The California Department of Public Health has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the management and operation (M&O) of the Surveillance and Public Health Information Reporting and Exchange, or SaPHIRE.
The SaPHIRE system is part of the department’s Center for Infectious Diseases (CID) and is used to “support laboratory and case reporting for over 80 reportable conditions, including influenza, tuberculosis, measles, HIV, syphilis and mpox,” the solicitation reads. The system allows CDPH to receive laboratory results and case reports related to disease surveillance.
According to the solicitation, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted substantial multiyear investment and updates to public health tracking systems, which included the California COVID-19 Reporting System. That system became SaPHIRE after a June 2022 procurement and transition that concluded in December of the same year.
The department has also received significant funding for the ongoing M&O work since the 2022 SaPHIRE implementation. In the 2022-23 budget cycle, the project received $34.2 million, followed by $32.6 million in 2023-24, $28.6 million in 2024-25, and $27.1 million in 2025-26.
In the current budget cycle, the department is asking for more through a budget change proposal for the ongoing M&O work and 15 positions to the tune of $24.5 million, $18.5 million in 2027-28, and $3.7 million in 2028-29.
Of the $24.5 million requested for this budget year, $20.7 million would be used for “technology service contracts, software licenses and interdepartmental services,” while the remaining $3.7 million would be used for personnel costs.
It’s a similar story in 2027-28, where $14.7 million is slated for service contracts and licensing, while the remaining $3.7 will support personnel costs. The $3.7 million requested in 2028-29 will be used to support the personnel costs associated with the project.
Final proposals are due no later than 5 p.m., March 4.
This contract could extend a total of eight years — an initial five-year term, with the possibility of three one-year extensions. The point of contact for this solicitation is Bihn Thai. The full RFP package can be found here.
CDPH Issues Solicitation, BCP for SaPHIRE System M&O
What to Know:- The California Department of Public Health is looking for a maintenance and operations vendor to manage its Surveillance and Public Health Information Reporting and Exchange.
- The system has received more than $122 million in funding since its initial buildout in 2022.
- The department has issued a budget change proposal for the project that could see as much as $24.5 million this budget cycle, and more than $22 million in the next two budget cycles.
