SOURCES SOUGHT
Q -- Brooklyn Radiation OncologyOperate and Manage Brooklyn VA Medical CenterRadiation Oncology Suite
- Notice Date
- 5/6/2008
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 621111
— Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists)
- Contracting Office
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Bronx VAMC (NAL), Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs;James J. Peters VA Medical Center;130 West Kingsbridge Road;Bronx NY 10468-3904
- ZIP Code
- 10468-3904
- Solicitation Number
- VA-243-08-RQ-0255
- Response Due
- 5/19/2008
- Point of Contact
- Anthony M. ReadVISN 3 Network Acquisition & Logisitics
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- VISN 3 NY HARBOR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMSTATEMENT OF WORK OPERATE AND MANAGE BROOKLYN VAMC RADIATION ONCOLOGY SUITE 1. Introduction The Radiation Therapy Center of Excellence provides state of the art therapy for veteran cancer patients. The Cancer Program at New York Harbor Healthcare System (NYHHS) has been accredited by the American College of Surgeons with commendation. Exceptional qualifications of professional and technical staffing are required to maintain this level of excellence. The contractor will perform clinical services, patient planning and administrative services on a daily basis. Services will also include attending hospital committees, preparing for accreditation visits, and overseeing the training of the resident. 1a. Scope of Work The contractor shall provide staffing requirements to operate the New York Harbor Healthcare System Radiation Therapy Center of Excellence at the Brooklyn campus. The staffing plan should be adequate to manage at least 350 veterans. The contractor shall be responsible for prescribing the treatment, providing documentation that reflects treatment, and overseeing the care for the aforementioned load. The contractor shall also be responsible for attending appropriate physician level meetings. This is a request for staffing and no fee for service based procedures need to be submitted. The contractor shall describe the types of treatments used as part of his presentation of qualifications included with his technical proposal and not as a projection of volume of particular procedures. 2. Requirements The contractor shall furnish services necessary to perform the clinical services, patient planning, and the administrative services on a daily basis to support radiation therapy functions specified in this contract. Staffing: Offeror shall propose a staffing mix to meet workload requirements of the scope of work herein. The offeror shall show a staff mix based on the following categories and submit resumes for each. Contractor's staff will work in conjunction with current VA staff, including: 1 Resident; 1 Social Worker, VA Nursing Staff and Administrator. Specific documentation regarding proposed candidates (with the exception of clerical and technical positions) should be submitted (e.g. Curriculum Vitae or resume) with proposal. a)Chief of Service Number of positions: 1.0 FTEE Requirements: Physician licensed to practice medicine in NY State; American Board of Radiology Certification in Radiation Oncology; Previous administration experience as Service Chief/Department Director; Familiarity with Federal Hospital Organizations as demonstrated by previous employment experience (preferably within VA system). Approximately 10% of time will be spent on administrative responsibilities. b)Attending Physician: Number of positions: 1.0 FTEE Requirements: Board certified or eligible (to be certified in two years) in Radiation Oncology. c)Medical Physicists Number of positions: 1.5 FTEE (minimum*) Requirements: Physicist, PhD* with 10 years experience; American Board of Radiology Certification (or eligibility for certification*) in Radiation Oncology Physics; Thorough knowledge of Linear Accelerator, including but not limited to necessary periodic calibration and verification required by Federal, State and Local regulatory agencies; Thorough knowledge with high and low dose rate brachytherapy; prostate brachytherapy; Knowledge in all phases of practice with radiation oncology codes. * If intended candidate is not Board Certified, the supervisory services of an American Board of Radiology Certified Physicist are mandatory and should be provided in proposal. d)Medical Dosimetrists: Number of positions: 1.5 FTEE Requirements: Bachelor of Science degree considered minimum education requirement; Certification in Medical Dosimetry is optional, however candidates' records should reflect the minimum basic requirements for a Medical Dosimetrist. ; Thorough knowledge of treatment planning systems, routine machine calibration. e)Radiation Oncology Therapists: Number of positions: Five - 1 Chief & 4 Therapists; each position 1.0 FTEE Requirements: All therapists must be NY State Licensed & ARRT Certification is Mandatory; Candidates for Chief position should have a minimum of 5 years supervisory