Note: On January 1, 2021, Public Knowledge, LLC merged with the Center for System Integrity (CSI) and the Center for the Support of Families (CSF), formerly part of SLI Government Solutions (SLI), to form Public Knowledge®. This merger united three leaders in management consulting, enhancing expertise, and expanding services. CSI adds IT consulting capabilities in project oversight, quality assurance, and security assessments, while CSF brings proven strategies to improve service delivery systems for children and families. Together, Public Knowledge® focuses on Programs, People, and Systems to deliver impactful solutions nationwide.

United States – August 26, 2016 – SLI Global Solutions, LLC (SLI) is proud to be awarded a contract for Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) services for the South Carolina Replacement Medicaid Management Information System (RMMIS) and the Eligibility Enrollment and Member Management System (EEMMS) projects.

South Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) serves as the single state agency designated to administer the South Carolina Medicaid program in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations and the State Plan for Medical Assistance. Healthy Connections, South Carolina’s Medicaid program, provides medical care for the economically disadvantaged who meet state and federal eligibility requirements. SCDHHS is actively engaged in a complex multi-year effort to replace its aging Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS). SCDHHS’ strategy for replacing its MMIS is being developed in response to two key demands. First is an ongoing effort to transform its Medicaid program from a fee-for-service to mandatory managed care. This key decision ultimately requires an MMIS that is materially different than the Department’s current systems. Secondly is the desire to transform not only technology but also business processes, operations, and organizational culture. Similarly, the goals for modernizing the EEMMS center on improving citizen experience, shifting eligibility staff focus, redesigning business processes, delivering enhanced services, and interfacing with the federally facilitated marketplace.

Taken together, these two initiatives will fundamentally transform South Carolina’s Medicaid enterprise. The scope and breadth of this endeavor are not without risk. As a means of risk mitigation, SCDHHS has engaged an industry best practice of procuring the services of an IV&V provider to provide the following services:

• Perform independent review of major deliverables and processes
• Identify areas of risk to systems and schedules
• Identify deviations from plans or execution of those plans that jeopardize SCDHHS programs/projects
• Ensure findings are documented clearly so the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and SCDHHS can incorporate the findings in its decision-making process
• Recommend risk mitigation options and corrective actions

SLI’s contract provides SDDHHS with full-time ongoing IV&V support for the duration of the design, development, and implementation (DDI) effort. The contract starts with a short “Discovery“ phase including a project kickoff meeting and the IV&V Plan. Following the Discovery phase is an 18-month “Monitoring” phase. A second “Monitoring” phase is planned that will end with the completion of the DDI contract.

“SLI is extremely gratified to be selected to assist SCDHHS in achieving its goals and objectives for these mission-critical projects,” said Steven Esposito, SLI’s President of Government Services. “This was a very competitive procurement. SCDHHS received eight proposals from IV&V providers across the nation. SCDHHS’s award to SLI confirms that our standards-based approach configured to the specifics of each project combined with senior SLI IV&V practitioners with deep Medicaid expertise continues to provide real value to our state Medicaid clients.”

“While we understand our IV&V role is to serve as an autonomous entity providing unbiased, independent, vendor-neutral evaluations,” Steve continued “we look forward to working as a collaborative partner with SCDHHS and its contracted vendors to help support a high-quality, on time, and on budget implementation effort.”

About Public Knowledge®

Public Knowledge® is a national management consulting firm focused on Programs, People, and Systems. We exist to help our clients solve tough problems and thrive in complex environments. For more than 30 years, we have helped our clients achieve their goals by understanding their needs and objectives as a foundation for our problem-solving process. Our goal is to provide our clients unparalleled service and act as their catalyst for change. Learn more by visiting pubknow.com.