Opportunity Overview
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Center for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, is accepting applications under Open Enrollment HHS0014039 for Medical Staffing for a Declared Emergency/Disaster Event. This is a healthcare emergency-response contracting pathway, not a fixed-dollar grant.
DSHS is building a statewide pool of medical staffing contractors able to deploy credentialed health and allied-health professionals during pending or actual disasters, other State Missions, and requested training or exercise events. Contractors must maintain a reliable process for vetting, verifying and credentialing every professional deployed under the contract.
Deadline and Contract Structure
The current Texas HHS opportunity page lists the submission deadline as November 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST. DSHS intends to establish contracts with several contractors statewide. The Open Enrollment does not guarantee any deployment volume, utilization or compensation; resulting contracts remain subject to appropriations, available funding and termination provisions.
Contracts awarded under the Open Enrollment are anticipated to expire November 15, 2028, unless terminated earlier. DSHS may extend a contract for up to 12 additional months in one-month increments when necessary for continuity, transition or the State’s interests and subject to available funding.
Who Can Apply
The controlling Open Enrollment requires the applicant to be an established company providing agency staffing services; individuals may not apply. The applicant must have at least three years of relevant experience, be capable of providing the required statewide emergency staffing services, hold an IRS Employer Identification Number, remain legally authorized to do business in Texas with an Active franchise-tax status, not be debarred from federal or State funding, and be free of disqualifying negative vendor-performance reports.
Each professional proposed for deployment must hold all permits, licenses and certifications required for the assigned service and must have at least two years of experience in the applicable medical specialty. Applicants must also provide at least three recent references showing positive performance on similar services during the two-year period immediately preceding application.
What DSHS May Activate
DSHS may activate contractors case by case for a State Mission or Event and may issue State Mission Assignments, State of Texas Assistance Requests and funded purchase orders associated with a federal or State disaster declaration. The agency states that award and activation decisions will depend in part on a contractor’s ability to supply the requested number and types of professionals within the required deployment timeframe.
The verified personnel list includes licensed vocational nurses, respiratory care practitioners, paramedics, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, phlebotomists, emergency medical technicians, epidemiologists, sanitarians, staffing coordinators and consultants, medical administrators, scribes, medical-supply unit leads, CT technologists, X-ray technologists and other required professional personnel specified by DSHS.
Payment and Operational Readiness
This is an activation-based service contract rather than an upfront award. DSHS uses established fully loaded hourly rates by position type. Those rates incorporate straight pay, overtime, meals, lodging, in-theater transportation and incidentals, and contractors must provide the documentation required for payment or any applicable federal reimbursement. Contractors must also be prepared for rapid activation, staffing coordination, required reporting, background checks, insurance, cybersecurity and data-use obligations.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 91/100. This is a highly actionable statewide healthcare workforce and emergency-preparedness procurement for established medical staffing companies with verified rapid-deployment capability. Its value is potentially significant because DSHS intends to maintain several statewide contractors and may issue funded deployment orders as emergencies arise, but applicants should not model a guaranteed contract value because the Open Enrollment expressly guarantees no volume, usage or compensation.
N9+ Direct Vendor Fit: 0/100. The verified scope is professional medical staffing and deployment. The solicitation does not establish a telehealth, remote physical examination, connected-device or clinical-technology procurement pathway, so Atlas does not force a Dr. Miltie technology role into this opportunity.
Next Action
Qualified medical staffing companies should verify Texas business status and relevant experience, confirm they can credential and rapidly deploy the required professional disciplines, assemble at least three recent positive references, validate licenses and certifications, review the fully loaded rate structure and insurance/data requirements, complete every required HHS exhibit and application form, and submit the complete application well before November 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST.
Official source: Texas HHS Open Enrollment HHS0014039.