SOLICITATION NOTICE
Q -- Pathology Services Oversight-Saginaw
- Notice Date
- 7/20/2007
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 621111
— Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists)
- Contracting Office
- Aleda E Lutz VA Medical Center;1500 Weiss Street;Saginaw MI 48602
- ZIP Code
- 48602
- Solicitation Number
- VA-251-07-RP-0111
- Response Due
- 8/10/2007
- Archive Date
- 9/9/2007
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. his announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-18. The North American Industry Classification System Code is 621111, Offices of Physicians. The small business size standard is $9.0 million average annual receipts for the past three years. This procurement is unrestricted. Proposed rates shall include all costs associated with providing the following services. Request For Proposal (RFP) VA-251-07-RP-0111 to provide off-site Pathology Services Oversight for the Pathology C.1.0 SCOPE: The contractor shall provide pathologist(s) with expertise in Anatomic Pathology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Immunochemistry, Blood Bank, Coagulation, Urinalysis, Serology, Ancillary Testing, and Hematology to provide professional medical direction to each of the sections in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (PALMS) at the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center, Saginaw, Michigan and Community Based Outpatient Clinics. Contractor shall ensure that all CAP requirements are met, including but not limited to those listed in section C.2 below.C.2.0 Description of Responsibilities: C.2.1 Monitors work performed within the laboratory to determine that medically reliable data are being generated.C.2.2 Assists in the development of quality improvement plans and quality monitors. C.2.3 Reviews and signs all quality control and performance monitors monthly.C.2.4 Participates in surveys when appropriate and requested.C.2.5 Reviews and signs proficiency testing when requested by Lab Manager or Chief, PALMS. Makes recommendations to the Laboratory Manager or Chief PALMS to ensure that the Service maintains acceptable proficiency testing status.C.2.6 Provides consultation for and is present during CAP inspections, Joint Commission surveys, VA Inspector General audits, and other surveys and reviews. C.2.7 Recommends new instrumentation and methodologies as appropriate for workload and patient care needs.C.2.8 Reviews and approves service procedure manuals in cooperation with the Laboratory Manager or Chief PALMS.C.2.9 Provides technical and professional education, including in-service training of personnel when needed for continuing education purposes and Grand Rounds presentations when appropriate for medical staff education.C.2.10 Participates as a member of the Tumor Review Board.C.2.11Acts as Chairman for the Transfusion Committee, assuring that all blood product quality monitors and provider performance monitors related to transfusion are properly reported and documented in committee meeting minutes.C.2.12 Assures that all required follow-up is reported and documented for blood product utilization and review, within guidelines set by the medical center. Refers deficiencies to Lab Manager or Chief, PALMS for follow-up action.C.2.13 Reviews, evaluates, and provides professional direction with regard to updating normal reference ranges when appropriate.C.2.14 Reviews laboratory computerized patient records for appropriate content and format, including accuracy and legibility. Makes recommendation for changes to Lab Manager or Chief, PALMS for corrective action.C.2.15 Interprets test results and provides consultation to medical providers when called upon.C.2.16 Meets weekly with Laboratory Manager or Chief PALMS to coordinate laboratory activities.C.2.17 Provide input to Chief of PALMS for technical competency evaluation of the Laboratory Manager.C.2.18 Pathologist shall be available via telephone and/or email for emergency consultation, 24 hours/day, seven days/week.C.2.19 Is an active member of the Medical Staff, and attends no less than two Medical Staff meetings per year. Attends additional meetings at the request of the Chief of Staff in order to provide technical guidance to the Medical Staff. C.2.20 Provides alternate fully qualified, VA privileged and credentialed Pathologist for periods of leave, assuring that coverage is continuous.C.3.0. Qualifications: Board Certification in Anatomical or Clinical Pathology with a current active license. Documentation for Laboratory Director and all alternate Pathologists to be provided annually or whenever status is updated or changed. C.4.0 JCAHO Standard Elements-The contract provider shall continuously meet or exceed all Joint Commission standards. The patient population treated by the Aleda E. Lutz VAMC, Saginaw Michigan, consists of veterans with varying physical, psychiatric, and psychological needs. Their conditions are, in many cases, directly related to the individual's service to this country.C.4.1 Patient Rights: Protection of all patient rights is of highest priority. VAMC staff will provide all patients a copy of the Patients Rights handbook on entry to care. Patient privacy and confidentiality will be maintained at all times. Computer access will be granted on a need-to-know basis, and security of computerized information shall be maintained at all times. All patient complaints, which are unable to be resolved by the contract provider, will be referred to the Patient Representative. The contract provider and patient care services provided will be included in VAMC data collection activities related to patient compliments, complaints, and satisfaction. No patients will be subject to any research activity without his fully informed consent, and study approval by the Investigational Research Board (IRB). The contract provider shall abide by the VAMC Code of Ethics, which addresses marketing, admission/transfer and referral/discharge processes, and billing issues. No eligible veteran shall be denied care for treatment that is not reimbursed by the third party insurance payor. Patient privacy and confidentiality shall be maintained at all times.C.4.2 Patient Safety: Patient Safety shall be a primary focus of the contractor. Every