and safe environment. The HCA Aide will assist a client to reduce isolation and maintain socialization. The HCA Aide is intended for the client and specifically excludes direct services for all other household members who are not clients.
5.7 The HCA Aide can provide indirect care in the form of relief for the caregiver who is responsible for twenty-four hour care of the client who requires constant supervision and may never be alone. The purpose is to decrease stress and/or isolation for the caregiver and ensure time to care for personal responsibilities. 5.8 Each HCA Aide must, at a minimum, meet at least one of the following training or
certification requirements prior to client contact:
a) Be listed on the Ohio Department of Health's Nurse Aide Registry;
b) Successfully complete the Medicare competency evaluation program for home health aides set forth in 42C.F.R. Part 484, as a direct care health care worker without a twenty-four month lapse in employment as a home health aide or nurse aide;
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c) Have at least one year employment experience as a supervised home health aide or nurse aide, and have successfully completed written testing and skills testing by return demonstration prior to initiation of service provision;
d) Successfully complete a certified vocational program in a health care field, and successfully complete written testing and skills testing by return demonstration prior to initiation of service provision; or,
e) Successfully complete sixty hours of training, including, but not limited to instruction on:
1. Communication skills, including the ability to read, write and make brief and accurate oral or written reports
2. Observation, reporting and documentation of consumer status and services provided
3. Reading and recording temperature, pulse and respiration 4. Universal precautions for infection control procedures
5. Basic elements of body functioning and changes in body function that should be reported to a supervisor
6. The maintenance of a clean, safe and healthy environment, including but not limited to house cleaning and laundry, dusting furniture, sweeping vacuuming, and washing floors; kitchen care (including dishes, appliances, and counters), bathroom care, emptying and cleaning bedside commodes and urinary catheter bags, changing bed linens, washing inside windows within reach of the floor, removing trash, and folding, ironing, and putting away laundry
7. Recognition of emergencies, knowledge of emergency procedures, and basic home safety
8. The signs and symptoms of elder abuse/exploitation and the requirements for reporting to Adult Protective Services
9. Recognition of health and safety issues 10. Provider protocol for bed bugs
11. The physical, emotional and developmental needs of clients, including the need for privacy and respect for clients and their property
12. Appropriate and safe techniques in personal hygiene and grooming that include: bed, tub, shower, and partial bath techniques; shampoo in sink, tub, or bed; nail and skin care; oral hygiene; toileting and elimination; safe transfer and ambulation; normal range of motion and positioning; and adequate nutrition and fluid intake
13. Meal preparation and nutrition planning, including special diet preparation, grocery purchase, planning, and shopping, and errands for the sole purpose of picking up prescriptions
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5.9 HCA Aides must complete skill-testing with return demonstration for the following duties and responsibilities indicated by an *:
a) *Personal Hygiene and Care
1. Bathing: bed, tub, shower and complete, partial and/or supervision of client bathing activities
2. Oral hygiene, including denture care 3. Hair care
4. Shaving
5. Periodontal care 6. Skin care
7. Hand and foot care (including filing/cutting finger nails and filing toe nails of non-diabetic clients)
8. Dressing and grooming b) *Mobility
1. Turning and positioning using proper body mechanics
2. Assisted transfers and ambulation, with and without assistive devices 3. Active and Passive Range of Motion
c) *Elimination
1. Assist in use and cleaning of bedpan, bedside commode, and toileting activity
2. Incontinence care
3. Catheter care limited to cleansing/positioning of external parts of drainage system and emptying drainage system
d) *Nutrition/ Meal Assistance 1. General meal preparation
2. Cleaning of food preparation and eating areas
3. Encourage and facilitate adequate nutritional and fluid intake. 4. Meal planning
5. Post cleanup
6. Prepare grocery list/clip coupons for shopping e) *Homemaking
1. Bed making: occupied and unoccupied, with linen change 2. Laundry (only client’s personal laundry)
3. Trash removal
4. Dusting and straightening furniture. Light furniture may be moved to complete jobs i.e. dining chairs, small objects, etc
5. Cleaning floors and rugs by wet/dry mop, vacuum, and/or sweeping 6. Cleaning the kitchen, including washing dishes, pots, and pans 7. Cleaning outsides of appliances/counters/cabinets
8. Cleaning ovens, defrosting/cleaning refrigerators, and disposal of spoiled/outdated food items
9. Cleaning the bathroom, including tub, sink, shower, toilet bowl, and emptying and cleaning of the commode chair/urinal
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10. Washing insides of windows and sills within reach from the floor. 11. Packing/unpacking boxes to assist clients in moving
f) Prevention of dangerous chemical mixtures and proper use of equipment g) *Laundry
1. Washing and drying client's clothes and linens in the home, or at a designated place
2. Folding clothes, linens and ironing if necessary 3. Putting away finished laundry
h) Accompany clients to appointments and ensure safe return home; i.e., beauty shop, business and medical appointments. Accompany client to visit significant others; i.e., hospital, nursing home or cemetery. This may include hands-on assistance i.e. pushing client in his/or wheelchair or assistance with transfers.
