Oversight committee approves $118,080 monitoring contract and authorizes up-to-$225,000 search firm to recruit chief scientific officer

At a remote special meeting, the oversight committee voted to approve two service-contract actions: a Care Review Monitoring Services agreement with Business and Financial Management Solutions and authorization to negotiate a contract with a search firm to recruit a new chief scientific officer.

McConnell, who presented the items, said the monitoring contract will start Oct. 1 and that the remaining value for this fiscal year is $118,080; the agency extended the prior contract from FY2024 to cover peer-review meetings held in September. On the recruitment, McConnell said the request is to negotiate with a search firm for an amount not to exceed $225,000 and that the related RFP closes Friday, Sept. 27.

A committee member asked whether the monitoring contract was competitively procured and how many firms competed. McConnell said the work went out as an RFP but “there actually weren't” many responders and described the vendor as the third-party observer that issues reports on whether rules and conflict-of-interest disclosures were followed.

Dr. Bill Rice, presiding temporarily, called for a motion to approve the fiscal-year 2025 contract actions as presented by McConnell. A motion was made and seconded, members responded “aye,” and Dr. Rice said the motion carried; he later confirmed no dissent was reported.

McConnell noted a vendor financial-interest disclosure survey had been distributed and asked members who had not completed it to do so. With no further business, the committee adjourned and indicated it will reconvene in November.

The oversight committee did not provide a roll-call vote tally in the meeting transcript; committee members verbally indicated support and no dissent was recorded.