effort shall be made by the contractor to prevent patient injury caused by acts of commission or omission in the delivery of services. All events related to patient injury, errors, and other breeches of patient safety will be reported to the COTR utilizing the VAMC Incident Report. The VAMC shall provide the contractor with VAMC Sentinel Event definitions in the start-up phase. The contract provider shall verbally notify the VAMC COTR immediately when a Sentinel Event has occurred, which is to be followed by written notification within 3 working days. The VAMC shall determine when a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is required of the contract provider; the contract provider shall participate in all RCAs according to VAMC policy, and within established timeframes as deemed necessary by VAMC. Completed RCAs shall be provided to the VAMC COTR.C.4.3 Performance Improvement: The contract provider shall fully participate in the VAMC Performance Improvement (PI) program. This will entail monitoring of PALMS processes and patient outcomes and satisfaction, data analysis and collaborative design and operationalization of improvement opportunities. PI activities may be directed by the VAMC, VHA or VISN, as well as accreditation or licensing bodies. The contractor shall abstract, compile and report PI data as required by the VAMC, who will identify data collection methodologies, report generation and oversight bodies related to identified measures. Examples of such required PI activity are the VHA Performance Measure/Clinical Practice Guidelines program, and the Joint Commission core measurement system. It is noted that PI activities are dynamic and subject to change, as driven by current priorities and resources. In all cases, actions will be taken to continually improve clinical and administrative outcomes, while implementing safeguards to prevent risk. Monitoring for continuous compliance with Joint Commission standards will be driven by VAMC staff, and communicated to the contractor through the COTR. Aggregate and/or provider-specific measurement and outcome data will be maintained in the VAMC QA files for review at time of re-privileging. Measures related to contract compliance will be determined by the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR). C.4.4 Environment of Care:The contract provider shall maintain a safe environment in the work area at all times, and follow all safety and emergency preparedness policies. Contracted staff shall complete all VAMC-required Safety education and training, as evidenced by attendance records provided to the COTR on an annual basis. Compliance with all VAMC Safety Management plans shall be continuously demonstrated by the contractor.C.4.5 Human Resources:The contract provider shall be a board-certified in the modality specified in the Statement of Work and shall meet all credentialing and privileging requirements as set forth in the Medical Staff Bylaws prior to commencement of the contract work. Credentialing and privileging information will be kept on file in the Chief of Staff office or his/her designee. The Chief of Staff or his/her designee will continually monitor performance. Outcomes from monitoring data, peer review and the patient compliment and complaint process will be kept on file in the Chief of Staff's or his/her designee's office, and incorporated into the re-privileging process. C.4.6 Orientation: Individuals assigned to work under this contract shall complete a formal VAMC orientation. Minimum orientation requirements include the following: Mission/Vision/Values, all applicable VAMC policies and procedures, Patient Rights, suspected Patient Abuse reporting, Patient Compliment and Complaint process, Environmental Safety, Patient Safety, Infection Control, Equipment Safety, Fire Safety, Confidentiality, Emergency Preparedness, Incident and Emergency reporting, electronic medical record training, Surgical Case Review process, Peer Review process, TORT claims, and clinic procedures and processes. The contracted provider is required to review the patient Rights handbook, and follow the standard of care. All CME requirements shall be met to maintain privileged status. C.4.7 Information Management: The contract provider shall follow the VAMC Information Management Plan. Documentation and record keeping will be in accordance with VAMC policies and procedures. C.4.8 Leadership/Management: Operational management activities of PALMS will be under the direction of the VAMC. The contract provider shall provide a leadership oversight role for improvement of clinical and administrative outcomes for PALMS. C.4.9 Medical Staff:The contract provider shall report to the Chief of PALMS and shall practice within a framework that is clinically relevant and scientifically valid. Provision of services shall be based on clinical standards of practice, and scientifically based clinical practice guidelines, which have been approved for use by the VHA, VISN or facility executive medical staff. Contract provider shall sign and agree to adhere to Medical Staff Bylaws, Rules and Regulations. The contracted provider shall provide input as requested by the VAMC in regards to budget, scope of services provided, and resource allocation in PALMS.C.5. Medical center mission, vision, and values statements The patient population treated by the Department of Veterans Affairs consists of veterans with varying physical, psychiatric, and psychological needs. Their conditions are, in many cases, directly related to the individual's service to this country. Contractor employees shall provide compassionate care with respect for the special needs of the veteran population served, and show professional courtesy toward the VA support staff as an integrated part of the medical center's mission, vision and values as stated below. Mission: The mission of the Aleda E. Lutz VAMC, including Community Based Outpatient Clinics, is to deliver primary medical, surgical and long term healthcare to veterans, apply continuous quality improvement practices and respond to assessed customer needs.Vision: We envision being a healthcare environment which is recognized for continuous growth in quality performance, teamwork, and effective interpersonal relationships.Values: Compassion, Respect, Integrity and Accountability will be our guiding values. C.6 Work Hours a. The on-site services covered by this contract shall be furnished by the Contractor within the hours defined herein when required. The Contractor will not be required, except in case of emergency, to furnish such services on a national holiday or during non-working hours as described below. b. The following terms have the following meanings: (1) Administrative hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.