RFP-2027-DPH-14-HCAHP: Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Project

State of New Hampshire
Department of Health and Human Services
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and
Systems Project
RFP-2027-DPH-14-HCAHP
RELEASE DATE: September 29, 2026

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Project
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW 3
2. STATEMENT OF WORK 4
3. SOLICITATION RESPONSE EVALUATION 7
4. SOLICITATION RESPONSE PROCESS 9
5. SOLICITATION RESPONSE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS 10
6. SOLICITATION RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS 11
7. ADDITIONAL TERMS AND REQUIREMENTS 11
8. COMPLIANCE 16
9. APPENDICES TO THIS SOLICITATION 18
RFP-2027-DPH-14-HCAHP
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New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Project
1. PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW
Introduction
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health
("Department") is seeking responses to this Request for Proposal (solicitation) from qualified
Vendors to design, facilitate, and deliver targeted improvement training activities for Hospital
Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) measures for New
Hampshire Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). These activities will support participating CAHs
in developing targeted strategies to improve their selected HCAHPS measures. The selected
Vendor must provide quarterly learning collaboratives meetings with participating CAHs to
share best practices, address challenges, and review progress on HCAHPS-related
improvement strategies.
The Department anticipates awarding one (1) contract for the services in this Solicitation.
Key Information
The information in the table below is as anticipated by the Department and is subject to
change. Agreements are contingent upon the availability of funds, and/or approval by the
Governor and Executive Council.
Contract Effective Date December 1, 2026
Contract End Date September 30, 2029
Renewal Options The Department may extend contracted services for up to two (2)
additional years.
Funding Source The Department anticipates using Federal funds for resulting
contract.
Assistance Listing Number 93.241
Award Name Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility
(FLEX)
Point of Contact Claudia Roy, Senior Contract Specialist
Claudia.I.Roy@dhhs.nh.gov
603-271-9513
From the date of release of this Solicitation until an award is made and announced regarding the
selection of a Vendor, all communication with personnel employed by or under contract with the
Department regarding this Solicitation is prohibited unless first approved by the Point of Contact
listed above. Department employees have been directed not to hold conferences and/or
discussions concerning this Solicitation with any potential contractor during the selection process,
unless otherwise authorized by the Point of Contact. Vendors may be disqualified for violating
this restriction on communications.
Interested vendors must read this entire Solicitation and submit the required documents
in the specified manner. Vendors are responsible for reviewing the most updated
information related to this Solicitation before submitting responses.
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New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Project
Procurement Timetable
All times are according to Eastern Time. The Department reserves the right to modify
these dates and times at its sole discretion.
Item Action Date
1. S olicitation Released 9/29/2026
Letter of Intent Submission Deadline
2. 10/9/2026
(optional)
10/30/2026
3. V endor Questions Submission Deadline
12:00PM - Noon
Department Response to Questions
4. 11/6/2026
Published
11/13/2026
5. V endor Solicitation Response Due Date
12:00PM - Noon
Background
1.4.1. New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public
Health
1.4.1.1. New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division
of Public Health (DPH), Rural Health and Primary Care Section
(RHPCS) administers the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex)
Program Grant supporting the financial stability, operational
improvement, quality improvement and population health improvement
efforts of New Hampshire CAHs. The Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services designates rural hospitals with 25 or fewer acute
care inpatient beds as CAHs. There are 13 CAHs in New Hampshire.
The Department is seeking a vendor to design and deliver targeted
quality improvement training aimed to improve performance on Hospital
Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems
(HCAHPS) measures.
1.4.2. Objective
The primary objectives under the resulting contract include:
1.4.2.1. Providing training and technical assistance on HCAHPS to support
participating CAHs in improving measure scores.
1.4.2.2. Developing and delivering targeted strategies for each participating
CAH aimed at improving their selected HCAHPS measures.
1.4.2.3. Facilitating quarterly meetings with the cohort of participating CAHs to
share best practices, discuss challenges, and review progress on
implemented improvement strategies.
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New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Project
2. STATEMENT OF WORK
Scope of Services - See Appendix A - Scope of Services.
Mandatory Questions
2.2.1. In response to this Solicitation, Vendor(s) must respond to the Mandatory
Questions below, utilizing Appendix E Technical Responses to Mandatory
Questions. Each response is limited to 15 pages, which may be single spaced.
Q1 Describe your organization's knowledge and experience providing
services with the following:
a) Developing and conducting virtual training for healthcare providers
and professional staff.
b) Designing and implementing quality improvement projects,
preferably those involving Medicare Beneficiary Quality
Improvement Project (MBQIP) and Hospital Consumer Assessment
of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) measures.
c) Improving systems, processes and organizational behaviors that
support positive patient experiences in rural healthcare facilities,
particularly Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Q2 Describe your organization's capacity to perform the full Scope of
Services outlined in Appendix A of this Solicitation. Provide your
organization's staffing plan within Appendix F - Program Staff List, and
include the following in your response:
a) An organizational chart including the number of full-time equivalent
staff (FTE).
b) Descriptions of qualifications, curriculum vitae/resumes, and/or
credentials for key personnel.
c) Any specialized staff training completed relevant to providing
services in this Solicitation.
