SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- HHS Pilot Program for Radiation Monitoring in Hospital Emergency Departments
- Notice Date
- 2/22/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, Division of Acquisition Management, Parklawn Building Room 5-101 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20857
- ZIP Code
- 20857
- Solicitation Number
- RFP06EASPHEP06084
- Point of Contact
- Michele Namoski, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-443-2475, Fax 301-443-3238, - Michele Namoski, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-443-2475, Fax 301-443-3238,
- E-Mail Address
-
snamoski@psc.gov, snamoski@psc.gov
- Description
- The Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness (OPHEP) through the Program Support Center (PSC) has a requirement for the development of radiation monitoring of patients for radioactive contamination. Under Emergency Support Function #8 of the National Response Plan, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for coordinating the Federal response for public health and medical issues for Incidents of National Significance involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD), including radiological dispersal devices (RDDs). An RDD event could result in many patients presenting to hospital emergency rooms who may not realize that they have been radioactively contaminated. Therefore, it is important that hospitals are able to adequately monitor patients for radioactive contamination as early as possible following an incident, in order to properly triage and treat the patients and to protect hospital staff and property. To address these concerns, HHS has undertaken a program to develop guidelines for radiation monitoring in hospital emergency rooms. A subgroup of the HHS Radiological Dispersal Device Medical Response Working Group was convened, consisting of experts in health physics who reviewed the types of radiation detection instrumentation currently available and recommended a system of wall-mounted radiation area monitors utilizing sodium iodide detectors. This Health Physics Subgroup obtained a set of two sodium iodide-based area monitors linked through a software system to a laptop PC to test the system’s response to various radionuclide sources in order to optimize the operating parameters of such a system for use in an emergency room setting. Having arrived at a set of operating conditions for the area monitor system, the system will now be evaluated under real world conditions in 3 hospital emergency departments. The goal of the project is to assess the utility of the system in a hospital emergency room setting including ease of installation, operation and maintenance, instrument response, data collection, computer networking and alarm functionality. The system will be evaluated under normal operating conditions, as well as during mock incidents with sealed radioactive sources. Special attention should be paid to the potential for false positive alarms. The project will also evaluate issues of staff training and response. The project will conclude with an emergency response exercise simulating the medical and health physics response to an RDD by hospital staff. The period of performance will be approximately 16 months. The radiation monitoring system shall consist of two Ludlum Measurements, Inc. Model 375-10 digital wall-mounted area monitors (or equivalent) connected in parallel to a PC via an Ethernet connection. These monitors must utilize 2x2 inch sodium iodide scintillation detectors with a low energy discriminator set at 300 keV in order to eliminate most radionuclides used in nuclear medicine and thus reduce the rate of false positive alarms. The monitors must operate on AC current but shall come equipped with auxiliary battery power to allow for eight hours of operation without AC power. The detectors must be mounted on each side of the entrance to the emergency room at an approximate height of one meter from the floor. The power supply shall either be connected to an existing outlet or hard-wired. Appropriate routing of Ethernet cables shall be necessary in order to be able to monitor the detectors remotely at a PC workstation (i.e., located in the Radiation Safety Office). Software included with the detectors must be downloaded to the workstation. The area monitors must be equipped with two LED displays for low and high alarm settings. The low alarm setting shall be determined by first collecting a background reading for each detector for 24 hours. The low alarm shall then be set at a value equal to the average background plus two standard Three Turn-Key Radiation Detection Kits shall be constructed to include radiation detection devices, protocols, training information (CD’s), and access to on-line training. The Contractor will demonstrate successful experience with: Using a radiation detection device in a hospital emergency department setting. Designing and instituting training programs to include internet-based and other technologies. Evaluating hardware and software systems in emergency department settings. Working in a senior leadership position in an Emergency Department. Designing projects or studies across multiple institutions. Evaluating training experiences. Experience performing the required tasks. Communicating effectively during interactions with all levels of individuals. Communicating in a written format i.e., writing letters, memoranda, reports, etc., to include government-style correspondence and reports related to public health and emergency management. The need for specialized technical expertise in working with radioactive materials and detectors. The requirement for an understanding of how Emergency Departments function to include human factors issues. The ability to successfully negotiate for the placement of three (3) systems in Emergency Departments within a 65 mile radius of HHS HQ and for two (2) additional test sites. The project shall be performed in three (3) hospital Emergency Departments (ED) as follows: 1. All must be located within 65 miles of HHS HQ. 2. One location shall be within seven (7) miles of HHS HQ. 3. Contractor’s hospital system must have a minimum of two (2) EDs. 4. At least one (1) ED must be a Level One Shock-Trauma Center in a facility which administers radioactive isotopes. 5. HHS will identify two (2) additional EDs in which to pilot equipment and procedures. The solicitation will be posted 15 days after this posting. All questions regarding this requirement shall be e-mailed to Michele Namoski, Contracting Officer. The solicitation will be posted on this website and no hard copies will be issued. The RFP Number for this requirement is 06EASPHEP060084. Proposals will be due 45 days after issuance of the solicitation. NOTE: THIS NOTICE MAY HAVE POSTED ON FEDBIZOPPS ON THE DATE INDICATED IN THE NOTICE ITSELF (22-FEB-2006). IT ACTUALLY APPEARED OR REAPPEARED ON THE FEDBIZOPPS SYSTEM ON 04-APR-2006, BUT REAPPEARED IN THE FTP FEED FOR THIS POSTING DATE. PLEASE CONTACT fbo.support@gsa.gov REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
- Web Link
-
Link to FedBizOpps document.
(http://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/PSC/DAM/RFP06EASPHEP06084/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Washington DC Metropolitan Area
- Zip Code: 20201
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 20201
- Record
- SN01021223-F 20060406/060404222100 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |