Cessation Program for Health Systems

The contract solicitation issued by the Mississippi Department of Health’s Office of Tobacco Control seeks professional services to implement the Tobacco Cessation Program for Health Systems, focusing on embedding the U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence within family medicine practices across Mississippi. The overarching objective is to increase tobacco use screenings and provider referrals to cessation services with specific emphasis on youth and young adults. Key strategies include engaging healthcare providers affiliated with the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, delivering evidence-based cessation referral trainings, promoting state Quitline services, and leveraging mass-reach interventions such as the CDC’s Tips Campaign and other media efforts to amplify tobacco cessation outreach. Deliverables include multiple Quitline referral trainings, annual guideline trainings for residency programs, dissemination of quarterly newsletters, promotion via posters and social media posts, and comprehensive monthly reporting on program progress. This is a state-level professional services contract with a performance term not exceeding five years, dependent on legislative appropriations and approvals by relevant state authorities. The contract emphasizes compliance with state procurement rules and public health confidentiality as well as transparency laws. Payment is handled electronically according to Mississippi statutes, with invoicing requiring detailed budget justifications submitted monthly. The evaluation for award is based on a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) basis, assessing responsiveness, responsibility, and price in a pass/fail manner, with no numerical scoring or trade-offs. The contractor must maintain a documented quality control program subject to state inspection, and key personnel require approval by the state. Several special contract clauses address ethics, e-verification compliance, prohibition of contingent fees, termination rights, and ownership of work products. While no pricing or total contract value is provided in the solicitation, the scope includes specified quantities of trainings and promotional activities to be performed exclusively within Mississippi. All contract deliverables, reporting, and related documentation are to be maintained within MSDH systems, ensuring full accountability and adherence to applicable federal and state health, procurement, and confidentiality regulations.