Nature of this request for expressions of interest:
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is asking that suppliers interested in providing primary health care to offenders as a primary care physician submit an expression of interest to the appropriate regional CSC contact person identified below.
BACKGROUND:
CSC has a legal obligation, under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA), Section 86, as follows: “The Service shall provide every inmate with essential health care and reasonable access to non-essential health care.”
The mission of CSC Health Services is to provide offenders with efficient and effective health care that: is patient/family/support-centered; encourages individual responsibility and patient self-management; promotes healthy reintegration at discharge; and contributes to safe communities. CSC has 43 correctional facilities from coast to coast, including large urban centres and more remote communities, and serves increasingly diverse populations.
Health services are provided in: Primary Care Health Centres in Institutions; Regional Hospitals (inpatient medical care); and Regional Treatment / Psychiatric Centres (inpatient psychiatric care). Inmates may have to go to the community for emergency services, specialized health care services and for hospitalization that cannot be managed in CSC’s Regional Hospitals. In CSC, health care is provided by a wide range of regulated and non-regulated health professionals.
There are challenges practicing primary care medicine (physical and psychiatric) in a Canadian Federal Correctional environment, such as providing care in the context of various security levels and its related requirements. CSC has developed policy and guidelines in order to provide direction to health care professions regarding these differences.
REQUIREMENTS:
Primary care physicians in CSC provide essential integrated, trauma informed Primary Care health services to inmates during institutional clinics, as requested by the CSC project authority.
These services include, but are not limited to the following:
Essential physical health assessment;
Development of care plans;
Consultation;
Treatment;
Primary mental health care (this includes collaborating with mental health professionals as well as initiating and continuing the prescription of psychotropic medications);
Appropriate referrals;
Urgent health services (any condition that is likely to deteriorate to an emergency or affect the inmate's ability to carry out their activities of daily living is considered to be "urgent") including referral to the appropriate community hospital for emergency medical services when required;
Visit hospitalized offenders admitted to community hospitals when required as authorized by the CSC Project Authority.
Integrate all aspects of care including care provided outside of CSC, by consultant/specialists for those inmates under the primary care physician’s direct care.
CSC has implemented an electronic health information system. Primary care physicians must document all assessment, treatment and consultations in the Inmates Electronic Health Care Records.
Primary care physicians in CSC must also provide services and participate in activities related to the provision of health care in CSC, such as:
Participating in Annual Medical Practitioner Quality Improvement Reviews and CSC inmate grievance/investigation/human rights complaints processes, or court proceedings;
Providing input into reports on health care delivery (including but not limited to: infectious diseases surveillance, mental health, services to older persons, opiate agonist treatment, prevalence of chronic disease);
Participating in policy and guideline development;
Providing educational sessions to CSC staff;
Meetings with lead primary care physician/psychiatrist;
Advising CSC on models of service delivery.
CONSTRAINTS:
Characteristics of the offender population:
Along with recognizing the gender, cultural, religious and linguistic differences of inmates, primary care physicians must particularly take into consideration the historical context of the lives of Canada’s Indigenous peoples and be sensitive to the impacts of intergenerational trauma and the physical, mental, emotional, and social harms experienced by Indigenous people. They must also apply the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela rules)
Security:
As primary care physicians under contract to CSC have access to sensitive and protected information and provide care in restricted areas of correctional facilities, they are subject to security requirements. They must practice and take measures to protect shared personal health information in accordance with the applicable legislation which governs the disclosure of personal and health information under federal and provincial laws, applicable provincial health information acts, and the provincial/territorial regulatory body’s professional practice standards.
Insurance:
Primary care physicians must comply with CSC’s insurance requirements, including medical malpractice liability insurance and commercial general liability insurance. Primary care physicians must maintain the required insurance coverage for the duration of the Contract.
SUPPORT TO CONTRACTOR:
CSC provides all supplies and equipment required for
the delivery of health services to inmates.
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
CSC will assess any supplier interested in providing primary care physician services to offenders, as a minimum, in relation to the following requirements:
A. The supplier must hold a current license in good standing from the provincial licensing body for physicians and surgeons in the province where services are to be provided.
B. The supplier must have a minimum of six (6) months experience in providing primary care in the last two (2) years prior to the closing date of solicitations.
CSC will disclose additional requirements in bid solicitations issued to obtain primary care physician services for specific institutions.
CSC reserves the right to modify any and all of these requirements at any time in accordance with its needs.
SCHEDULE
This REI will remain posted on the Government Electronic Tendering Service (GETS) until such time that CSC determines, at its sole discretion, that it is no longer required.
SUBMISSION OF EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
At any time, interested suppliers may submit their expression of interest in response to this REI, by email, to the appropriate regional Contracting Authority. The expression of interest may be in English or French, and describe the supplier’s ability to meet the requirements of the Statement of Work, and/or provide comments and pose questions.
REGIONAL CONTRACTING AUTHORITIES:
ATLANTIC REGION:
Lise Bourque Regional Contract Officer Contracting and Materiel Services Atlantic Region Correctional Service Canada Email:
lise.bourque@csc-scc.gc.ca
Telephone: 506-851-6977
QUEBEC REGION:
Martine Pilon Act. Regional Manager, Contracting and Materiel Services Regional Services Center Quebec region Correctionnal Service Canada Email:
Martine.A.pilon@csc-scc.gc.ca
Telephone: 450-661-9550 extension: 3914
PACIFIC REGION:
Willow Bruyninckx Regional Manager Contracting & Materiel Services Regional Headquarters - Pacific Correctional Service Canada Email:
Willow.Bruyninckx@csc-scc.gc.ca
Telephone: 604-870-2560
Please indicate file number: 21120-20-PHYS/MÉD-00224 in all correspondence.
REVIEW OF THE EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
CSC reserves the right to request additional information for clarification during the review of expressions of interest against this REI.
THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION PROCESS
Suppliers are to note that this is not a tender process, nor a request for proposal. The issuance of this REI does not create an obligation for CSC to issue or negotiate a subsequent contract, and does not bind CSC legally or otherwise to enter into a contract or to accept any suggestions from suppliers.
Canada is not bound to accept any expression of interest or to consider it further.
Changes to this REI may occur and will be advertised on the Government Electronic Tendering Service. CSC asks suppliers to visit buyandsell.gc.ca regularly to check for changes, if any.
All inquiries and other communications related to this REI should be directed to the appropriate regional Contracting Authority named above.
