Single Source Procurement: Hepatitis C Clinical Guidelines Education

Pursuant to New York State Finance Law § 163.10(b), The New York State Department of Health is presenting the following summary of relevant circumstances, and material and substantial reasons why a competitive procurement was not feasible.

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has not updated their hepatitis C virus (HCV) clinical guidelines targeting HCV monoinfected patients since 2005. Since that time, dramatic changes have occurred in the field of HCV screening, testing, and treatment. New expanded HCV screening recommendations were released from CDC in 2012. This recommendations expand HCV screening to persons born between 1945 and 1965 (i.e., baby boomers). The NYS HCV Testing Law, which mirrors the expanded CDC recommendations, was implemented in January 2014. HCV testing technologies have also changed with the approval of the first HCV rapid antibody screening test and the elimination of the HCV antibody confirmatory test (i.e., RIBA) resulting in CDC updating their HCV testing algorithms in 2013. HCV treatment has been rapidly changing with the arrival of new direct acting anti-viral therapies in 2011. These therapies are well tolerated, less complex, have shorter treatment durations and can cure over 90% of people with HCV.

All of these changes prompted the AIDS Institute to update their HCV clinical guidelines for patients who are monoinfected with HCV. The guidelines have been developed in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and a group of HCV experts from NYS. In addition to the guidelines, the AIDS Institute has also developed new HCV quality indicators to monitor the quality of care delivered by providers statewide. The target audience for the guidelines and quality indicators is primary care providers. Due to the substantial changes in HCV screening, testing and treatment, the AIDS Institute requests permission to amend the existing contract and workplan of St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center (SLRHC), to allow SLRHC to widely promote and educate PCPs to the new HCV clinical guidelines and quality indicators.

St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center (SLRHC) was selected through a competitive solicitation in 2013. SLRHC serves as the NYSDOH AIDS Institute Clinical Education Initiative (CEI) and is designed to enhance the capacity of New York's diverse health care workforce to deliver clinical services to improve health outcomes related to HIV, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HCV. The aims of the CEI are fourfold:

  • Provide progressive HIV, HCV and STD education to clinicians;
  • Disseminate AIDS Institute clinical practice guidelines;
  • Expand the base of providers able to diagnose and care for HIV, HCV and STD patients;
  • Foster partnerships between community-based providers and HIV, HCV and STD specialists.

CEI also serves as the HIV/HCV Center providing free education and training for medical providers in NYS. Clinicians are updated on the latest NYS guidelines to enhance the capacity to deliver clinical services to improve health outcomes related to HIV/HCV. SLRHC's existing relationship and current competitively-procured role make them the most logical and efficient recipient for this funding.

Procurement / Program Name Hepatitis C Clinical Guidelines Education
Contractor Name(s) St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center
Contract Period 7/1/2015 – 6/30/2016
Contract Number(s) C029597