Specifications include, but are not limited to: Benton County and the Respective Cities of Cave Springs, Centerton, Decatur, Gentry, and Highfill Arkansas (County and Respective Cities) is seeking proposals from interested and qualified parties (Contractors) for the award of an emergency medical service (EMS) contract. This proposal is for the provision of emergency medical service for the portion of Benton County and Respective Cities, Arkansas described on the enclosed map pursuant to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth in or referred to in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ). This RFQ is open to all qualified Contractors who meet the minimum qualifications and can document required credentials as outlined in this RFQ. The intent is for a single Provider/Contractor to provide EMS to the unincorporated portion of the County and the Respective Cities as an emergency operating area (EOA). The award shall be made at the sole discretion of the County and the Respective Cities to the Contractor who provides the best value and displays evidence of satisfactory qualifications and responsibility to fully execute the requirements as set forth by the County and Respective Cities.; 1. Coverage: The Contractor will provide emergency ground ambulance service for the unincorporated County and the Respective Cities of Cave Springs, Centerton, Decatur, Gentry, and Highfill. See table listed in Section 2 B.1 Emergency Operating Area.; 2. Response Time Requirements: Ambulances must be compliant with the following minimum response time requirements. Response times are a combination of dispatch operations and field operations. The County and the Respective Cities shall be responsible for classifying all EMS calls using dispatch protocols and using emergency medical dispatching. The County and the Respective Cities does not plan to limit the Contractor’s flexibility in the methods of deployment and providing service as long as the minimum response time requirements are achieved. The Contractor shall place a transport capable ALS service ambulance at the scene of all requests for emergency medical services within the designated response time at a minimum of a ninety percent (90%) rate for all emergency dispatch response requests. This rate will be measured monthly and reported to the County and Respective Cities.; 1. EMS Medical Director: a. The EMS Medical Director should provide medical oversight to ensure that the Contractor operates within the mainstream of the local healthcare system.; b. At a minimum the EMS medical director should have appropriate training, certification and licensure; expertise in EMS systems; and expertise in the specific type of operation. Ideally, the medical director should be a fully qualified member of the Contractors’ operational EMS team.; c. The qualified medical director and his or her designees should ensure that a local standard of care is established and met. Such standards should coincide with all State of Arkansas statues. This includes assuring that EMS personnel function within their defined scopes of practice, as established by their training and certification or licensure as outlined by the Arkansas Department of Health.; 2. Clinical Standards: a. The Contractor should provide details on how the following clinical standards will be ensured.; b. All ambulances that respond to emergency requests for service will be staffed with a minimum of one (1) EMT-Paramedic, and one (1) EMT-Basic.; c. All response personnel shall meet the minimal education and credentialing requirements as set forth by the Arkansas Department of Health in conjunction with the EMS Medical Director.; 3. Continuous Improvement: a. The Contractor shall establish a Continuous Quality Improvement program that encompasses all aspect of the EMS operation. This should include the establishment of Key Performance Indicators that are monitored as a gauge of the system’s overall level of performance to Benton County and Respective Cities. These should include at a minimum: (1) Clinical Indicators; (2) Operation Indicators; (3) Financial Indicators; (4) Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Indicators; (5) Customer Satisfaction Indicators; b. The Contractor should provide an explanation of its Continuous Quality Improvement program.
