Lawmakers seek competitive contract to run psychiatric institute

Five House members who chair committees have urged the state’s chief procurement officer to halt the state’s contract with Wellpath to operate the Alaska Psychiatric Institute.

In a letter, the lawmakers — Health and Social Services Co-chairs Ivy Spohnholz of Anchorage and Tiffany Zulkosky of Bethel; State Affairs Co-chairs Zack Fields and Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins; and Judiciary Committee Chairman Matt Claman — said the state Department of Health and Social Services should seek a competitive contract to operate the facility.

House Health and Social Services Co-chairwoman Ivy Spohnholz co-wrote the letter. She said the department didn’t provide enough information to Chief Procurement Officer Jason Soza for him to be able to adequately review the contract, which would pay Wellpath $225 million over five years.

“The department did not properly educate or inform our state’s chief procurement officer about the scope of this contract, the other alternatives that were available, and about the potential risks in awarding this contract,” Spohnholz said.

Read more: https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/04/08/lawmakers-seek-competitive-contract-to-run-psychiatric-institute/