Hospital Administrators :: Tips on Requests for Proposals

With over sixty emergency departments, CEP America (CEP) has participated in the RFP (Request for Proposal) process a significant number of times since our creation in 1975.

The decision to initiate a Request for Proposal for emergency department provider staffing and management is complex at best as the Emergency Department (ED) is the gateway to your hospital and the satisfaction of your patients and medical staff greatly affects the future dollars for your site and/or hospital system.

If this is the first time you are considering an RFP for your ED staffing and management, you may find some of the following tips helpful:

Medical Staff

Meet with the Chief of Medical Staff to be sure that they are aware of the process being considered/initiated and that their concerns are addressed in the proposal responses.

Potential Contractors

Decide which emergency department groups you would like to solicit for responses to your RFP. You may also want to consider posting the proposal opportunity on your website.

Pre-Bid Orientation

Conduct a pre-bid orientation to provide interested applicants an opportunity to tour the existing emergency facility and to ask questions. Attendance at this orientation can be optional.

RFP Document

Prepare a list of questions to help assess the potential contractor’s competencies and ability to provide the leadership needed for your emergency department.*

RFP Review Committee

Select a committee to review the proposals. Evaluate on the basis of completeness, clarity, and how well the group appears to meet the financial and service objectives of the hospital. The applicant’s management style, philosophy and performance in staffing other emergency departments of similar hospitals should also be evaluated. Select finalists and set up interview times.

Interview Panel/Selection Committee

Select a panel composed of medical staff, nursing services staff and hospital administrative staff to evaluate each group’s presentation and ask any additional questions at the interviews. A scorecard covering key areas of service/concern is helpful in evaluating the capabilities of the finalists.

*CEP America has developed a Model Request for Proposal for Emergency Services that may be helpful if you are considering an RFP for Emergency Department Services. Please fill out the form below if you would like to receive a copy. Please indicate if you need the envelope to be marked “confidential.”

Name: Title:
Hospital:
City: State: Zipcode:
Email:
Annual Volume:
Current Physician Group:
How did you learn about CEP America?
Please check this box if you would like any correspondence from CEP America to be marked confidential.
         

Note

If you would like CEP America to respond to an RFP that you will be issuing, please contact:
Sarah Hay, Director of Business Development
CEP America
2100 Powell Street, Suite 920, Emeryville, CA 94608-1803
800.476.1504
info@cep.com