Q -- TO PROVIDE RECRUITMENT, CREDENTIALING, AND PLACEMENT OF EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIANS IN ABERDEEN AREA INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE UNITS

Notice Date

October 3, 2000

Contracting Office

DHHS, Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service, 115 4th Avenue Southeast, Room 309 Federal Building, Aberdeen, South Dakota 57401

ZIP Code

57401

Solicitation Number

RFP 01-01

Response Due

November 27, 2000

Point of Contact

Allen L. Davis, Supervisory Contract Specialist, (605) 226-7567

Description

The Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service (IHS) is soliciting offers from interested firm to provide emergency room physician services for various service units within the Aberdeen Area. The successful contractor(s) will be capable of recruiting, credentialing, and placing emergency room physicians into temporary duty assignments to fulfill the needs of each participating service unit. The IHS anticipates the award of a fixed price "Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity" type contact. The period of performance will be for (1) one base year and (4) option years. Contract performance will start on February 1, 2001. The government will reserve the right to exercise the option years. RFP No. 01-01 will be released on October 27th, 2000 and the deadline for submission of offers is tentatively scheduled for November 27th, 2000. Your firm may request a copy of RFP No. 01-01 by submitting a written request to the above referenced address or sending your request via FAX to (605) 226-7669. RFP 01-01 will be distributed on October 27th, 2000. PUBLIC NOTICE PRESOLICITATION CONFERENCE: The public is hereby notified that the Aberdeen Area IHS invites interested end users, potential offerors, and Government support personnel to participate in a Presolicitation Conference exchange information relating to the "Statements of Objectives" for the emergency room and primary care physician service solicitations. The conference will be held on October 19th at the Mystic Lake Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota. The hotel is approximately 30 minutes southwest of the Minneapolis/St Paul Airport. The Conference will be conducted in the Teton Santee Room and is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. A block of hotel rooms is available for conference participants. Rooms can be reserved by calling 1-800-813-7349 and asking for the Indian Health Service rate. The block will be held until October 10, 2000. The government will not reimburse participants for attendance or travel expences to participate in this conference. The purpose of the conference is as follows: 1. To allow for the exchange of information among all interested parties (potential offerors, end users, government contracting and support personnel) prior to the release date of RFP 01-01. The exchange of information will be fully compliant with FAR Part 15.201 and the Procurement Integrity regulations. 2. The purpose for the exchange of information is to improve the understanding of the Government requirements and private sectors capabilities, thereby allowing potential offerors to evaluate whether and how they can satisfy the Government's requirements. The exchange of information will also enhance the Government's ability to obtain high quality and price reasonable services under RFP 01-01. 3. The key subjects for discussion will include: Terms and conditions, performance requirements, Statement of Objectives (SOO) methodology, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract type, ER and Primary Care Care physician needs at the various service units, IHS credentialing requirements, physician qualifications, evaluation criteria, oral presentation, past performance, invoicing/payment procedures and industry concerns. We will allow a question and answer session. Following is the Draft Statement of Objectives (SOO) for Emergency Room Physician Services: STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES FOR EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN SERVICES FOR SERVICE UNITS IN THE ABERDEEN AREA INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE INTRODUCTION The Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service (AAIHS) requires contractor support to assist in the recruitment and placement of emergency room physicians into temporary duty assignments in health centers and hospitals in the AAIHS. The purpose of the contract is for the recruitment, credentialing, and placement of emergency room physicians into various locations in the Aberdeen Area. The contract shall be a nonpersonal health care services contract under which the Contractor is an independent contractor and which shall allow the Government to evaluate the quality of professional and administrative services provided, but retains no control over the medical, professional aspects of the services rendered, (e.g., professional judgments, diagnosis for specific medical treatment). The Contractor shall indemnify the Government for any liability producing act or omission by the contractor, its employees and agents occurring during contract performance. The Contractor shall maintain medical liability insurance, in the coverage amount acceptable to the Contracting Officer, which is not less than the amount normally prevailing within the local community for the medical specialty concerned. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES The Contractor shall furnish physicians for the emergency room service at Aberdeen Area hospitals. Hospitals in Eagle Butte, Pine Ridge, Rapid City, and Rosebud, South Dakota, will require ER physicians on an ongoing basis. Hospitals in Fort Yates, North Dakota; Sisseton, South Dakota; and Winnebago, Nebraska, may have an occasional need for an ER physicians. Contract physician care shall cover the range of emergency room care typically provided in a rural civilian practice of similar size. The Contractor shall provide physicians to perform the necessary medical procedures for patients in a variety of emergency room situations. Attachment 1 in Section J lists the procedures to be performed. This list represents an estimate and does not intend to be inclusive of all procedures. Upon the receipt of an IHS service unit task order, the Contractor shall locate, credential, and have available sufficient staffing to provide emergency room physician coverage on a regular emergency room coverage schedule. Issuance of task orders shall be in advance of the need but some task orders may provide the Contractor with a limited time in which to respond. ER work schedules shall vary by facility and are inclusive of all Federally established holidays. The standards of medical practice and duties of the Contractor through its physicians shall be determined pursuant to Governing Body bylaws, medical staff bylaws and regulations of the appropriated IHS hospital, applicable provisions of law including but not limited to Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) compliance, other rules and regulations of any and all governmental authorities relating to licensure and regulation of physicians and hospitals, and standards and recommendations of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). In accordance with Indian Health Service credentialing policy, the Contractor shall credential each ER physician performing the services under the contract. Upon the placement of an ER physician at an Aberdeen Area service unit, the physician shall complete a credentials packet and be credentialed by the service unit Governing Body. Compliance with the Indian Health Service privileging requirements is essential in the performance of the contract. Contractor physicians shall be board certified, or eligible, by the American Board of Emergency Medicine, Family Practice, Internal Medicine (with knowledge in pediatric emergencies), or Pediatrics (with knowledge in adult emergencies). Current Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) certification is required of all physicians placed by the Contractor. The Contractor shall be required to participate in a quality improvement program and quality of care peer review process consistent with current Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and/or Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) requirements for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the quality and appropriateness of care. The Contractor physician shall provide immediate medical evaluation, treatment, and/or referral of patients who present for care in the IHS facility emergency services area. The Contractor physician shall provide professional advice to emergency room personnel and ward personnel in emergency situations with regard to professional management of patients being treated and/or hospitalized. The Contractor physicians shall provide medical support for the wards, observation rooms, and surgical suite, if appropriate, until the attending physician is available to provide the required services. The Contractor physician shall admit and provide care for inpatients until relieved by an Indian Health Service physician. Contract physicians shall generate and maintain proper medical record information on beneficiaries to whom treatment is provided in accordance with Indian Health Service, JCAHO and HCFA regulations. The Contractor physician shall prepare all medical record documentation to meet or exceed the established standards of the IHS facility. Contractor physicians shall complete all third party reimbursement forms. The Contractor shall establish an invoicing system compatible with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Prompt Payment Act policy.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20001005/QSOL004.HTM (W-277 SN5034K5)