i) Help clients reduce isolation and maintain social contacts by (includes but not limited to):
1. Writing letters/mailing letters 2. Reading to client
3. Assisting with telephone calls 4. Reminding client of appointments 5. Reminiscing with the client 6. Taking walks with clients j) Shopping Assistance
1. Selection assistance with household and personal items 2. Grocery shopping
NOTE: HCA Aides may not drive clients in their cars or clients’ car. However, Aides may accompany clients, if necessary, to appointments using transportation that has been contracted and authorized by COA to meet the transportation needs of the client.
k) Safety
1. Identify and report safety hazards to immediate supervisor 2. Eliminate safety hazards with client’s and supervisor’s approval
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l) Other
1. Knowledge of basic elements of body functioning and what changes must be reported to supervisor
2. Reality orientation and sensory stimulation 3. Communication skills
4. Ability to accompany (not transport) client to appointments 5. Documentation of services provided
6. Role and Expectations of the Aide 7. Special needs of the elderly
8. Assistance with self administration of medications
m) *Standard precautions/infection control to prevent cross contamination 1. Hand washing techniques
2. Precautions and bodily fluids 5.10 Specialized Skills Training
Prior to performing specialized skills not included in initial training, HCA Aides must be trained by a supervisor and perform a successful return demonstration. Examples include, but are not limited to: Hoyer lift, TED hose, and assisting with prosthetics.
5.11 The Provider must assure that these specific tasks are never assigned as HCA Aide client care responsibilities:
a) Administration of over-the-counter medications or eye drops
b) Administration of prescription medications or application of topical prescription medications or eye drops
c) Perform tasks that require sterile techniques
d) Administration of irrigation fluids to intravenous lines, Foley catheters or ostomies
e) Administration of food and fluids via feeding tubes f) Administration of enemas or suppositories
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6.0 Requirements of RN/LPN6.1 All HCA Supervisor and/or trainer shall be a RN or a LPN. An LPN serving in this capacity must be under the supervision of an RN. An RN or LPN, as delegated by an RN, supervises the HCA Aide in client care tasks.
The Provider must maintain evidence of compliance with the following supervisory requirements:
6.2 Prior to the start of services being provided to the client, the HCA Supervisor must complete and document an initial home visit. The documentation of the initial visit must define the expected activities of the HCA Aide and a written activity plan should be developed prior to service delivery where possible.
6.3 The HCA Supervisor must conduct and document a visit to the client as follows: a) A supervisory visit must be completed every 93 days for each client receiving
only homemaking or companion tasks.
b) A supervisory visit must be completed every 62 days for each client receiving only personal care or respite tasks.
c) A supervisory visit must be completed every 62 days for each client receiving personal care or respite tasks along with homemaking or companion tasks. d) The visit must document and address compliance with the activity plan, client
satisfaction, and Aide performance. The HCA Supervisor must discuss recommended modifications with the Care Manager and Aide. The Aide need not be present during the visit. The visit must be documented and the documentation must include the date of the visit, the printed name and signature of the HCA Supervisor, printed name and signature of the client. Electronic signatures are acceptable.
e) If the HCA Supervisor identifies any significant change in the client’s health, the Provider will notify the Care Manager and recommend service modifications to meet the client’s health needs.
f) A Supervisor must notify Adult Protective Services and the Care Manager when signs of elder abuse/exploitation are reported by the HCA Aide, client, family member or primary caregiver.
