4. #26-1012 - Request for Proposals - Emergency Medical Services Medical Director

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
RFP NO: 26-1012
Date of Issue: April 16, 2026
Proposals Due: May 14, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM ET
Issued for:
Catawba County Emergency Services
100 Government Drive
Newton, North Carolina 28658
Issued by:
Catawba County Purchasing Manager
25 Government Drive
Newton, North Carolina 28658
(828) 465-8224

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 3
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 BACKGROUND
SECTION 2 PROPOSAL INFORMATION .............................................................. 3
2.1 GENERAL INFORMATION
2.2 RFP SCHEDULE
2.3 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS
2.4 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
2.5 REJECTION OF PROPOSALS
2.6 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS
SECTION 3 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS ........................................................... 7
3.1 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
SECTION 4 SCOPE OF SERVICES ..................................................................... 7
4.1 SCOPE OF SERVICES
SECTION 5 PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND AWARD ........................................... 8
5.1 PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA
5.2 METHOD OF AWARD
SECTION 6 REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................ 9
6.1 PROPOSER RESPONSIBILITY
6.2 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS
6.3 CONTROLLING LAW
6.4 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
6.5 TERM OF CONTRACT
6.6 TERMINATION
6.7 NON-APPROPRIATION CLAUSE
6.8 INSURANCE COVERAGE
6.9 E-VERIFY
SECTION 7 ATTACHMENTS ............................................................................. 11
ATTACHMENT A: REFERENCE DISCLOSURE FORM
ATTACHMENT B: INTENT TO PROPOSE
ATTACHMENT C: BUSINESS ASSOCIATE ADDENDUM
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SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Catawba County (hereinafter "County") is soliciting Request for Proposals (hereinafter
"RFP's") from qualified physicians (hereinafter "Proposer") interested in serving as the
Emergency Medical Services (hereinafter "EMS") Medical Director. The Medical Director
will provide medical consultation and direction in support of EMS as its Medical Director
and Medical Education Advisor. They will provide clinical oversight, medical direction,
and leadership necessary to ensure delivery of high-quality prehospital care throughout
the County's EMS system.
The selected provider will be responsible for establishing and maintaining medical
protocols, overseeing quality assurance and improvement programs, supporting
training and continuing education, and ensuring compliance with all applicable federal,
state, and local regulations. The Medical Director will work collaboratively with County
leadership, EMS staff, and system partners to promote patient safety, operational
excellence, and continuous system improvement.
This role is critical to maintaining an effective and responsive EMS system capable of
meeting the needs of the community. The County seeks a highly qualified physician with
demonstrated experience in EMS medical direction, strong leadership capabilities, and
a commitment to advancing prehospital care.
1.2 BACKGROUND
Catawba County Emergency Medical Services provides a full array of pre-hospital
medical care including advanced life support, basic life support, specialty care
transports, non-emergency transports, and supports a number of specialty teams. Our
mission is to assure each citizen and visitor receives prompt emergency response and
the highest quality of pre-hospital care available.
Catawba County EMS is dedicated to providing the highest quality of pre-hospital care
to our citizens and visitors to our county. Catawba County EMS has been recognized
for our services with several awards, including our most recent American Heart
Association's Mission: Lifeline(R) EMS Gold Award.
A division of Catawba County Emergency Services, Catawba County EMS works closely
with local rescue squads, fire departments, hospitals, and other agencies within the
county. Our ambulances are staffed with Paramedics, Advanced EMTs, and EMTs. In
Calendar Year 2025, Catawba County EMS responded to over 35,000 calls.
SECTION 2 - PROPOSAL INFORMATION
2.1 GENERAL INFORMATION
This RFP is intended to provide Proposers with a common, uniform set of instructions
to assist in the development of their proposals and to provide a uniform method for the
County to fairly evaluate proposals and subsequently select a proposal that provides
the best solution for the County. Proposers are encouraged to initiate preparation of
proposals immediately upon receipt of the RFP in order for all relevant questions and
information needs to be identified and answered, and to allow adequate time to prepare
a comprehensive and complete response.
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This RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda
released before Contract award, which are incorporated herein by reference.
2.2 RFP SCHEDULE
The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. County will make every effort
to adhere to this schedule.
