Continual purchase of the Vanderbilt University's Patient Advocacy Reporting System (PARS) for continual measurement/monitoring and evaluation of UIHHSS physicians. The UIHHSS does this by monitoring physicians performance, provide training to poor performing physicians and/or take disciplinary action. The system processes the data and provides analysis via proprietary software, on the specific physician. Then, UIHHSS can take action based upon the analysis. The vendor analyzes physician performance based on patient complaints and other data. The analysis determines the degree of physician behavior intervention that may be appropriate. University physicians participating on the Intervention Committee receive vendor-provided training and support for the conduct of physician interventions and potential disciplinary action. Professional liability settlements and required reserves are a significant expense to the University. A service that can provide detailed data that identifies "at risk" physicians and enables appropriate interventions has the potential to reduce the University's malpractice exposure (and therefore associated expenses) and improve patient safety. Newly implemented is the CORS PHASE III: Co-worker Observation Reporting System.

The university, on information and belief, has concluded that only one vendor can meet its need or can meet the need economically. That vendor is Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The university has provided detailed justification to support its conclusion as shown on the attached Sole Source Justification Form.

Although the university has presented this as a sole source procurement, we are seeking competitive information from firms with the capability of meeting the university's need (even if performed in a manner different from what has been presented) to contact us and provide sufficient information to show the need can be met. If we receive that information, the Chief Procurement Officer will offer a public hearing to consider the matter. Hearing information is described below.

All sole source hearings under the jurisdiction of the Chief Procurement Officer for Higher Education will be conducted by tele-conference only until the in-person option is reinstated.

The University has determined that this purchase is only economically available from this source because the procurement is software license, upgrade or maintenance.