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Section Three: Proposal Requirements
The Bidder must be a formally organized business or service agency, registered with the Ohio Secretary of State, that has been operating, providing, and being paid for the same services for which certification is being applied for at least five (5) adults in the community in the counties which Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio (COA) serves for a minimum of twenty-four (24) consecutive months at the point of bid submission. Those agencies registered to do business in Ohio and in good standing with the laws of the State of Ohio, that are certified to provide PASSPORT services in at least one county within COA’s five county area, may apply for the same or equivalent services in ESP after twelve (12) consecutive months of providing PASSPORT service.
All proposals must contain the following Sections, in this order: • Required Proposal Forms and Documentations • About Organization
• HCA Capabilities
• Pricing & Discount Sheet • Additional Information (optional)
Submission Section One: Required Proposals Forms and Documentation
Please provide the following forms and documentation. Forms 1-4 can be found in Appendix A, and information regarding 5-7 can be found in Appendix B.
1. Certification of Personal Property Tax 2. Bidder’s Identifying Information 3. Non-Collusion Affidavit
4. Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Exclusion Certificate 5. Financial Statements & Current Year’s Budget
6. Certificate of Insurance 7. Bid Bond
8. Proof that Bidder is currently registered with the Ohio Secretary of the State and in good standing
9. Current Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Certificate
10. Dated statement from a contracted CPA or an internal officer confirming that all federal, state, and local income and employment tax payments are current
Submission Section Two: About Organization
In narrative form, please describe your organization. Topics to cover include, but are not limited to: • Organization Size and Structure
o Evidence of contracts of similar size and scope (list up to four) o Organization chart1
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• Service Levels
o Certifications and/or accreditations attained pertinent to this RFP
o Client Satisfaction Survey Results (preference given to surveys administered by a 3rd party)
o Internal quality management infrastructure (evidence of creating and successfully implementing Quality Action Plans, Corrective Actions, etc.)
• Commitment to Aging2
• Local Presence3
• Citations or disciplinary actions (if you do not have any, past or present, explicitly state that you do not have any citations or disciplinary actions against your organization)4
• Final judgments (if you do not have any, past or present, explicitly state that you do not have any final judgments against your organization)5
1
Table representing the structure of the organization highlighting the individuals who will be tasked with managing and executing the services requested in this RFP. It must include, at a minimum: Senior Leadership, Project Management, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Service Manager.
2
An overview of the Bidder’s experience providing services to the elderly and the Bidder’s commitment to aging. Experience refers to years, depth and breadth of services for the frail elderly as a business. Commitment to aging is defined as having an organizational mission that supports long term care services and supports, philanthropic efforts on behalf of the elderly, contributions to the professional field of aging, and/or advocacy efforts supporting long term services and supports for the frail elderly
3
Evidence of local presence in one or more of the counties listed in this RFP. Local presence is defined as having a physical office location in the counties, hiring employees who reside in the counties and/or payment of payroll tax to the counties (e.g., percentage of total payroll tax paid to the counties), use local suppliers who are based in the counties as demonstrated by the total dollars and/or percentage of dollars spent in the counties.
4
Citations or disciplinary actions are defined as any actions requiring corrective action, correction, or modification to any of your programs by any funding source (including COA) in the last 12 months under any tax identification number.
5 Final judgments are defined as any ruling made against your organization by any court or governmental unit, including the Internal Revenue Service, for the last 5 years. The listing must include the date, type, and amount of judgment.
Page | 23
Submission Section Three: HCA CapabilitiesIn narrative form, please describe your organization’s HCA capabilities. Topics to cover include, but are not limited to:
• History of HCA service
o Length of continuous time providing services
o Total number of clients currently receiving HCA services and number of hours of services being served
o Total number of aides providing HCA services
o Direct staff turnover rate that relates to continuity of care (% annually) o Aide no-show rates
• Overall Proposed Capacity – total number of units of service your organization can serve throughout all counties/zones/buildings under this contract in 2014. This number may be increased in future years as new clients are admitted. This acts as a total number of clients not to exceed for your organization’s award for all parts of this contract.