Event Responsibility Date and Time
Issue RFP County April 16, 2026
Submit Written Questions Proposer May 4, 2026
Provide Responses to Questions County May 6, 2026
Submit Proposals Proposer May 14, 2026
Contract Award County TBA
Contract Effective Date County July 1, 2026
2.3 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS
Upon review of the RFP documents, Proposer may have questions to clarify or interpret
specifications in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the
Proposal Questions process, Proposer shall submit any such questions by the above due
date. Written questions shall be emailed to tinawright@catawbacountync.gov by the
date and time specified above. Proposer should enter "RFP #: 26-1012 - Questions" as
the subject for the email. Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the
County's response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the County will be
posted in the form of an addendum to the County website,
https://www.catawbacountync.gov/county-services/purchasing/proposal-notices/
and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction or advice
provided orally or informally by any County personnel, whether made in response to a
question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or
binding. Proposer shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this
RFP.
2.4 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
Sealed proposals, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received at the
address indicated in the table below, no later than 3:00 PM on May 14, 2026. Each
envelope should be clearly labeled with: RFP 26-1012 - EMS Medical Director.
Mailing address for delivery of proposal Office Address of delivery by any other
via US Postal Service method (hand delivery, overnight, or
any other carrier)
RFP No: 26-1012 RFP No: 26-1012
Catawba County Government Center Catawba County Government Center
Attn: Purchasing Department Attn: Purchasing Department
Post Office Box 389 25 Government Drive
Newton, North Carolina 28658 Newton, North Carolina 28658
IMPORTANT NOTE: All proposals shall be physically delivered to the office address
listed above on or before the submission deadline in order to be considered timely,
regardless of the method of delivery. This is an absolute requirement. All risk of late
arrival due to unanticipated delay-whether delivered by hand, U.S. Postal Service,
courier or other delivery service is entirely on the Proposer. It is the sole responsibility
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of the Proposer to have proposals physically in this Office by the specified time and date
above. Attempts to submit a proposal via facsimile (FAX) machine, telephone or
electronic means, including but not limited to email, in response to this RFP will not be
accepted.
Proposals must be submitted with one (1) original, and one (1) electronic copy on
flash drive. Each Proposer must thoroughly examine the RFP to ensure that the
Proposer can meet all requirements of this RFP. When responding to this RFP, please
follow all instructions carefully. Failure to follow these instructions in your proposal
may be considered a non-responsive submission and may result in immediate
elimination from further consideration.
Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this RFP. It is important
that all Proposers responding to this RFP periodically check the County website for any
Addenda that may be issued prior to the proposal due date or complete Attachment B -
Intent to Propose and submit back to County at tinawright@catawbacountync.gov to be
notified when Addenda are issued. All Proposers shall be deemed to have read and
understood all information in this RFP and all Addenda thereto.
Offers submitted pursuant to this RFP are valid for ninety (90) days after Proposal due
date. Proposals received will remain confidential until a contract is awarded. No public
bid opening will be held for this solicitation.
2.5 REJECTION OF PROPOSALS
Catawba County reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals
received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP. The County
also reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities
contained in any proposal. Failure to comply with any of the terms and conditions of
this RFP may result in rejection of a proposal.
2.6 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by Proposer in connection with a
procurement transaction shall not be subject to the public disclosure under the North
Carolina Public Records Act pursuant to NCGS 66-152(3). However, the Proposer must
invoke the protection of this section prior to or upon submission of the data or other
materials and must identify the data or other materials to be protected and state the
reasons why protection is necessary. DO NOT mark every page as confidential. Each
individual page that is a trade secret or proprietary information must be labeled
"Confidential" in the top right corner. However, under no circumstances shall price
information be designated as confidential.
2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS
Proposers must carefully read the information requested in this "Proposal Contents"
section and submit a complete proposal responding to each request for information. In
order to evaluate responses efficiently and equitably, responses must be tabbed as
identified below. Failure to submit information requested may render your proposal
non-responsive.
Tab 1: Executive Summary
Provide an executive summary of the proposal. The summary should
highlight aspects of the proposal which make it superior or unique in
addressing the needs and specifications of Catawba County.
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Tab 2: Introduction: Clinical Practice Information
Legal name and structure of the Clinical Practice.
Business name (if different than legal name), address and service area,
include telephone, email address, and website address, if applicable.
Include any former company name(s) and year(s) established, if applicable.
Tab 3: Experience and Operations Summary
Understanding: Cleary state your understanding of the services requested
in this RFP and your ability to meet the specifications, including
capabilities, features, and limitations, as described herein.
Experience: Describe the Proposer's overall experience in areas directly
related to the services requested in this RFP.
Relevant Experience: Description: Provide any prior EMS Medical
Director roles, if any. Experience with:
* Out-of-Hospital Emergency Care
* 911 EMS systems
* Specialty teams (e.g. tactical EMS, etc.)
* Quality Improvement programs
* EMS education and methodology
* Resuscitation of adult and pediatric
Provide a detailed summary of any regulatory sanctions, license agency
sanctions, litigation, claim(s), contract dispute(s) filed by or against the
Proposer in the past five (5) years that are related to the services that the
Proposer provides in the regular course of business. If none, please state
that.
Tab 4: Medical Director Credentials:
Current unrestricted license to practice medicine in North Carolina
Board certification (Emergency Medicine preferred)
Current certifications (e.g. ACLS, PALS, BLS, if any)
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Relevant training and professional affiliations
Tab 5: Cost Proposal
Annual or monthly fee structure
Tab 6: Attachments
Attachment A - Reference Disclosure Form
Attachment B - Intent to Propose
Attachment C - Business Associate Addendum
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SECTION 3 - MINIMUM QUALFICATIONS
3.1 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Proposer must satisfy, at a minimum, the following qualifications:
Hold current license to practice medicine in North Carolina.
Have endorsement indicating a working relationship with the local
physician community (i.e. hospital staff, local medical society, or
emergency physicians group).
Hold board certification or be board prepared in Emergency Medicine.
Maintain BC/BP as referenced above, approved by the American Board of
Medical Specialties.
Maintain an active clinical practice.
Have education or experience in out-of-hospital emergency care.
Have participated, or possess equivalent experience, in the
resuscitation of adult and pediatric patients that suffer acute illness
or traumatic injury.
Possess knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations
regarding EMS.
Maintain appropriate medical liability coverage.
Maintain involvement in local, regional, state, or national EMS
organizations.
Maintain current certification in a standardized adult trauma
resuscitation course, a standardized adult cardiac resuscitation
course, and a standardized pediatric acute resuscitation course.
Attend quarterly EMS System Performance Improvement Committee
meetings. Serve as chair of that committee.
Complete the North Carolina College of Emergency Physicians Medical
Director's Course within the first year of appointment and in
subsequent years attend one or more of the three North Carolina EMS
Medical Directors meetings scheduled by the North Carolina Office of
EMS.
Possess familiarity with the design and operation of the EMS Systems.
Have experience in EMS education and methodology.
Maintain an active presence and level of participation in an EMS
practice setting with credentialed EMS personnel. This includes either
8 hours per year of ride time or an equivalent of 4 scene responses per
year.
Maintain significant activity with state and regional initiatives, such as
attending state/regional EMS conferences, participation in the NCCEP
EMS committee, or equivalent.
SECTION 4 - SCOPE OF SERVICES
4.1 SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Scope of Services for this contract are as follows:
1. General:
a. Is responsible for all medical oversight and clinical issues within the Catawba
County EMS System.
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b. Responsible to, but not governed by, other agencies or persons involved with
Catawba County Department of Emergency Services (e.g. Director of Emergency
Services, EMS Manager, Catawba County Peer Review Committee.)
2. Education:
a. Assist the Training Division by providing expertise in developing and
implementing educational programs involving medical personnel in the Catawba
County EMS System. These include but are not limited to the following:
i. Ongoing continuing medical education (CME) which included in-system
recertification.
ii. Develop and implement new programs.
b. Provide guidance and medical oversight for the three teaching institutions that
are part of the Catawba County Emergency Medical Services System. These are
Catawba County Emergency Medical Services, Catawba Valley Community
College Continuing Education Department, and the City of Hickory Fire
Department.
3. Evaluation:
Ensure that a Quality Management Program is in place and adequately evaluates
the system and its personnel.
4. Personnel:
a. The system Medical Director has the authority to suspend any system
personnel from functioning within the system utilizing information provided to
him by the EMS Training Division. The Medical Director will make
recommendations to reinstate or take permanent action to revoke credentials to
the EMS Manager.
b. All system personnel practicing in Catawba County must be approved by the
Director before being permitted to provide emergency medical services to the
public.
c. System personnel currently permitted to practice shall be permitted to
continue practice until cause for change presents.
5. Community Liaison
a. Serve as a liaison with medical community and respond to questions from
physicians about the Catawba County Emergency Medical Services System.
b. Make appearances, as reasonably necessary, to educate those using the
Emergency Medical Services System about its function.
6. Protocols
a. Approve medical protocols, procedures and policies, to be used by system
personnel. Review all protocols, procedures and policies on an annual basis.
b. Hold regular meetings with key administrative and operational staff of Catawba
County Department of Emergency Services to provide a forum for
communications and to discuss problems.
c. Chair the Catawba County Peer Review Committee which will be held at least
quarterly.