(2) National Holidays: The ten (10) holidays observed by the Federal Government are: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday.(3)Non-Administrative hours: Monday through Friday, 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. and all Saturdays and Sundays. C.7. Term of the Contract:This contract will be effective for one year from date of award, with four one-year option periods. The contract is subject to the availability of appropriated funds for each fiscal year.C.8. Personnel Policy: This is a non-personnal services contract. The contractor shall be responsible for protecting the personnel furnishing services under this contract. To carry out this responsibility the contractor shall provide the following for these personnel: to include: worker's compensation,professional liability insurance, health examinations, income tax withholding, and social security payments. The parties agree that such personnel shall not be considered VA employees for any purposes and shall be considered employees of the contractor. C.9. Insurance: In accordance with VAAR 852.237-7, Indemnification and Medical Liability Insurance, the contractor shall maintain liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per specialty per occurrence. C.10.Monitoring Procedures: The Chief of PALMS and/or his designee will monitor invoices for accuracy prior to certification for payment. The use of time and attendance logs, procedure records, minutes of meetings, or other appropriate records will be used to verify payments. After contract award, any incidents of contractor noncompliance as evidenced by the monitoring procedures shall be forwarded immediately to the VA Contracting Officer. D. Evaluation (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offer or whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government. The following factors listed in descending order of importance shall be used to evaluate offers: 1. Minimum Requirements Pathologists assigned to work under this contract shall be board certified in Anatomical Pathology and possess a current active, unrestricted license in any state, territory or commonwealth of the United States. Documentation shall be provided for all pathologists assigned to work under this contract with proposal. Failure to submit documentation that your proposal meets the minimum requirements may result in elimination from consideration. 2. Professional Expertise: Provide a list professional memberships, appointments to professional organization committees, and other certification/specialties for each provider proposed to work under this contract. Provide number of CLIA certificates for which each pathologist is responsible. 3. Past Performance - Provide a list professional memberships, appointments to professional organization committees, and other certification/specialties for each provider proposed to work under this contract. Provide number of CLIA certificates for which each pathologist is responsible. 4. Price. Professional and past performance, when combined, are given significantly more important than price. (b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). (c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. All envelopes shall be clearly marked with the RFP number at the lower left-hand corner. Any exceptions to terms and conditions, Completed 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items. The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial (SEP 2006), applies to this acquisition. The provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items (JAN 1999), applies to this procurement. Offerors are required to submit the following documentation with proposals: Offerors are required to include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items, (NOV 2006), with its offer. The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items (FEB 2007), applies to this acquisition with the following clauses added as addenda to the clause: 52.204-4 Printing/Copying Double Sided on Recycled Paper (JUN 1996), 52.204-7 Central Contractor Registration (OCT 2003), 52.224-1 Privacy Act Notification (APR 1984), 52.224-2 Privacy Act (APR 1984), 852.270-4 Commercial Advertising (NOV 1984), 852.237-70 Contractors Responsibilities (APR 1984), 852.270-1 Representatives of Contracting Officers (APR 1984), 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (APR 1989), 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (APR 1989), 852.237-7 Indemnification and Medical Liability Insurance (OCT 1996). The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items (MAR 2007), applies to this acquisition and the additional FAR clauses cited in the clause are: 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (MAY 2004) (15 U.S.C. 637 (d)(2) and (3)), 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999), 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (OCT 2000)(E.O. 11246), 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era (DEC 2001)(29 U.S.C. 793), 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (JUNE 1998) (29 U.S.C. 793), 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era (DEC 2001)(38 U.S.C. 4212). Proposals are due no later than 2:00 p.m., local time, August 10, 2007. No solicitation document will be issued. Questions may be submitted to Carole Soule via e-mail at carole.soule@va.gov, by facsimile at (989) 321-4957, or by telephone at (989) 321-4805.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Aleda E Lutz VA Medical Center;1500 Weiss Street;Saginaw Michigan
- Zip Code: 48602
- Country: United States
- Zip Code: 48602
- Record
- SN01347959-W 20070722/070720220718 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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