• Transition Plan – for expanded operations to accommodate this contract’s additional capacity (difference from clients served now and proposed clients served) including length of time required to reach capacity and potential hiring plan
• Training - current process for educating staff • Staff scheduling/routing/monitoring systems • Client/clinical emergency response protocols
Submission Section Four: Pricing Sheet
Please complete the pricing sheet below with your organization’s pricing for each zone and/or building you would like to serve.
Page | 24
Bid Summary Questions
Please respond Yes or No to these three questions --->
Do not leave any cells blank: If not submitting any bid for a particular county, answer all three questions with "No"
Bidding on Whole County? Bidding on Just Certain Zones within the County? Bidding on Any Building(s) within County?
Butler County ESP
Hamilton County ESP
Warren County ESP
Capacity is defined as followed: The maximum HCA client caseload (in units) the bidder can serve in a given year for each county/zone/building below.
Enter Whole-County Bids Here
If you are not submitting any whole-county bids, please leave this section blank.
Please enter Whole-County Unit Rate Bids and Capacity Information in the cells at right --->
Capacity (in units) Standard (Non-Building) Unit Rate
Butler County ESP
Hamilton County ESP
Warren County ESP
Enter Zone-Specific Bids Here
If you are not submitting any Zone-specific bids (i.e., you are submitting only whole-county
bids), please leave this section blank.
(in Units) Capacity
Standard (Non-Building) Unit
Rate
Butler County ESP BC Zone 1 - West
BC Zone 2 - Central
BC Zone 3 - Northeast
Page | 25
Hamilton County ESP HC Zone 1- West
HC Zone 2- Downtown HC Zone 3- Central HC Zone 4- North HC Zone 5- Northeast HC Zone 6- Southeast
Warren County ESP WC Zone 1 - North
WC Zone 2 - South
Enter Building-Specific Bids Here
If you are not bidding on any Buildings, please leave this section blank.
The table below is sorted by Program, then Zone, then ZIP, and then Building name.
Zone ZIP Building Unit Rate Proposed
Butler County
ESP BC Northeast 45042 Trinity Manor
BC Northeast 45044 Mayfield Village
BC Southeast 45015 Bell Tower
Zone ZIP Building Unit Rate Proposed
Hamilton
County ESP HC Zone 1- West 45238 Delhi Estates
HC Zone 2- Downtown 45205 Senior Cheateau
HC Zone 2- Downtown 45206 Walnut Hills Apts
HC Zone 2- Downtown 45214 Stanley Rowe
HC Zone 3- Central 45207 Evanston Apts
HC Zone 3- Central 45216 The Carthaginian
HC Zone 3- Central 45220 Clifton Place Apts
HC Zone 3- Central 45224 Booth Residence
HC Zone 3- Central 45237 Courtyard Apts
HC Zone 3- Central 45237 Hillcrest Elderly
HC Zone 3- Central 45239 Shiloh Adventist Gardens
Page | 26
HC Zone 4- North 45215 Mt. View Terrace
HC Zone 4- North 45231 Affinity Place
HC Zone 4- North 45231 Mercy at Winton Woods
HC Zone 4- North 45231 Ridgewood II Apts
HC Zone 4- North 45246 The Meadows & Baldwin Grove
HC Zone 6- Southeast 45209 Cambridge Arms
HC Zone 6- Southeast 45227 St. Paul Lutheran Village
HC Zone 6- Southeast 45255 SEM Manor
Zone ZIP Building Unit Rate Proposed
Warren
County ESP WC Zone 1- North 45005 Harding House WC Zone 1- North 45005 Meadow Crossing
WC Zone 1- North 45005 Sherman Glen
WC Zone 1- North 45036 Otterbein & Otterbein Phillipi Hall
WC Zone 1- North 45036 Station Hill
WC Zone 1- North 45066 Springboro Commons
WC Zone 1- North 45068 Carriage Hill
WC Zone 2- South 45040 Deerfield Commons
WC Zone 2- South 45040 Mason Christian Village
WC Zone 2- South 45065 Union Village
WC Zone 2- South 45140 Berrywood Apt
WC Zone 2- South 45152 Earl J. Maag Retirement
Enter Total Capacity Here
A provider may bid on multiple counties/zones/buildings without knowing how much of each
they will be awarded. The total capacity is the yearly total amount of units your organization
is able to provide for this contract starting at contract award. Your organization will have the
ability to submit a capacity increase request at any time during the contract period to
accommodate growth. The number submitted here is so that your organization does not get
over extended in the short term.