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SECTION 5 - PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND AWARD
5.1 PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA
The County shall evaluate all Proposer responses to confirm they meet the specifications
and requirements of the RFP. The evaluation of proposals will be based on:
Completeness and quality of proposal;
Proposer's ability to provide a solution that conforms to the specifications
included in the RFP;
Proposed methodology for providing medical oversight and clinical
leadership;
Experience and qualifications of the Proposer;
Cost competitiveness; and
Past performance and demonstrated success with similar solutions for
other public entities.
Upon completion of the evaluation process, the County will make award(s) based on the
proposal(s) that best meet the criteria as set out in this RFP. Award of a Contract to one
Proposer does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors
considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the
best value to the County. Proposers must be registered with the North Carolina
Secretary of State, in good standing, and authorized to do business in the State of North
Carolina.
If necessary, after the evaluation process, the County reserves the right to shortlist
Proposer(s) and request that the Proposer(s) conduct a presentation and be interviewed
by the selection committee.
Proposers are cautioned that this is a request for proposals, not an offer or request to
contract, and the County reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at
any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the County.
5.2 METHOD OF AWARD
Proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee based on the criteria outlined in
Section 5.1 Proposal Evaluation. The County will award to the Proposer deemed most
advantageous, taking into consideration qualifications, experience, and overall value-
not solely cost. In addition, the County may negotiate with any Proposer in order to
obtain a final contract that best meets the needs of County. However, negotiations will
not alter the original intent of the scope of services.
SECTION 6 - REQUIREMENTS
6.1 PROPOSER RESPONSIBILITY
Proposer shall meet all qualifications set forth in Section 3 - Minimum Qualifications
and provide the services set forth in Section 4 - Scope of Services included in this RFP.
Proposer will devote such time as is reasonably necessary to provide services pursuant
to this RFP, but not less than ten (10) hours per calendar month.
6.2 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS
All Proposers are expected to comply with HIPAA and all other federal, state and local
laws and regulations and will execute a Business Associate Agreement, attached to this
RFP as Attachment C.
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6.3 CONTROLLING LAW
Any contract resulting from this RFP will be governed and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of North Carolina. Venue for any adversarial proceeding is Catawba
County.
6.4 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
The Proposer chosen for contract award will be an independent contractor and not an
employee of County. Proposer is not entitled to participate in any benefits extended by
County to its own employees, including specifically worker's compensation benefits.
County is interested only in the results to be achieved, but the conduct and control of
the work lie solely with Proposer.
6.5 TERM OF CONTRACT
The initial term of this Agreement shall be for twelve (12) months, commencing on July
1, 2026, and continuing through June 30, 2027. County shall have the right to renew
this Agreement for four (4) additional terms of one (1) year each, upon all the same terms
and conditions.
6.6 TERMINATION
Either party may terminate the Agreement, for cause, in the event of the other party's
material breach of any term or condition. The offending party shall be provided written
notification of the alleged default condition and be allowed ten (10) days to correct
same. Failure to so correct will cause this Agreement to automatically terminate on the
thirtieth (30th) day following the initial written notice to the defaulting party. In the
event this Agreement is terminated, payment for work performed shall be made on a
pro-rata basis balancing the amount due with the efforts for any loss, damage or injury
suffered as a result of any breach of this Agreement.
Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time upon ninety (90) days written
notice.
6.7 NON-APPROPRIATION CLAUSE
Payment to Proposer for services is expressly conditioned upon availability of funds, and
upon the actual receipt of funds, from appropriated revenue sources. If funds are
insufficient to meet expected performances hereunder due to non-appropriation or
reduction of funds by the source, services to be provided hereunder may be adjusted by
the parties, in writing, to conform with the funds which are actually available. If such
adjustment is impractical or would defeat the intent or purpose of this Agreement, same
may be terminated accordingly without penalty.
6.8 INSURANCE COVERAGE
Catawba County will maintain general professional liability insurance, with limits of
$1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate, for any claims arising out of the
negligent acts or omissions of Proposer in providing Services during the term of this
Agreement.
6.9 E-VERIFY
Proposer shall comply with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the North
Carolina General Statutes. Further, if Proposer uses a subcontractor, Proposer shall
require the subcontractor to comply with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of
the North Carolina General Statutes.
ATTACHMENTS BEGIN ON NEXT PAGE
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