Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF MAY 03, 2018 FBO #6005
DOCUMENT

V -- Sources Sought for Air Ambulance Transportation Services - Attachment

Notice Date

5/1/2018
 

Notice Type

Attachment
 

NAICS

621910 — Ambulance Services
 

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs;NCO 17 North Texas Healthcare System;NCO 17 Network Contracting Activity;4500 S. Lancaster Road;Dallas TX 75216
 

ZIP Code

75216
 

Solicitation Number

36C25718Q0745
 

Response Due

5/15/2018
 

Archive Date

8/13/2018
 

Point of Contact

Victoria Rone
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

The Department of Veterans Affairs, NCO 17 Network Contracting Office, on behalf of VISN 18 VA Health Care Systems, is issuing this Sources Sought Synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support this requirement for a firm-fixed priced Service Contract Air Ambulance Services. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 621910. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME. This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals or quotes; submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these services, please provide the following information: Organization name, address, point of contact, email address, Web site address, and telephone number. Business size: small, small disadvantaged, woman-owned, Hub Zone, serviced-disabled veteran-owned small business, large business, etc. Business type under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 621910, which contains a size standard of $15.0 Million, CAGE Code and DUNS Number. Under which NAICS code does your company usually provide the requirements described in the Scope of Work (SOW) - Please provide rationale for your answer is different from NAICS 621910. Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. Response to this Sources Sought shall not exceed 10 pages and should include all of the foremost mentioned information. In addition, all submissions should be provided electronically in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. The government will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity to: Provide services consistent in scope and scale with those described in this notice and otherwise anticipated. Secure and apply the full range of corporate financial, human capital, and technical resources required to successfully perform similar requirements. Implement a successful plan that includes: compliance with program schedules; cost containment; meeting and tracking performance. Provide services under a firm-fixed price contract. NOTE: Respondent claiming SDVOSB and VOSB status shall be registered and Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) verified in VetBiz Registry www.vetbiz.gov. BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SDVOSB, VOSB, SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 11:00am CST, May 15, 2018. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to Victoria.Rone3@va.gov, Subject Line Title: Air Ambulance Services. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. SAM: Interested parties shall be register in the System for Award Management (SAM) as prescribed in FAR Clause 52.232-33. The SAM can be obtained by accessing the internet at www.sam.gov or by calling 1-866-606-8220. Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice shall not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). STATEMENT OF WORK DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES: The Contract shall furnish 24 hours per day, seven (7) days per week, air ambulance transport services for the following VISN 18 VA Health Care Systems: Amarillo VA Health Care System, 6010 Amarillo Blvd West, Amarillo, TX 79106 (https://www.amarillo.va.gov/) West Texas VA Health Care System, 300 Veterans Blvd, Big Spring, TX 79720 (https://www.bigspring.va.gov/i) VISN 18 VA Health Care Systems Albuquerque VA Health Care System Amarillo VA Health Care System West Texas VA Health Care System Phoenix VA Health Care System Northern Arizona VA Health Care System Southern Arizona VA Health Care System El Paso VA Health Care System. Transportation will generally be located in Arizona, New Mexico or Texas. However, cross country flights and flights to other states may be required. II. SCOPE OF WORK SPECIFICATIONS (SPECIAL NOTE: The Air Ambulance Contractor must be a Covered Entity as defined by Medicare.) A. Patient Transportation: 1. For the purpose of this Contract, all patients shall be transported by Critical Care Air Transport if the patient requires continuous ECG monitoring and/or physician designates a patient as a critical care transport. It is further understood that only a physician or registered nurse with critical care training and current advanced cardiac life support will be designated as the medical flight attendant, in accordance with the standards of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport System (CAMTS) for any critical care transport. Contractor(s) shall refer to the CAMTS Accreditation Standards (latest edition) for determining the standards applicable to each transport. 2. It is understood that only one VA patient will be transported on a trip unless specifically authorized by the VA and approved by the Air Ambulance Contract. When more than one VA patient is transported on a trip, reimbursement shall be made at the rate not exceeding the cost of transporting a single patient; however, the longest distance over which a patient is transported may be claimed when more than one patient is transported in a single airplane concurrently. Under no circumstances will the VA order air ambulance service for more than two passengers for any one flight. Contractor is expected to accept all patients (e.g. heart cases, the mentally disturbed, the critically ill, or communicable disease cases), but has the right to refuse when in the best interest of safety. Contractor shall not accept any patient unless the case manager or other designee authorizes the flight and informs the contractor regarding any medical treatment or care requirements for each patient (such as administration of oxygen or medication). 3. In the event the contractor is unable to support a formal request for patient pick-up service, it shall be the responsibility of the contractor to make arrangements with another air carrier to provide patient transportation. The cost for the substitute service with the replacement air carrier shall be borne by the contractor, to be submitted for reimbursement with the next monthly invoice. However, the government shall pay no more than the contract negotiated rate. B. Orders: 1. Requests for services will be made in writing or by telephone. An authorization number will be provided to the Contractor at the time the order is placed or within 48 hours of transport. A separate number will be used for each trip. The Contractor will commence the flight at the scheduled times unless prevented from doing so by conditions of the weather, in which case he shall immediately notify the Business Office Manage or his designee. 2. The VA physician requesting air ambulance is responsible for delineating medical care of the patient. Medical orders will be issued upon patient pick-up as well as travel authority. It is the provider s responsibility to complete delivery of transfer paperwork to the receiving facilities accepting patient. 3. Orders, requests, or changes will only be made by the authorized VA officials as specified by the VA. Under no circumstances is there to be any deviation on request of any other party. In addition, no deviation will be made by the Contractor. 4. Only designated personnel of the VA Administration are authorized to order the contract services. A current list will be furnished to the Contractor at all times, and upon the contractor s request. People not on this list are not authorized to order services. The Government will not be responsible for services performed by the Contractor for persons not on the list. 5. Payment shall be based upon one-way direct air mileage (nautical mile) as computed on the appropriate Sectional Aeronautical Chart prepared by the Coast and Geodetic Survey. In case a circuitous route must be employed for reasons of safety (such as unfavorable terrain or weather), a copy flight log showing the reason which necessitated the detour from a direct route, shall be provided to the VA. 6. Payment will be paid by the releasing VA facility for travel. The initial transport will be the responsibility of the first facility, and return transport (if needed) will be the responsibility of the second facility. The only exception to this rule is for transportation in relation to VA transplant care and for transportation to a VA Parkinson s Disease, Research, Education and Clinical Centers (PADECCs). In such cases, the referring facility is responsible for round trip transportation for either inpatient or outpatient care. C. Response Time/Waiting Time: 1. Response Time: The contractor shall respond to a Patient Pick-Up Call (en route to pick-up location) within two (2) hours. 2. Waiting Time: The contractor shall not be expected to wait more than one (1) hour for patients coming to the VA without receiving further payment. Delays due to causes beyond the control and without the fault of the VA for the beneficiary patient concerned shall not be considered waiting time. Such causes may include, but are not restricted to, acts of God or of the public enemy, fires, floods, epidemics, quarantine restrictions, strikes, freight embargoes or delays caused by weather conditions. D. Ground Ambulance Coordination: Contractor is responsible for coordinating ground ambulance services and to work in conjunction with each VA facility s Point of Contact (POC), along with the contracted ground ambulance carriers for the appropriate VAs. To assist the contractor with this requirement, refer to Attachment #1 (V18 Air Ambulance Transfer and Ground Ambulance POC s). This is a complete list of government and ground ambulance personnel. In order to provide continuity of transportation, the air ambulance operator should coordinate aircraft departures and arrivals with required surface transportation to avoid any delays at the points of origin and flight destination. If a delay is unavoidable, the patient must be protected from inclement weather, including temperatures that could adversely affect their conditions. NOTE: The Air Ambulance Medical Team shall provide a bedside-to-bedside continuum of care for all patients. 1. During normal business hours, the air ambulance provider will utilize the Amarillo VA ambulance to transport patients to and from the air ambulance provider s location when at an airport within 25 miles of the Amarillo VA hospital.   The provider will coordinate the ambulance through the Amarillo VA Veterans Transportation Service (VTS) Dispatch (806-468-1515).   If the VA ambulance is not available for transport, the provider will coordinate alterative ambulance transportation.   NOTE: Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Central Time, excluding federal holidays. The following is a list of U.S. Government holidays. If the holiday falls on a Saturday, the proceeding Friday is observed as the holiday; if the holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as the holiday and any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday. HOLIDAY DATE New Year s Day Jan 1 Martin Luther King s Birthday 3rd Monday in Jan President s Day 3rd Monday in Feb Memorial Day Last Monday in May Independence Day July 4 Labor Day 1st Monday in Sep Columbus Day 2nd Monday in Oct Veterans Day Nov 11 Thanksgiving Day 4th Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25 E. Patient Medical Records: Contractor shall maintain for a period of five (5) years, a record of each air ambulance operation, including but not limited to the following: (1) Patient s name. (2) Date of flight. (3) Diagnosis. (4) Originating and termination points and patient s condition upon departure and arrival. (5) An in-flight medical attendant s report of the patient s status, including vital signs, level of consciousness, drugs administered, and details of therapeutic intervention. (These notes can be vitally important to those who must provide subsequent care.) (6) Unusual circumstances encountered during the flight, including inordinate altitudes flown, turbulence, times associated with these abnormal conditions, etc. F. Operational Requirements: 1. Within 3 business days after award and notification, the successful offer shall supply certifications, competencies, and qualifications with a list of all the personnel and their titles that will be involved in the performance of the resulting contract. Also included must be names and telephone numbers of dispatchers. 