Explanation
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize a contract with Equitas Health to continue a partnership to support the community-wide comprehensive harm reduction program called Safe Point, in an amount not to exceed $350,000.00 for a period of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025.
Request for Quotation (RFQ025953) - Safe Syringe and Harm Reduction Services was posted on Bonfire to solicit bids for the Safe Syringe (Safe Point) program on September 21, 2023 through October 20, 2023 at 12pm. No vendors submitted bids by the October 20, 2023 12pm deadline. Following the conclusion of the RFQ025953 solicitation, Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS) contacted three potential vendors to directly secure bids and undertake reasonable measures to provide for competition among bidders. ADS contacted Equitas Health, Central Outreach Services, and Southeast Healthcare to directly solicit bids. Central Outreach opted not to submit a bid and Southeast Healthcare provided no response. Equitas Health was the only vendor to submit a bid from the three aforementioned vendors. Therefore, Equitas Health was awarded the Safe Syringe and Harm Reduction Services (Safe Point) contract. RFQ025953 indicated the contract renews annually dependent on funding availability through December 31, 2026 with the contract being issued for the calendar year January 1 to December 31.
Harm reduction services provided by Equitas Health allow clients who are at high-risk of accidental overdose death to access the lifesaving drug, Naloxone, and receive risk reduction counseling, referrals to Alcohol & Drug treatment, and overdose prevention education.
Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3707.57 states that the Board of Health has to approve/establish a blood borne infectious disease prevention program. A syringe exchange program is a blood borne infectious disease prevention program. At this time Columbus Public Health does not have the capacity to provide this service.
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