experience; Therapists must all have a minimum of one-year clinical experience in Radiation Oncology; Therapists should be capable of operating existing CT unit Thorough familiarity with the use and operation of a dual energy Linear Accelerator and Multi-leaf collimator; Thorough familiarity with custom immobilization devices, blocks and tissue compensators. f)Technical Aid: Number of positions: 1.0 FTEE Requirements: Requires assisting therapists and nursing staff as well as patient transport. g)Clerical Number of positions: Three - 2 receptionists and 1 secretary; each 1.0 FTEE Requirements: Must be familiar with standard work processing programs; have Dictaphone skills; be willing and capable of becoming familiar with hospital based computer system. Substitution of contract personnel during the contract shall be in writing and will be subject to mutual acceptance by both parties. Requirements: Providers shall provide direct patient care by visits and interviews, prescribing radiation treatments including IMRT, IGRT, HDR and brachytherapy and necessary changes in treatment. Indirect patient care will be provided by overseeing and monitoring therapy, reviewing intended treatment and addressing any necessary changes. Providers shall oversee the training of the Radiation Oncology resident while at the VA. The contractor shall provide physician representation at the following committees and agree to active participation as called upon: "Tumor Boards, general, pulmonary and thoracic "Clinical Service Chiefs (Chief Physician) "Clinical Executive Board (Chief Physician) "Cancer Committee "Radiation Safety Committee All procedures performed by the contractor shall include provisions for urgent cases to be handled with first priority. Providers shall provide oversight and recommendation to the VA Chief of Staff and VA Medical Center Director on installation and calibration of radiation therapy accelerators and simulators to insure that equipment conforms to specifications and standards of operation, including advice on proposed correction of any known deficiencies. The contractor must perform daily operations for the VA Radiation Therapy Service as they pertain to radiation therapy instrumentation and computer programs and provide assistance and advice to VA program personnel for developing new techniques in patient-related radiation therapy programs. The offeror must show a plan to care for approximately 400 veteran patients on an annual basis. The offeror shall demonstrate his ability to expand the operation to manage up to 500 veterans annually. Provisions for additional staffing for increased workload will be based on American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) guidelines. 2a. Timeliness requirements Stat consults will be seen as soon as possible but no more than 3 hours after receipt of the request. Urgent inpatient consults will be seen preferably within 12 hours but no longer than 24 hrs of the request. In addition, direct communication between the requesting provider and the receiving service must take place. Routine outpatient consults will be seen within 7 days if possible but no more than 14 days of the request. The contractor will provide staffing during normal working hours, Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays. 2b. Reporting requirements The contractor shall provide documentation to each patient's medical records for all radiation therapy performed by its personnel. Documentation of medical records shall be accomplished within 8 hours after performance of each therapy. This documentation shall include the initial consultation, progress notes and planning given at regular intervals as well as documentation of each session of therapy. This documentation will be directly input into the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and the Radiation Therapy patient treatment chart. 2c. Documentation requirements Documentation of consultations, reports, treatments and other services provided must contain sufficient information to identify the patient, support the diagnosis, justify the treatment, document the course and results, and promote continuity of care among health care providers through a multidisciplinary treatment approach. The medical record documentation must conform to current JCAHO requirements, AJCC standards and VA resident supervision requirements as set forth in VHA Handbook 1400.1. Documentation must meet third party billing requirements as governed by guidelines that are defined by payers of third party insurers. 2d. Workload data The workload for the Radiation Oncology Program is as stated below. No significant increase or decrease in patient volume is anticipated. No. of veteran encounters for FY 07 = 8,990. No. of physician codes for FY 07 = 2999. 2e. Facility data All radiation therapy services rendered by contractor personnel shall be performed at the Brooklyn campus of NYHHS using Government owned space, utilities, materials and equipment. The contractor is prohibited from bringing its own equipment and materials on Government owned premises, unless specifically approved in writing by the Contracting Officer. VA Radiation Oncology Equipment 1.Siemens Primus (82-MLC) with IMRT capabilities. 