Tennessee’s Health Chief Lisa Piercey is defending her decision to grant a no-bid contract to a vendor with no experience in testing for COVID.
In a hearing with legislators Thursday, Piercey said it happened during a time when the state was having issue contracting companies to help with mass testing.
The contract with Nomi Health was for about $27 million dollars. An investigation by NewsChannel 5 earlier this week showed that its testing platform was less sensitive than the state’s standards.
Piercey told lawmakers the state backed out after paying about $6 million.
“There was specificity in the contract that it had to meet or exceed standard lab procedures or we wouldn’t consider it the quality that Tennesseans deserve,” Piercey said. “And so they made a couple of adjustments and ultimately, they weren’t able to get the sensitivity of the lab equipment down to where we need it or where they had promised.”
Lawmakers took issue with how the contract was granted, but also with the fact that Piercey signed it despite objections from career employees over it.
Rep. Michael Curcio, R-Dickson, emphasized the need to listen to those subject matter experts within the agency.
“In Dickson County ,we would say you got hay in the barn,” Curcio said. “Why do I keep hearing that there is a reluctance inside this state government, inside this administration … to ask subject matter experts what their opinion is?”
Piercey said she had asked the opinion of many. The contract was signed on May 1. The state ended it on June 12.
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