REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
DOH59680
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is soliciting proposals for professional services.
1. PROJECT INFORMATION:
1.1. Project Title: Rural Health Transformation Pharmacy Initiative
1.2. Solicitation Posting Date: Wednesday, 1/07/2026
1.3. Bidder Conference: 01/20/2026 at 11:00AM
• Join the meeting : 59680 - Rural Health Transformation Pharmacy Initiative Bidder
Conference | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams
• Meeting ID: 252 401 353 437 1
• Passcode: S9qr6oU7
1.4. Inquiry Start Date: Wednesday, 1/07/2026
1.5. Inquiry End Date: 02/25/2026 at 3:00PM. All questions must be submitted via Ohio Buys.
Questions received after this date will not receive a response.
1.6. Solicitation End Date: 03/11/2026 at 3:00PM. All required application components must be
received by 03/11/2026 at 3 p.m. Applications must be submitted via Ohio Buys. Each application
component must be clearly labeled.
1.7. Project Background: The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) was authorized by the One
Big Beautiful Bill Act (Section 71403 of Public Law 119-21) and empowers the state to strengthen
rural communities by improving healthcare access, quality and outcomes by transforming the
current system. Five key strategic goals of the program, as defined by the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid (CMS) are:
• Make rural America healthy again
• Sustainable access
• Workforce development
• Innovative Care
• Technology Innovation
Ohio’s plan aligns with federal priorities to improve the health of rural residents through
sustainable access, workforce development, innovative care, and tech advancement. As part of
Ohio's Rural Health Transformation Program, the selected vendor will engage in activities to
RFP Solicitation Request Rev. 6.2025
Page 1 of 9
DOH59680
maximize the role that pharmacists and pharmacies play in ensuring access to healthcare in rural
Ohio.
1.8. Project Objective: Support systems and policy changes to allow pharmacists and pharmacies in
rural Ohio to operate under an expanded scope of practice and provide training these
professionals need to do so successfully. This work with pharmacists supports the RHTP objective
of improving the health of rural Ohioans through chronic disease management, care
coordination, and reducing drug related adverse events.
1.9. Projected Estimated Budget: $2,000,000.00 Not to Exceed for the Project Period.
1.10.
Project Award: One (1) Award.
1.11. Project Period: Anticipated 04/01/2026 – 6/30/2027.
ODH reserves the right to execute multiple agreements with awarded provider to fulfill the entire
project period, subject to and contingent on the discretionary decision of the Ohio General
Assembly to appropriate funds (if needed) for the biennium, satisfactory performance of the
awarded providers and the needs of the Ohio Department of Health.
1.12. Agreement Term: Anticipated 04/01/2026 to 6/30/2027 with up to four (4) years of additional
Renewal Terms may not exceed after 6/30/2031.
1.13. Renewal Terms: 24-month optional renewal periods dependent upon the receipt and approval
of funds to ODH for this project, this agreement may be renewed into two (2) 24-month terms.
• Renewal Optional Year 1: 07/01/2027-06/30/2029.
• Renewal Optional Year 2: 07/01/2029 – 06/30/2031.
At the sole option of ODH, ODH may extend this Contract past the initial Agreement Term for a
period of ninety (90) days. Renewal terms may be exercised by mutual agreement between the
Offeror and ODH. The cumulative time of all mutual renewals may not exceed four (4) additional
years and are subject to and are contingent upon the discretionary decision of the Ohio General
Assembly to appropriate funds for this project in each new biennium. If any renewal is exercised,
a new contract will be issued at the beginning of the new biennium. ODH may evaluate whether
a renewal is appropriate considering the satisfactory performance of the Offeror and the future
and continuing needs of ODH’s Programs.
RFP Solicitation Request Rev. 6.2025
Page 2 of 9
DOH59680
2. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS: Offeror(s) must meet the following mandatory requirements to be
considered for evaluation.
2.1. Offeror Experience Requirement:
2.1.1.Offeror(s) must have a minimum of five years working with Ohio pharmacists/pharmacies,
ability to establish cooperative work with rural Ohio pharmacists/pharmacies, capacity and
knowledge to perform the work expected in scope and deliverables.
2.2. Candidate Expertise Requirement:
2.2.1.Offeror(s) must have demonstrated previous experience working with pharmacists and
pharmacies in rural Ohio, knowledge of pharmacy operations and payor frameworks, and
robust understanding of pharmacists' scope of practice.
2.3. Notice of Award Requirements: Must comply with federal funding requirements. Must
demonstrate the capacity and experience to manage funds in accordance with federal and state
cost principles/guidance, and to produce required quarterly, annual, and final reporting. See
Appendix A below.
2.4. Mandatory Licenses &/or Certifications Required:
2.4.1.Offeror(s) must have a minimum of one Full time Equivalent Pharmacist (FTE) who is
licensed to practice in Ohio.
3. SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES:
3.1. Scope of Work:
SCOPE OF WORK
3.1.1
3.1.2
Offeror will perform a needs assessment to: Identify rural Ohio pharmacies’ current electronic medical
record (EMR) and health information exchange (HIE) capabilities and connectivity gaps; Identify priority
counties with limited access to integrated patient data; Formalize a network of willing participant
pharmacies.
Offeror will provide technical assistance, software, and hardware (where needed) to enable pharmacy
connectivity. Pilot integration of community pharmacy workflow with state/regional HIE (addressing
login burden and workflow integration).
RFP Solicitation Request Rev. 6.2025
Page 3 of 9
3.1.3
3.1.4
3.1.5
3.1.6
3.1.7
3.1.8
3.1.9
3.1.10
3.1.11
3.1.12
DOH59680
Offeror will establish partnerships and a rural pharmacy advisory group including pharmacists, Medicaid
managed care organizations, health systems, and patients for the purposes of continually informing
project work.
In conjunction with HIE vendor, provide technical assistance, software, and hardware to rural pharmacies
for HIE connectivity.
Offeror will pilot integration of community pharmacy workflow with state/regional HIE. Assess progress
and needs (e.g., addressing login burden, workflow integration, etc.).
In conjunction with ODH and the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, participate in workgroups to advance the role
of pharmacies and pharmacists in rural healthcare service delivery (e.g. payer and provider workgroups).
Offeror will develop workflow best practices for care delivery that increases HIE adoption, care delivery,
and optimizes outcomes. Utilize a continuous quality improvement framework to modify this product as
a result of lessons learned during pilot and expanded implementation of the RHTP pharmacy initiative.
Offeror will provide upskilling/workforce development for pharmacists and support staff to effectively
operationalize use of HIE, (e.g., patient data security, disease state management, medication therapy
management, chronic disease management, and workflow). Topics to be mutually agreed upon with ODH
on an annual basis.
Offeror will support transformational systems initiatives by participating in planning, technical assistance,
and policy change activities (e.g., providing voice of the pharmacist expertise, developing clinical use
cases, etc.).
Offeror will perform pharmacy/healthcare system integration activities to strengthen networks that
serve rural residents with the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Initiate this work in the first
contract period and formalize robust integration by 6/30/2031 (e.g. referral pathways, full HIE
integration/pharmacy utilization, pharmacy inclusion in clinically integrated networks or similar rural
health networks, etc.)
Offeror will scale the pilot project for integration of community pharmacy workflow with state/regional
HIE to include pharmacies in the 73 RHTP counties. Perform this work iteratively and participate in
continuous quality improvement in conjunction with the HIE vendor to address gaps/system needs in
order to foster sustainability of the system.
Pilot utilization of remote patient monitoring/personal wearables with pharmacy/EMR integration,
prioritizing management of hemoglobin A1C and systolic blood pressure. Evaluate results and scale the
project to pharmacies in the 73 identified RHTP counties.
RFP Solicitation Request Rev. 6.2025
Page 4 of 9
3.1.13
DOH59680
Offeror will conduct activities to ensure full implementation of rural pharmacy transformation activities
(previously described) across 73 RHTP counties. Prepare comprehensive documentation of
processes/best practices/outcomes/metrics and participate in activities that can inform broader systems
implementation (e.g., national policy).
3.2. Deliverables and Due Dates: Initial Contract Term
DELIVERABLES
DUE DATE
3.2.1
Offeror will provide a comprehensive workplan that benchmarks activities,
deadlines, and metrics to achieve project objectives and requirements. To
include stakeholder engagement plan.
Within 30 days after
contract is awarded
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.2.4
Offeror provides a quarterly program report that demonstrates progress
toward program goals.
Offeror shall participate in monthly calls with the ODH Rural Health
Transformation (RHT) team.
Offeror will provide roster of rural pharmacy advisory group participants to
ODH. Provide updated roster within 45 days of any changes to the group
membership.
Within 30 days of the end
of each quarter.
Monthly on mutually
agreed upon date.
Within six (6) months of
contract start date.
Offeror will provide findings of the needs assessment and priority counties
3.2.5
for piloting the Electronic Medial Record/Health Information Exchange Within nine (9) months of
(EMR/HIE) project to ODH.
contract start date.
Offeror will provide findings from pilot project of integration of community
3.2.6 pharmacy workflow with state/regional HIE and workplan for scaling the
pilot to additional rural counties
6/30/2027
Offeror shall provide documentation of workflow best practices for care
3.2.7
delivery that increases HIE adoption, care delivery, and optimizes
outcomes. Utilize a continuous quality improvement framework to modify
this product as a result of lessons learned during pilot and expanded
implementation of the RHTP pharmacy initiative.
First iteration due by
6/30/2027, updates
continue throughout the
optional renewal years.
RFP Solicitation Request Rev. 6.2025
Page 5 of 9
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