Page | 27 Submission Section Five: Additional Information (optional)
This optional section reserves a place for any pertinent information that was not specifically requested in the RFP but adds value for proposal evaluators. This section’s submission is limited to a five (5) page maximum.
Page | 28
Section Four: Proposal Evaluation
COA shall award a Contract to the Bidders who submit the best Bid proposals based on evaluation of all Bids as determined by COA, in its sole discretion unless COA rejects all Bids.
COA reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, any part or parts of any Bid, and also the right to waive any informality in any Bid. Any Bid which is incomplete, conditional, obscure, or which contains additions not requested, or irregularities of any kind may be rejected.
COA reserves the right to make changes in program requirements, procedures, and terms after the Bid have been submitted, opened and reviewed in order to maximize delivery of services consistent with the objectives of the Home Care Assistance Program.
Bid proposals will be evaluated based on Bidder’s financial stability, bid rates, and experience and quality management criteria. There are four levels of review identified in the tables below. The first level evaluation determines if the proposal meets the requirements of the RFP and the organization is financially stable. Bidders not meeting the first level evaluation criteria will not be considered further. The second level evaluation is for quality. If an organization is found to be unsatisfactory based on the quality evaluation, the Bidder will not be considered further. The third level evaluation scores Providers on price, quality, commitment to aging and COA ESP service area presence. Collectively this will differentiate Providers meeting the first two level evaluations. The fourth level evaluation determines where specific contract awards are made with respect to multiple variables, including (but not limited to): The Bidder's overall evaluation score (3rd level evaluation), Bidder's stated capacity, distribution of market share, average weighted unit rate, and minimizing transition impact on clients. The table below provides criteria, descriptions, and scoring guidelines.
Home Care Assistance (HCA): Contract Award Decision Matrix
1st Level Evaluation: GO/NO GO CRITERIA
These are YES/NO criteria. Any submission with 1 or more "NO" answers in this section is removed from consideration and does not undergo further evaluation.
1 Financial Health Financial stability/solvency
2 Bid
Page | 29
2nd Level Evaluation: QUALITY
Quality is evaluated in three major categories, as shown below. To continue on to 3rd level overall evaluation, a proposal must earn a quality score of at least 70% of the maximum quality points. Proposals will also be eliminated from further evaluation if their quality score is significantly lower than the other proposals under consideration, even if the minimum score requirement has been met.
#
Category
Information Evaluated (includes but not necessarily limited to) Weight
1 Client Service
(Direct Care)
• Client satisfaction • Aide no-show rate
• Citations, disciplinary actions, final judgments (if any)
• Education/training for staff (professional development, ongoing T&E) • Client/clinical emergency response protocols and incident command • Ability to respond to a client inquiry timely
• Ability to initiate services quickly: days from request (service authorization) to first date of service
• Direct service staff turnover
60%
2 Sustainability
(administrative
capacity)
• Business infrastructure, accounting systems, staff scheduling/routing/ monitoring systems, staffing
• Experience in delivering home care services to a frail elderly population, customer base
• Capability to support COA mission, outcomes, and strategies
• Internal quality management infrastructure and processes; ability to develop and implement a quality assurance/quality improvement plan
20%
3 Service Capacity
• Staffing plan is aligned with their capacity proposal (caseloads are reasonable/sustainable)• Contribute to a streamlined/appropriately sized provider network, while guaranteeing timely and consistent service delivery across their entire proposed service area
10%
4 Initial Client
Transition
• Capability to successfully implement transition • Transition planning
• Contingency planning
10%
Page | 30
3rd Level Evaluation: OVERALL
Weight Element
Brief Description
#
Category
Information Evaluated (includes but not necessarily limited to) Weight
1 Price
An overall contract cost estimate will be calculated based on COA servicevolumes.
