CDC Update: NYS Dept. of Health and #MEAction Bid for Contract

[Andy]

On August 27th, #MEAction published a petition calling for the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to immediately halt its plan to issue a sole-source contract – meaning there was no true competitive bidding process in place – to the Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) for conducting a literature review for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

.........

On September 8th – a Saturday – the CDC suddenly issued the contract solicitation as a competitive bid proposal. Unfortunately, they gave less than four additional business days for anyone to apply. The CDC did not advertise that it had issued a new solicitation, and the community only found out about the new deadline a couple days before the due date.

We knew we had to act fast.

#MEAction reached out to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) AIDS Institute about working together to submit a bid for the contract to conduct a literature review of ME. The plan being for #MEAction to provide administrative oversight, and subcontract to the NYSDOH AIDS Institute to conduct the evidence review on ME.

We reached out to NYSDOH AIDS Institute for this contract because of their exceptional record for developing treatment guidelines and evidence reviews. #MEAction decided that this would serve as a strong and important partnership.

https://www.meaction.net/2018/10/18...part-of-health-and-meaction-bid-for-contract/

 

[Alvin]

We need to have eternal vigilance to prevent "scientific" organizations from screwing us over by believing lies and not looking into the most modern science...
I look forward to the day this is no longer an issue and we can trust scientific organizations to be scientific.

All that said ME Action basically pulled a rabbit out of their hat, very well done. The story aint over but this is still quite the accomplishment already

 

[Skycloud]

The CDC is slippery and they want patients to trust them? Well done ME Action.

 

[Sasha]

Note:

Current status: A month has passed since we submitted the bid. We hope the CDC listens to reason and issues this contract to #MEAction and the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute. We will keep you updated on our next steps and our next actions. We will continue to fight for all people with ME.​

 

[JaimeS]

All that said ME Action basically pulled a rabbit out of their hat, very well done.

That's about what it felt like at the time!

I have to give credit to Terri again, it was her contacts in NY that made aligning with the NYS org that did AIDS research possible. Still, the idea that it was due at a particular time of day and that it had to be in person, in hand was nuts. If we didn't have so many allies and advocates working together -- like Elizabeth Burlingame who lived (pretty) close to the CDC -- it never could have happened. We may not get the contract, but the fact that we were able to complete the work and hand it off is a testament to everyone's collaborative hard work.

This is my way of saying "we couldn't have done it without you".