B -- ECONOMETRICS SERVICES

Notice Date

October 23, 2000

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs, Stratton VA Medical Center, 113 Holland Avenue, Albany, NY 12208-3410

ZIP Code

12208-3410

Solicitation Number

RFQ 500-12-01

Response Due

November 10, 2000

Point of Contact

Joseph Turton, VA Contracting Officer (90NCA) (518) 462-3311, Ext. 2612

E-Mail Address

RFQ 500-12-01 (joseph.turton@med.va.gov)

Description

This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation for a commercial item prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation, written Quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This procurement is being conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). The reference number for this procurement is RFQ 500-12-01 and incorporates the clauses and provisions that are in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-20. Quotes are solicited from Firms who have the experience and ability to provide econometric services on behalf of The Department of Veterans Affairs VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York in order to accomplish the following: (1) Create risk-adjusted monthly practice management reports. Practice management reports are designed to measure VA primary care providers on six outcomes (panel size, encounters per patient, discharges per 1000 unique patients, laboratory cost per patient, radiology cost per patient, pharmacy prescription cost per patient). All results must be adjusted for patient illness severity using a diagnostic based risk-adjustment methodology. Also, VISN 2 requires the conduct of an ongoing data validation study of all practice management report outcomes and the quarterly production of validation study reports. The successful offeror must be able to produce timely continuous quality improvement reports through additional analyses based upon user feedback. The successful offeror will be responsible for developing a plan for any needed adjustments that are associated with the VISN 2 Data Integration Process The contractor must be regularly available (on a daily basis if necessary) to practice management report measurement with team members throughout the contract period. Report Deadlines: Monthly from 12/1/00 through 5-30-01. (2) Produce a quality and risk-adjusted allocation system at Veteran Integrated System Network 2 (VISN 2) at the Medical Center/Careline levels to support the VISN budget allocation process. The allocation system must be based on VISN 2 VA FY 1999 and 2000 (i.e. times series and cross sectional) data. All results must be adjusted for patient illness severity using a diagnostic based risk-adjustment methodology. The vendor must be able to produce timely continuous quality improvement reports through additional analyses based upon administrative, clinical and financial staff feedback. The successful offeror must be regularly available to the VISN CFO and relevant clinical and financial VISN staff throughout the contract period. Produce a managerial performance monitoring system sufficiently comprehensive that VISN 2's principle operations at Care Line and VAMC levels can be evaluated. Monitoring systems should sufficiently sensitive to diagnose major operational problems within a monthly time frame and have the capacity to forecast future (at least quarterly) operational and budgetary dynamics. The monitoring system must have the capacity to measure the variance between observed results and the optimal outcomes. Monthly reports shall be required. Final Report Delivery date: 12-31-00. (3) VISN 2 requires the development and maintenance of a cost database for priority 7 and end-of-life patients. The purpose of this database is to conduct additional studies on co-payments rates particularly for patient receiving advanced illness and end life care. Cost analyses for end of life patients use the VA DSS report. The vendor must be able to produce timely continuous quality improvement reports through additional analyses based upon VISN 2 Director feedback. Also, analyses of health care utilization patterns by Care Line and VAMCs to examine any over/ under utilization in length of stay, number of admissions, number of visits, number of stops, number of prescription fills, number of lab tests, and prosthetic orders. These analyses must be benchmarked against other VISNs across the nation. Quality of care must be one element in each of these analyses. These analyses must also be comprehensively risk adjusted. Report Deadline: 12-30-00 The provisions at FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (Mar 2000) and FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications (Feb 2000) applies to this acquisition and a completed signed copy of this provision must be submitted with the quote. The Representations and Certifications may be obtained via the Internet at: http://www.arnet.gov. The provisions at FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation -- Commercial Items (Jan 1999), also applies to this acquisition . The clauses at FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items (May 1999) and FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders Commercial Items (Aug 2000) applies to this acquisition. The following factors, in descending order of importance, will be used to evaluate quotes: (1) Price, (2) Proposed Plan for meeting Project Deadlines, (3) Qualifications & Past Experience in conducting similar econometric studies for VA, Federal, and other corporate healthcare organizations. Factor 3, Qualifications & Experience will be rated using the following subfactors in order of priority: (a) Specific Training and experience in conducting projects for improving healthcare efficiency, quality and access. Minimum Educational Requirements: Graduate level training in management science and economics; experience in provider profiling; expertise in two-part model, Poisson model, discrete choice model, Monte Carlo simulation and Bootstrap technique; experience in resource allocation; expertise in developing and refining stochastic frontier models; experience in conducting projects regarding VA non-mandatory workload, including familiarity with health care utilization and quality of care variables such as length of stay, number of visits, mortality rate and other outcomes; professional computer programming skills using a wide range of programs including SAS, SQL, Visual FoxPro, Access, Gauss, JCL, LIMDEP; (b) Training and experience in conducing projects in support of VA policy design and decision making at national level. Requirements: Thoroughly familiar with VA policy structure, such as co-payment rate setting and the VA resource allocation system; expertise in the nested logit model, and Markov chain Monte Carlo Simulation; capacity to provide policy makers consultation and independently design original methodology for a wide range of policy relevant studies; (b) Training and experience in supporting end of life projects; conducting cost effectiveness analysis for projects involving chronic illness and end of life care, such as Geriatric Evaluation and Management Programs, Caregiver Support Programs, and Advanced Illness/end of life care interventions; expertise in power analysis and two-slope random regression models; experience in directing VA projects and supervising VA data management; (3) Knowledge and experience in the use of the following VA databases MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.Scyy; MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.Sfyy; MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.Pmyy; MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.Pbyy; MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.Ppyy; MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.Psyy; MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.Xbyy ;MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.NByy MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.CENSUS.Pbyy; DPPRD.MDP.SAS.CENSUS.Pmyy; MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.CENSUS.PSyy MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.CENSUS.PPyy MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.CENSUS.XByy MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.FEN.FYyy.MED MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.FEN.FYyy.INPT MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.FEN.FYyy.VET MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.FEN.FYyy.ANCIL MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.FEN.FYyy.PHR MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.FEN.FYyy.TVL MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.FEN.FYyy.PHARVEN MDPPRD.MDP.SAS.FEN.FYyy.VEN RMTPRD.MED.SAS.RPMyy.SSN.LOCATE.SUMMARY RMTPRD.MED.SAS.RPMyy.SSN.WLOAD.SUMMARY RMTPRD.MED.SAS.RPMyy.SSN.SUMMARY RMTPRD.MED.SAS.RPMyy.SSN.COST.DETAIL Offerors must submit Quotations and Technical information by Close of Business, (4:30PM), November 10, 2000. Responses may be mailed or faxed to: Contracting Officer (500-2/90NCA), Stratton VA Medical Center, Attn.: Joseph Turton, 113 Holland Avenue, Albany, NY 12208. Fax Number (518) 462-0051. Responses received after that date and time will be rejected as non-responsive.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20001025/BSOL002.HTM (W-297 SN5049C1)