Q3 Describe your organization's ability to establish, maintain, and strengthen
working relationships with NH CAH staff to support improvements in
HCAHPS measure scores.
Q4 Describe your organization's approach to developing and maintaining
annual work plans in alignment with Appendix A, Scope of Services,
Section 1.14. Provide a recent example of a work plan. Include how you
will:
a) Collaborate with the Rural Health Quality Improvement Manager
to meet required timelines.
b) Ensure each work plan includes required training details and
planned HCAHPS related improvement activities.
c) Use the work plan to track progress toward objectives and adjust

activities as needed, incorporating a variety of learning styles and
engagement strategies to support all participants.
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New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Project
Finance
2.3.1. Payment will be made based on completion and Department-acceptance of
deliverables as specified in the resulting agreement.
2.3.2. The selected Vendor must complete and submit monthly invoices using a form
satisfactory to the Department to initiate and request payment in accordance
with the terms of the resulting contract.
Remainder of this page intentionally left blank.
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New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Project
3. SOLICITATION RESPONSE EVALUATION
The Department will evaluate responses from Vendors based upon the criteria and
standards contained in this Solicitation and by applying the points as set forth below,
which will be used to determine the overall highest scoring Vendor(s). Vendors are
advised that this is not a low-cost award.
TECHNICAL RESPONSE POSSIBLE SCORE
Knowledge and Experience (Q1) 200 Points
Capacity (Q2) 200 Points
Ability (Q3) 150 Points
Work Plan (Q4) 150 Points
Technical Response - Total Possible Score 700 Points
COST PROPOSAL
POSSIBLE SCORE
(see Scoring of Cost Proposals below)
Vendor Cost 300 Points
Cost Proposal - Total Possible Score 300 Points
MAXIMUM POSSIBLE SCORE 1000 Points
Preliminary Scoring of Technical Responses
3.2.1. The Department will establish an evaluation team. The evaluation team will
review the Technical Proposal and provide a preliminary score. Should a
Vendor fail to achieve a minimum of 500 points during the preliminary scoring,
it will receive no further consideration from the evaluation team and the Vendor's
Cost Proposal will remain unopened.
Scoring of Technical Proposals
3.3.1. Vendor Technical Responses will be scored based on the following criteria:
Question 1 0-66 Points 67-133 Points 134-200 Points
Vendor does not demonstrate Vendor somewhat Vendor mostly or fully
the knowledge and demonstrates the knowledge demonstrates the knowledge
experience necessary to and experience necessary to and experience necessary to
perform scope of perform scope of perform scope of
services/meet Solicitation services/meet Solicitation services/meet Solicitation
requirements. requirements. requirements.
Question 2 0-66 Points 67-133 Points 134-200 Points
Vendor staffing plan does not Vendor staffing plan Vendor staffing plan mostly
demonstrate capacity to somewhat demonstrate or fully demonstrates
perform scope of services/ capacity to perform scope of capacity to perform scope of
meet Solicitation services/ meet Solicitation services/ meet Solicitation
requirements. requirements. requirements.
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New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Project
Question 3 0-50 Points 51-100 Points 101-150 Points
Vendor does not demonstrate Vendor somewhat Vendor mostly or fully
ability necessary to perform demonstrates ability demonstrates ability
scope of services/meet necessary to perform scope necessary to perform scope
Solicitation requirements. of services/meet Solicitation of services/meet Solicitation
requirements. requirements.
Question 4 0-50 Points 51-100 Points 101-150 Points
Vendor does not demonstrate Vendor somewhat Vendor mostly or fully
approach to developing and demonstrates approach to demonstrates approach to
maintaining annual work developing and maintaining developing and maintaining
plans necessary to perform annual work plans necessary annual work plans necessary
scope of services/meet to perform scope of to perform scope of
Solicitation requirements. services/meet Solicitation services/meet Solicitation
requirements. requirements.
Scoring of Cost Proposals
3.4.1. Vendor Budget Narrative Evaluation: Vendors must complete Appendix G,
Deliverables.
3.4.2. Vendor Total Cost: The following formula will be used to assign points for
Vendor Proposed Cost:
Vendor's Cost Score = (Lowest Total Proposed Cost / Vendor's Total
Proposed Cost) x Maximum Number of Points for Vendor Cost.
*Example:
* Vendor A proposes $100,000
* Vendor B proposes $200,000
* Maximum Number of Points for Vendor Cost = 300 points.
Vendor B Cost Score:
($100,000/$200,000) x 300 = 150 Points
For the purpose of this formula, the lowest proposed cost is defined as the
lowest total cost proposed in Appendix G, Cost Sheet, by a Vendor that has not
been disqualified and received the minimum allowable points during preliminary
scoring of technical responses as specified above. Fractions of points will be
rounded up to the nearest whole number of points.
