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FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF JUNE 16, 2018 FBO #6049
DOCUMENT

Q -- Burial of Unclaimed Veterans for Altoona VA Area in Pennsylvania. - Attachment

Notice Date

6/14/2018
 

Notice Type

Attachment
 

NAICS

812210 — Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
 

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs;Network Contracting Office 4
 

Solicitation Number

36C24418Q9258
 

Response Due

6/22/2018
 

Archive Date

8/21/2018
 

Point of Contact

William.Schlobohm2@va.gov
 

E-Mail Address

William.Schlobohm2@va.gov
(William.Schlobohm2@va.gov)
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER, ALTOONA, PA GENERAL INFORMATION FOLLOWED BY A TENTATIVE STATEMENT OF WORK NOTICE: This is not a solicitation but rather a Request for Information (RFI) (Sources Sought) to determine capability of potential sources and is for information and planning purposes only. Veterans Health Affairs, Network Contracting Office 4, is issuing this request for information/sources sought notice in order to identify capable firms to perform inventory services for the Altoona VA Medical Center (area) in Pennsylvania. Responses must be submitted by COB June 22nd, 2018. Submit responses to the information requested above via email to William.Schlobohm2@va.gov. All SDVOSB and VOSB firms that respond shall include proof of CVE certification via www.vip.vetbiz.gov. All small business firms that respond shall include proof of small business status via their Representations and Certifications in accordance with (FAR 4.1102 Policy). While SDVOSB/VOSB contractors are preferred, all capable contractors are welcome to respond to this sources sought notice for market research purposes, and shall include as part of their response a brief capability statement that covers the information in the following tentative statement of work The results of this market research will assist in the development of (1) the requirement, and (2) the acquisition strategy (e.g., socioeconomic set-aside, full and open competition, etc.). VA assumes no responsibility for any costs incurred associated with the preparation of responses. Tentative/Sample Statement of Work (below): Statement of Work Funeral/Burial Services for Unclaimed Remains for Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1.0 General Information. The James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Altoona, Pennsylvania requires mortuary services for deceased Veterans. The Contractor shall provide the facilities, professional funeral services, resources and transportation necessary to support the handling of unclaimed remains of deceased Veterans from the Altoona VAMC. The offeror shall comply with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requirements and specifications and federal, state, and local health laws, statutes and regulations in the performing the following tasks as identified in this Statement of Work (SOW). The Altoona VAMC is located at 2907 Pleasant Valley Blvd. Altoona, PA 16602. 1.1 Period of Performance: Base Year plus four (4) option years. 1.2 The Contractor shall not discriminate in the handling of remains due to race, creed, sex, or national origin of the deceased. 2.0 Description of the Work to be performed 2.1The Contractor shall be responsible for providing professional services of the highest quality to assure viewing of the remains under optimal conditions. 2.2 The Contractor shall practice hygienic measures that will assure complete and satisfactory disinfection and sanitation of the funeral establishment. 2.3 The Contractor shall have a sufficient number of licensed embalmers to process (embalm) or reprocess any remains on a timely basis. Interns or apprentices may be used to assist the licensed embalmer in accordance with (IAW) with applicable state regulations. 2.4 Transport Vehicles, supplies, equipment and technical procedures shall conform to standards and professional techniques acceptable to the State Funeral Service Industry and the National Cemetery. 2.5 The Contractor or Sub-Contractor shall be within a 25 mile radius from the Altoona VAMC. 2.6 Contractor s Facility shall meet Federal, State, Local and National Environment Policy Act (NEPA) Fire and Life Safety Codes. The Contractor s facility shall comply with current VA standards for handicapped accessibility. Any change of the Contractor s facility location during the contract term shall be approved in advance by the Contracting Officer (CO). 3.0 VAMC Responsibilities 3.1 In accordance with the Veteran s expressed funeral arrangement preferences, Altoona VAMC will advise the Contractor of the Veteran s preference for cremation or burial. If no preferences have been identified by the Veteran, the facility will request direct burial services from the Contractor. 3.2 The VAMC Facility Director or designated representative is responsible for inspecting the unclaimed remains prior to release in accordance with VHA Directive 1601B.04. 3.3 The CO will delegate a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) to be responsible for the inspection of the mortuary services and the merchandise furnished for unclaimed remains. 3.4 Notification to pick-up unclaimed remains: The VAMC COR or designated representative will notify the Contractor of unclaimed remains. The Contractor shall respond for removal of unclaimed Veteran s remains within 8 hours during weekdays and within 24 hours on weekends and holidays. The Contractor shall complete the burial process within 10 days of notification by Altoona VAMC. 3.5 Inspection of the body: Whether the body is cremated or to be buried, the casket and remains shall be inspected by the COR or designated representative prior to transporting to final destination. 4.0 Scope of Work General Tasks by the Contractor 4.1 Cremation (Inurnment) Services: When ordered by the COR or designated representative (DR), this service shall include making the necessary arrangements with the crematorium and furnishing a suitable urn for the cremated remains. 4.1.1 Suitable Urn shall be composed or made of standard plastic. 4.2 Preparation of Remains (body) Services for Interment: The COR or DR will advise the Contractor of the Veteran s preference for cremation or body burial. If no prior preference is given by the Veteran, the preference shall be burial. 4.2.1 Remains shall be prepared, dressed and cosmetically beautified as prescribed in the specifications. 4.2.2 Each remain, viewable or non-viewable, shall be embalmed that provides the optimum result. 