2.Siemens Oncore (160-MLC) with IMRT and Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT). Anticipated commission date March 2008 3.Siemens Somatom Emotion (single slice) with Lap Lasers. 4.Phillips AccuSim Cat Scan with Virtual simulation software. Anticipated commission date March 2008 5.Nucletron MHDR-V2, high dose rate unit with GYN, Nasopharynx and rectal applicator. Software 1.Impact Multi Access - data management software 2.Pinnacle - treatment planning software (version 8.2). 3.Nucletron PLATO - treatment planning software Additional procedure Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy BK Falcon Ultrasound 2f. Place of performance All radiation therapy services rendered by contractor personnel shall be performed at the Brooklyn campus of the New York Harbor Healthcare System. 2g. Procedure for referral Patient referrals to Radiation Oncology will be made mostly by providers within NYHHS via an electronic consult. There may be some referrals from other facilities within the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN). Upon receipt of the electronic consult, the patient is scheduled for the clinic by the Radiation Oncology staff. The physician is responsible to see the patient, answer the consults and document relevant findings in CPRS. The physician will also educate providers regarding referral practices and provide telephone consultations as indicated. 2h. Transfer of patients. The contractor will typically not be responsible for the transfer of patients. Any referrals or transfers outside the facility will be authorized by appropriate personnel according to NYHHS policy. 2i. Patient safety The contractor shall adhere to the Veterans Health Administration, VISN and facility polices regarding patient safety and the policies for reporting adverse events. The offeror must ensure that radiation safety requirements are met for all technicians. Offeror must adhere to all NYHHS's training requirements and policies and procedures specified for staff including, but not limited to HIPAA, Fire Prevention, General Safety, Hazardous Material, Patient Safety, and Infection Control within the time frames required by the Medical Center Director. 2j. Exchange of data Once a treatment/procedure has been completed, contract personnel are to document (consultations, treatments, progress notes, reports) electronically using the CPRS template specific to Radiation Oncology. Clinical information will be exchanged utilizing CPRS. 2k. Billing The contractor will submit a daily signed time sheet of hours worked indicating the date, time started, time finished, hours worked, less lunch period, and total hours. The time sheets will be verified and signed by the Administrative Office for Radiation Oncology. 2l. Payments Reimbursement will be based on documentation of on-site hours worked on condition that compliance with all other contract requirements is demonstrated by the monitoring methods as described herein. Only VA shall be entitled to claim reimbursement from veteran patient's health insurance for costs associated with the treatments performed. The contractor shall not make any third party claims for veteran patients, but shall provide documentation required by VA to submit a claim. 2m. Penalty for non-performance If services do not conform to contract requirements, the government may require the contractor to perform the service again in conformity with contract requirements, at no additional cost to the government, if appropriate. When defects in services cannot be correctly by re-performance, the Government may require the contractor to take necessary action to ensure that future performance conforms to contract requirements; and reduce the contract price to reflect the reduced value of the services performed. 2n. Reimbursement method Reimbursement will be based on documentation of hours worked. No periods of leave or mealtime are reimbursable under this contract. 2o. Educational and research activities Contract personnel will supply services at the level of effort specified below: a)Direct Patient Care (including resident supervision, medical record documentation, order entry, review of tests and procedure results) - 80-85% b)Research - 5-10% (level may vary depending on approval of proposed studies. c)Administration - committee meetings and performance improvement activities. 