2. Contractor shall hold a valid Air Carrier Operating Certification issued by the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA), for an Air taxi operator, a copy of which will be submitted with the bid. The operations authorized under this certificate shall be such that he/she can perform the services required by this contract. The contractor shall abide by all applicable FAA regulations. Contractor shall hold a valid commercial airman s certificate with the appropriate ratings for the conditions of the flight being undertaken, and operate under the air taxi rules for that certificate. The contractor shall be CAMTS accredited. Contractor shall comply with all applicable, Federal, State, and Local Regulations governing the operation of an Air Ambulance service. 3. An FAA flight plan shall be filed for any aircraft used for an air ambulance flight under this contract. Wherever practical and possible, the pilot shall take advantage of all existing ground and air communication facilities. Before each flight, the pilot shall obtain the latest information relative to weather, airport conditions and navigational facilities and, further, shall be satisfied that all conditions are such that they will not constitute a hazard. In the event a flight is interrupted short of destination, the contractor shall immediately notify the Business Office Manager and make necessary arrangements. 4. All operations under the contract must be supervised by competent trained personnel who adhere to safe practices. Definite precautions will be taken to keep passengers and spectators away from the aircraft when the power is on. All facilities, including ramps, ramp areas, building passenger areas etc., will be maintained in a clean and orderly condition, free from debris and any accumulation which may constitute an accident or fire hazard. The patient should be sufficiently isolated from the cockpit to minimize in-flight distractions and interference, which would affect flight safety. 5. All operations under the contract shall be supervised by competent, trained personnel who adhere to safe practices. Passengers shall not be allowed to board aircraft when engines are running. Definite precautions shall be taken to keep passengers and spectators away from aircraft when the power is on. 6. The contractor shall provide each air ambulance with an aircrew consisting of the minimum standard required by the FAA and the Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona Department of Health. A medical doctor may be substituted for the attendant. Additional contractor team members may accompany the aircrew at the discretion of the contractor, at no additional cost to the VA. G. Information Relayed Between Pilot and Medical Attendant: 1. As a minimum, the pilot should provide the following information to the Medical Flight Attendant: a. ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival). b. Planned flight altitude. c. Significant and/or expected weather. 2. The Medical Flight Attendant should provide at least the following information to the pilot: a. Brief appraisal of the patient s problem and condition. b. Patient s environment need s e.g., pressurization, temperature, etc. c. Significant changes in the patient s condition during flight. H. Contract Administration: The contractor shall contact the Contracting Officer on all matters pertaining to the contract. The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to obligate the VA, to issue any changes, which affect the price, quantity, quality, or delivery terms of this contract. Payment: Invoices must be submitted electronically by the 10th calendar day of each month for trips provided during the prior month. ONLY ONE INVOICE PER MONTH WILL BE ACCEPTED. The Invoice will be reviewed and reconciled to tickets and travel logs. Unauthorized charges will be suspended by the Contracting Officer. Unauthorized charges are those that have not been pre-approved by authorized VA personnel. Supporting documentation may be provided and submitted for payment consideration. Suspended charges will be reviewed by the Contracting Officer as to the validity of the charges and as to whether or not payment will be made. A final determination will be made within 30 days after notifying the Contractor of charges, which are being suspended. The contractor s invoice must contain the following information: (1) Contract Number (2) Date of Trip (3) Authorization number(s) and patient s name (4) Pick-up and drop-off location of patient (5) Base Rate (6) Name and Last Four of Social Security number of patient transported (7) Documentation of circumstances when billing for waiting time (8) Any miscellaneous charges for which contractor is expecting reimbursement i.e., Toll charges, Waiting Time, etc. (9) VA authorizing official s name (10) Healthcare Procedure Coding System/National Level II (HCPCS) Contractor must provide a receipt or copy of receipt for all miscellaneous charges. (Waiting time, etc.) NOTE: Contractor shall include Attachment 2, Vendor Invoicing Spreadsheet, with all invoices submitted to the Financial Services Center with a courtesy copy emailed to the COR. J. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Base plus four option year renewals Base Year: December 10, 2018 December 9, 2019 Option Year One: December 10, 2019 December 9, 2020 Option Year Two: December 10, 2020 December 9, 2021 Option Year Three: December 10, 2021 December 9, 2022 Option Year Three: December 10, 2022 December 9, 2023 THESE SERVICES ARE SUBJECT TO THE SERVICE CONTRACT ACT WAGE AND DETERMINATION WD 05-2023 (Rev.-17) was first posted on www.wdol.gov on 6/25/2013. WD 05-2511 (Rev.-16) was first posted on www.wdol.gov on 06/19/2012. WD 05-2361 (Rev.-14) was first posted on www.wdol.gov on 06/25/2013.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/VA/VANTHCS/VANTHCS/36C25718Q0745/listing.html)
 

Document(s)

Attachment
 

File Name: 36C25718Q0745 36C25718Q0745.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=4270884&FileName=36C25718Q0745-000.docx)

Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=4270884&FileName=36C25718Q0745-000.docx

 

Note: If links are broken, refer to Point of Contact above or contact the FBO Help Desk at 877-472-3779.
 

Record

SN04906444-W 20180503/180501230819-b47b41af281ecbd2899b12aadad6ece6 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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