Rights of the Department in Evaluating Solicitation Responses
3.5.1. The Department reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to:
3.5.1.1. Consider information provided in the Vendor's Transmittal Letter in
evaluating solicitation responses;
3.5.1.2. Make independent investigations in evaluating Solicitation
responses;
3.5.1.3. Request additional information to clarify elements of a proposal;
3.5.1.4. Waive minor or immaterial deviations from the Solicitation and
contract requirements, if determined to be in the best interest of the
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New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Project
State;
3.5.1.5. Omit any planned evaluation step if, in the Department's view, the
step is not needed;
3.5.1.6. Reject any and all Solicitation responses in whole or in part at any
time; and
3.5.1.7. Open contract discussions with the second highest scoring vendor
and so on, if the Department is unable to reach an agreement on
contract terms with the highest scoring vendor(s).
4. SOLICITATION RESPONSE PROCESS
Letter of Intent
4.1.1. A Letter of Intent to submit a response to this Solicitation is optional.
4.1.2. Receipt of the Letter of Intent by Department will be required to receive
electronic notification of any addenda published to amend this Solicitation.
4.1.3. The Letter of Intent must be transmitted by email to the Contract Specialist
identified in Subsection 1.2 and include the name, telephone number, mailing
address and email address of the Vendor's designated contact as specified in
Appendix D, Transmittal Letter and Vendor Information. Notwithstanding the
Letter of Intent, Vendors remain responsible for reviewing the most
updated information related to this Solicitation before submitting a
response.
Solicitation Amendment
4.2.1. The Department reserves the right to amend this Solicitation by publishing any
addenda, as it deems appropriate, on the Department's website
(https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/doing-business-dhhs/contracts-procurement-
opportunities) prior to the Submission Deadline on its own initiative or in
response to issues raised through Vendor Questions submitted by the date
specified in Subsection 1.3, Procurement Timetable. In the event that an
addendum is published, the Department, at its sole discretion, may extend the
Submission Deadline.
Questions and Answers
4.3.1. Vendors' Questions
4.3.1.1. All questions about this Solicitation including, but not limited to,
requests for clarification, additional information or any changes to the
Solicitation must be submitted to the Contract Specialist identified in
Subsection 1.2 via email only using the Solicitation Question
Submission Form available here. Vendors must cite the specific page
number, section, and document to which the question pertains. The
Department assumes no liability for ensuring accurate and complete
email transmissions.
4.3.1.2. The Department reserves the right to not accept questions submitted
with incomplete information or without using the Solicitation Question
Submission Form. The Department may consolidate or paraphrase
questions for efficiency and clarity. Questions that are not understood
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New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Project
or statements that are not questions will not receive a response.
4.3.1.3. Questions must be received by the Department using the Solicitation
Question Submission Form by the Vendor Questions Submission
Deadline specified in Subsection 1.3, Procurement Timetable.
4.3.2. Department Responses
4.3.2.1. The Department intends to issue responses to properly submitted
questions by the date specified in Subsection 1.3, Procurement
Timetable. This date may be subject to change at the Department's
discretion. All oral answers given are non-binding. Written answers to
questions received will be posted on the Department's website
(https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/doing-business-dhhs/contracts-
procurement-opportunities). This date may be subject to change at
the Department's discretion.
4.3.3. Exceptions
4.3.3.1. The Department will require the successful Vendor to execute a
contract using the Form P-37, General Provisions and Standard
Exhibits, which are attached as Appendix B. To the extent that a
Vendor believes that exceptions to Appendix B will be necessary for
the Vendor to enter into a contract, the Vendor must request those
exceptions by the Vendor Questions Submission Deadline in
Subsection 1.3. Vendors may not request exceptions to the Scope of
Services or any other sections of this Solicitation.
4.3.3.2. The Department will review requested exceptions and accept, reject
or note that it is open to negotiation of the proposed exception at its
sole discretion in its response to Vendor questions.
4.3.3.3. Any exceptions to the standard form contract and exhibits that are not
raised by a Vendor by the Vendor Questions Submission Deadline
may not be considered. In no event is a Vendor to submit its own
standard contract terms and conditions as a replacement for the
Department's terms in response to this Solicitation.
5. SOLICITATION RESPONSE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Responses to this Solicitation must be submitted electronically via email to
rfx@dhhs.nh.gov AND to the Contract Specialist at the email address specified in
Subsection 1.2.
5.1.1. The subject line must include the following information:
RFP-2027-DPH-14-HCAHP (email xx of xx).
The maximum size of file attachments per email is 25 MB. Submissions with file
attachments exceeding 25 MB must be sent via multiple emails.
The Department must receive submissions by the time and date specified in the
Procurement Timetable in Section 1.3 and in the manner specified or it may be rejected
as non-compliant, unless waived by the Department as a non-material deviation.
The Department will conduct an initial screening step to verify Vendor compliance with
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