10% 3.References "JCAHO HAP Manual "American College of Radiation Oncology "VHA Handbook 1400.0 Resident Supervision 4.Delivery Routine Hours - The contractor shall provide coverage for equivalent man hours of professional disciplines as specified in this request for proposal, at the Brooklyn facility during normal working hours, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday excluding Federal Holidays. The contractor shall be responsible for providing coverage during periods of vacancies of its personnel due to sick leave, personal leave, and vacations etc. The contractor shall be reimbursed only for actual performance of services at VA site. On-call coverage shall not be substituted as reimbursement for actual hours worked. Emergency Coverage - The contractor shall provide emergency coverage, on an "on-call" basis for any radiotherapy services needed beyond regular working hours at the VA facility. On-call coverage shall be provided in addition to actual performance of services during normal work hours when it is determined by the VA Chief of Staff that such on-call services are necessary. Emergency on-call services shall be paid in accordance with the appropriate offer item price and shall only apply to services that were requested and performed. 5. Progress and Compliance The contractor shall develop a performance improvement program to insure that radiotherapy services and support functions are performed in accordance with existing Federal, State, and Local guidelines, and within existing policies and procedures of the New York Harbor Healthcare System. Elements of a performance improvement plan may include: chart review, M&M review, peer review, satisfaction surveys, port film review and chart rounds. Quality controls will be performed daily on linear accelerators by Radiation Therapists. The physicists will perform monthly and annual quality assurance on equipment and IMRT quality assurance monitoring according to patient needs. Compliance with documentation requirements will be monitored through the facility's Performance Improvement program and by committees with responsibility for monitoring clinical care, e.g., Medical Records, Tumor Board, Operative and Other Invasive Procedures. The Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) will designate appropriate VA personnel to monitor contractor performance. Any incidents of contractor noncompliance as evidenced by the monitoring procedures will be reported immediately to the Contracting Officer. Privacy Act Requirements Performance of contract services may involve handling of VA patient records containing information subject to the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. Section 552a. The contractor shall comply with the privacy act clauses of this solicitation. Non Discrimination of Services The contractor agrees to accept referral of and to provide all services specified in this contract for any person determined eligible by VA Under Secretary for Health or his/her designee regardless of the race, color, religion, sex, or national origin of the person(s) for whom such services are ordered. In addition, the contractor warrants that subcontracting will not be resorted to as a means of circumventing this provision. Cost of Services The contractor shall provide all radiation therapy and related services required by this contract at the cost contained in Schedule of Supplies/Services. Such costs shall include all salaries, fringe benefits, malpractice insurance, overhead/administration expenses, and profit fees, if applicable. Definitions Contracting Officer (CO) - The person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) - Any person or persons authorized to act for the contracting officer within specific limits of the contract normally to provide technical assistance and advice, coordination of workload and certification of invoices. The COTR shall not make changes to the contract requirements. Contract Coordinator - The contractor shall designate a contract coordinator who will provide supervision of personnel on its staff that will be performing services under this contract. Upon mutual acceptance, designated contractor personnel may be rotated in any combination within their respective professional disciplines to provide services. Contractor - An individual, partnership, corporation or organization having a contractual relationship with the Government for provision of services. Full-Time Equivalent Employee (FTEE) - A term to describe contract workload requirements FTEE measurements are defined as follows: (i)1 FTEE = One employee working 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, for a total not exceeding 2,080 work hours annually. (ii).5 FTEE = One employee working 4 hours per day, 20 hours per week or any combination of hours not exceeding 1, 040 work hours annually. (iii).25 FTEE = One employee working 2 hours per day, 10 hours per week or any combination of hours per day not exceeding 10 hours per week, and 520 work hours annually. [End of Statement of Work]
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- Place of Performance
- Address: NY Harbor Healthcare System;Brooklyn VA Medical Center;Radiation Oncology Suite;800 Poly Place;Brooklyn, NY
- Zip Code: 11209-7104
- Zip Code: 11209-7104
- Record
- SN01567873-W 20080508/080506221111-effac0f4ec90fd28b921dc94b36072de (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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