60%
2 Quality
See Quality evaluation matrix, above.30%
3 Commitment to
Aging
Having an organizational mission that supports long term care services and supports, philanthropic efforts on behalf of older adults, contributions to the professional field of aging, and/or advocacy efforts supporting long term services and supports for the frail elderly. Experience refers to years, depth, and breadth of service to the frail elderly as a business.
5%
4 COA ESP Service
Area Presence
Having a physical office location in one or more of the COA-administered ESP levy counties ("service area"), having employees who reside in the area, payment of payroll tax to one of more of the service area counties, and/or using local suppliers based in the service area as demonstrated by dollars paid to those suppliers.
5%
4th Level Evaluation: SPECIFIC AWARDS (Which Zones/Buildings)
Specific contract awards are made with respect to multiple variables, including (but not limited to): The
bidder's overall evaluation score (3rd level evaluation), bidder's stated capacity, distribution of market
share, average weighted unit rate, and minimizing transition impact on clients.
Page | 31
Appendix A: Required Forms
BIDDER’S CERTIFICATION OF PAYMENT OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX
STATE OF
COUNTY
Before me, a Notary Public, in and for said County and State, personally appeared
who, being duly sworn that he/she is the owner or an
officer vested with the authority to commit said company
to contractual obligations and having been awarded a public contract let by competitive
bid, and that by this statement, states that at this time neither he/she nor the
corporation is charged with any delinquent personal property taxes on the general tax
list of personal property of any county, or that attached hereto is a list of all
delinquent personal property taxes charged against him/her of the corporation.
Name of Company
By
Signature
Sworn before me and signed in my presence the
day
of
,20
.
Notary Public Signature
This certification is in compliance with Section 5719.042 of the Ohio Revised Code which
requires a certification of delinquent personal property tax by any successful bidder prior to
the execution of the contract of a political subdivision; and in the event there are any due
and unpaid delinquent taxes, a copy of this statement shall be transmitted to the County
Treasurer within 30 days.
Page | 32
Bidder’s Identifying Information Form For RFP:002-13
I. IDENTIFYING INFORMATION
1. Legal Name of Bidder: 2. Federal Tax ID #:
3. Doing Business As (d.b.a.) if applicable:
4. Sites doing business in this service area:
Site #1 Site #2 Site #3 Site #4
Admin./Director: Street: City, State, & Zip: Phone #: FAX #: Email address: 5. Ownership Private Charitable/Religious Private/Non-profit Public/ Government Publicly Traded Other 6. Legal Structure Sole Proprietorship S Corporation Partnership Non-Profit Corporation Corporation Voluntary Corporation
II. STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING
The bidder affirms that the information contained in their proposal is true to the best of their knowledge and belief. The bidder assures that it currently provides the services for which it is bidding. The bidder also affirms that the Request for Proposal has been read and understood and Provider will be in compliance with all requirements prior to contract execution.
Signature: Title:
Page | 33
NON-COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT
STATE OF
)
COUNTY OF
) SS.
being first duly sworn, deposes and
says
that
he/she
is
of
(sole owner, partner, president, etc.)
the party making the foregoing proposal or bid; that such bid is genuine and not
collusive or sham; that said bidder has not colluded, conspired, connived, or agreed,
directly or indirectly, with any bidder or person to put in a sham bid, or that such other
person shall refrain from bidding and has not in any manner, directly or indirectly,
sought by agreement or collusion, or communication or conference, with any person, to
fix the bid price affiant or any other bidder, or to fix any overhead, profit or cost element
of said bid price, or of that of any other bidder, or to secure any advantage against
Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio or any person or persons interested in the
proposed contract; and that all statements contained in said proposal or bid are true;
and further that such bidder has not, directly or indirectly submitted this bid, or contents
thereof, or divulged information relative thereto any association or to any member or
agent thereof.
AFFIANT
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
day of
20
.
NOTARY PUBLIC
Page | 34
DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, INELIGIBILITY AND EXCLUSION
CERTIFICATION
I certify that the entity identified below has not been debarred, suspended or otherwise
found ineligible to receive funds by any organization of the executive branch of the
federal government.
