Security, Innovation, and IT Operations (SIO) - Request For Information

The Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) plays a critical role in ensuring the quality and safety of care delivered to millions of beneficiaries. CCSQ relies on an interconnected set of systems and services to manage clinical quality reporting, certification processes, and regulatory oversight.

As the healthcare ecosystem shifts toward greater interoperability and real-time data exchange, CCSQ’s mission increasingly depends on modern, efficient, secure, and standards-based technical infrastructure, that leverages, where appropriate, the use if AI and promotes an interoperability framework by introducing and expanding the use of FHIR-based APIs. In an effort to optimize and reduce the cost of IT services, CMS/CCSQ is proactively reviewing all contracts for embedded IT components.

This initiative will include a comprehensive scan of current contracts (led by CMS), identification and management of corrective actions, targeted communications, process refinement, and an educational campaign to prevent future occurrences. CMS anticipates needing architectural, security, and project management support as part of this effort.