I further certify that should any notice of debarment, suspension, ineligibility or exclusion
be received by the organization, Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio will be notified
immediately.
Entity:
Type name of person authorized to sign Title
Page | 35
Appendix B: Required Documentation
Financial Status
The following items are required to be submitted with the proposal.• Current year’s budget
• Audited financial statements (including notes) for the most recent year available
• Unaudited financial statements for most recent year completed certified as being true and correct by the Chief Financial Officer.
If financial statements are unavailable, provide prior year’s tax return (including schedules) and prior year’s statement of revenue and expenses certified as being true and correct by the Chief Financial Officer.
Insurance and Workers’ Compensation
The Bidder, at the Bidder’s sole expense, if awarded a contract agrees to carry and maintain in full force and, with no interruption of coverage during the entire contract period:
1. The Bidder shall furnish COA with a Certificate of Insurance (Accord 24 Form) evidencing Bidder’s liability insurance meets the proper requirements.
2. Comprehensive general liability minimum of $1,000,000. The Insurance Certificate shall name “Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio (COASW)” as an additional insured and shall include a provision that requires written notice to COA at least thirty (30) calendar days in advance of any cancellation or non-renewal of coverage.
3. Third Party Fidelity or similar insurance covering client loss due to theft of client’s property or money by any employee or volunteer of the Bidder.
4. Automobile liability with coverage against claims for injury and/or death in the amount of $300,000 per individual, $500,000 per occurrence.
5. A fidelity bond covering all individuals authorized by the Bidder to collect and/or disburse funds.
6. Professional liability insurance insuring the Bidder and such professionals against any and all claims, actions, causes, costs and expenses relating to or arising out of the performance of services, on an occurrence basis, or claims made with appropriate tail coverage. The minimum amount of coverage shall be $2,000,000 annual aggregate.
7. The Bidder shall have all of the above described insurance in full force and effect prior to the commencement of work. The insurance must be through a carrier licensed in the State of Ohio and reasonably acceptable to COA.
8. The insurance required under this RFP shall cover acts or omissions of both paid employees and volunteers working for the Bidder.
9. The Bidder shall require the same amount of insurance from all subcontractors utilized under this agreement.
10. Bidders must submit with their proposal a current Workers’ Compensation Certificate with their bid.
Page | 36
Bid Bond
A surety in the form of a cashier’s check drawn on a solvent financial institution, and made payable to: Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio or a surety bond from an insurance company licensed to conduct business in the State of Ohio, in the amount of two and a half percent (2.5%) of total dollar amount your organization is proposing for the first year of services (calculated by multiplying proposed capacity by highest proposed rate), must accompany each proposal as a guarantee that if the proposal is accepted a contract will be entered into. The surety must be submitted with the bid.
Example calculation:
Highest rate = $22/hr
Overall proposed capacity = 25,000 hours
Proposed revenue = $550,000
Page | 37
Appendix C: Emergency Preparedness Plan
Policy Statement
In an emergency, it is Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio’s (COA) responsibility to do what is necessary to sustain critical services to our clients. An “emergency” is defined as an event or series of events that place the operational capacity of COA at risk and/or significantly disrupts client services or places clients at risk. When such events occur, COA will coordinate efforts of the whole provider network in developing a response strategy and will also serve as the primary liaison to the local emergency management officials on behalf of the agency network. Providers are therefore expected to cooperate with these efforts and make their resources available to respond in a crisis. COA’s Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) for responding to emergencies is activated at the discretion of the CEO and/or the Senior Leadership Team and may be activated if any of the following circumstances apply:
• Operational capacity has been or is likely to be impacted for more than 72 hours. • If client services have been or are likely to be disrupted for more than 24 hours. • If clients are or are likely to be at risk.
• If the magnitude of the event requires significant mobilization of resources.
• A weather alert or warning is issued by the National Weather Service and COA deems it necessary to prepare for weather which will significantly impact client services and business operations.
As emergencies do not always present themselves immediately and may develop over time, COA and the Provider must be able to recognize potential emergencies that place our operations or clients at risk. Clients may be at risk even if operations are not impacted, for example, a power outage during a heat wave.
Provider Requirements in an Emergency
The Provider agrees to the following:1. The Provider will have a continuity of operations plan. At a minimum, that plan will include a plan for back-up operations should the provider’s main business location become unavailable. 2. In the event of an emergency, COA will activate their Continuity of Operations Plan and notify providers that the COOP is activated and provide a single point of contact for the providers. Unless otherwise specified, COA’s Procurement and Provider Relations Manager will serve as the primary point of contact and the Director of Business Operations will serve as the backup. Notification may be made by email, telephone, or website.
3. COA will take the lead in coordinating the response, unless COA’s operations are significantly impacted by the emergency. The Provider will work with COA to coordinate the response. The Providers agree to follow the instructions provided by COA and local EMA officials. The Provider will deploy available resources to aid in the response effort even if the activity is outside the normal course of operations. This may include:
a. Not closing operations, and standing ready to step up operations and services; b. Providing services beyond the provider’s traditional territory;
Page | 38 c. Deploying the provider’s resources in different ways to include the provider’s
facility(s), equipment, staff, and resources (e.g., using the senior center as emergency shelter/housing).
4. The provider will notify COA immediately if the Provider is unable to provide services for which they are contracted and/or provide emergency response support as requested.
5. Providers will report information to COA immediately if they believe a situation is developing that may severely impact their operational capacity or place clients at risk and/or upon request of COA or emergency management officials.
6. The provider will notify COA immediately if the Provider has information about changes to client needs during an emergency.
7. COA will work with providers to seek funding, as available from other sources which become available when a state of emergency is declared, in the event the providers incur unfunded expenses in the effort to maintain client safety, sustain critical services, and/or meet critical needs not covered, but required due to the crisis. Providers will therefore track their expenses during crisis situations where COA has activated the COOP.
8. The Provider will participate in readiness activities such as planning for emergencies, table top and other exercises, and providing contact and other organizational information.
Page | 39
Appendix D: Computer Hardware and System Requirements
Applicants are required to have high speed internet access (minimum DSL and/or cable modem) to enable connection via the internet to the ESP computer software. QMCO is the Windows-based software currently utilized by COA for client registration and invoicing.
Access
The computer software is installed on a Windows 2003/2008 server. Users connect via the internet to the software through a security firewall and Citrix client software to access the system. Any type of internet access via an ISP (Internet Service Provider) or direct connect should work. It is the Applicant's responsibility to ensure they can connect to the internet and get to the Council on Aging homepage (
www.help4seniors.org
). If the Applicant uses a firewall to access the internet, they will be required to open port 443 on their firewall for a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection. If proxy services are used to access the internet, limited services may be provided. COA technical staff will work with the Applicant to enable connectivity, if possible. Macintosh computers may not work correctly with the Citrix client software. Because of this COA can't provide support to Macintosh users.Printers
The QMCO computer software relies heavily on the ability for users to print notices and reports at their location, and expects a printer to be accessible to the PC used to connect to the computer system (either connected directly to the PC or available as part of a local area network). Because the software is a Windows-based product, most high quality, name brand (HP, Canon, IBM, etc.) inkjet or laser jet printers will work with the application. Lexmark printers and multifunction printer/fax/copier machines are not recommended and can't be supported.
Due to lack of fonts and emulation modes, we can't support dot matrix printers. If you find you are having a problem printing in the QMCO application, but the printer is working correctly for all other local/network applications at your site, please call the COA Computer Help Desk for assistance. If the Citrix software does not support your brand of printer, it will be necessary for the user to save the document as a .PDF file and print from their local workstation.
Applicant's contemplating purchasing a new printer should contact COA Computer Help Desk to assure it will function properly with Citrix.
Technical Support and Computer/Communication Problems
Personnel are available to handle the administrative needs of the QMCO computer system, such as assigning users and passwords. COA technical staff will provide technical support for Applicant's communications with the COA computer system only. We cannot provide support for the Applicant's computer equipment or connectivity to the internet except as it relates to connection to QMCO. Questions regarding these specifications or to obtain additional information regarding connectivity or problems please contact:
Computer Help Desk Phone: (513) 345-3303 Fax: (513) 721-0090