4.3 Pre-embalming services 4.3.1 Remains shall be bathed unless when it is impossible due to the condition of the remains. The female/male body hair shall be washed and groomed. For example: Fingernails shall be cleaned and trimmed; the mouth shall be securely closed to form a natural expression and ensure eyelids are prepared to prevent wrinkling and a sunken appearance of the eyes. The use of cosmetics shall be applied only produce natural color and texture. 4.3.2 Any lacerations, abrasions, incisions, excisions and burn wounds shall be sutured and/or sealed to prevent leakage. Swollen or distorted features shall be reduced to the normal contours enjoyed during life. Postmortem stains shall be chemically bleached by applying packs and/or needle injection. On viewable areas, further treatment shall consist of the use of masking cosmetics to render stains non-detectable. 4.3.3 Body orifices shall be treated with a disinfectant, non-astringent chemical (generic categories such as Phenyl phenols and Idophors) and packed with cotton. Bedsores, ulcerated, burned, and necrotic tissue shall be treated either by hypodermic injection, or pack application of deodorizing or preserving chemical. 4.3.4 Maggots and other insect larvae shall be destroyed and their breeding sites in or on the remains thoroughly treated with an insecticide chemical. 4.3.5 The Contractor shall ensure that the body and/or cremated remains are effectively disinfected, uniformly preserved and offensive odors eliminated before the remains are casketed. 4.4 Preparation of Remains (Body is intact) 4.4.1 Each remain, viewable and non-viewable, requires variation in the embalming treatment to accomplish the optimum results. A recommended procedure to achieve these goals is the injection of the solution at a moderate rate. The addition of a humectant to the solutions is also helpful in reducing over-dehydration effects. 4.5 Processing Non-viewable Remains 4.5.1 For all remains, multi-site injection and drainage technique shall be attempted. 4.5.2 For autopsied cases, incisions shall be tightly sutured and treated to prevent leakage. 4.5.3 Restorative work such as derma surgery, if required, shall be used to present a normal lifelike appearance. 4.5.4 Body areas shall be treated by means of a trocar, using undiluted cavity chemicals having a 30 index (%) or greater. In addition, packs, special gels and or dry sanitizers shall be used to assure preservation, prevent leakage, and eliminate all offensive odors (if required.) 4.5.5 Cranial, thoracic, and abdominal cavities, when present, shall be relieved of gasses and distention. The cavities shall then be treated by injecting a minimum of 32 ounces of a concentrated cavity chemical, having a 30-index (%) or greater. 4.5.6 When material injection and/or cavity treatment is impossible, all matriculated and disarticulated anatomical portions shall be thoroughly disinfected and preserved via accessory chemical embalming techniques. 4.5.7 Non-injectable intact remains and/or disarticulated anatomical portions shall be immersed or hypo-injected with trocar and/or syringe and needle, using full strength cavity chemicals 30-index (%) or greater. Surface application of liquid, gel, or dry sanitizers and preservatives is also required to supplement primary needle and/or hypo injection techniques. 4.6 Processing Viewable Remains 4.6.1 A thorough pre-embalming case analysis shall be made in order to determine the best embalming techniques to be used to obtain optimum results. 4.6.2 The technique of arterial injection and venous drainage is of utmost importance as well as the need for adding humectant (moisture retention chemicals) to the arterial solution injected. 4.6.3 The mineral chemical injection solution shall contain a 2% to 3% concentration, by volume, of aldehyde or aldehyde derivative preservative agent(s), with equal parts of a humectant chemical also being added to the injection solution. 4.6.4 The thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities shall be thoroughly aspirated and injected with full-strength cavity chemicals having a 30 index (%) or greater, using a minimum of 16 ounces for each cavity. 4.6.5 Needle injections, packs, or other special treatments shall be accomplished, as required, to assure the preservation and disinfection of all body tissues, including those associated with body cavities (organs). 4.6.6 A lanolin-based (or comparable) massage cream shall be applied on the face and hands. 4.6.7 For autopsied remains. Incisions shall be tightly sutured and treated to prevent leakage. 4.6.8 Autopsied Remains. If a partial or complete autopsy is performed, a 6-point injection with multisite drainage shall be accomplished, using arterial chemical solutions as specified for processing viewable remains. 4.7 Other Preparations of the Body remains 4.7.1 The following services shall be provided includes dressing, make-up, casketing, hair care, post-autopsy care, refrigeration and reconstruction/restorative arts. 4.7.2 Treatment of Scalp. If the scalp was shaved because of medical treatment or surgery, processing or reprocessing shall be accomplished as specified for viewable remains, after which the cranium shall be wrapped with gauze or equivalent in a neat and professional manner. 4.7.3 Mutilated Hands. If the hands are mutilated and restoration is not possible, the hands shall be treated in a manner, which shall render the tissue firm, dry, and thoroughly preserved. The hands shall be covered by either wrapping with gauze or equivalent in a neat and professional manner, or by placing surgical gloves on the hands. 4.7.4 Dressing Remains. The deceased will be appropriately clothed, including appropriate underclothing and hose. 4.8 Casket. Remains shall be placed in the casket in a manner that will create an appearance of rest and composure and ensure maintenance of position during transit. 4.8.1 Casket Type and Material. At a minimum, the casket should be constructed from thick, strong particle board and be sufficient strength to support the weight of an adult human body. Cardboard or pressed paper or similar materials are not acceptable. 4.8.2 The casket shall be of sufficient size to prevent the appearance of crowding and cramping the remains. 4.9 United States (US) Flag. The US flag is provided by the VA Central Registration office to be draped over the casket at the time of funeral service. 5.0 Transport and Storage of the Deceased Veteran. 5.1 Transport Vehicles. The Contractor shall have the necessary vehicles to transport the body from the VAMC to the funeral home and then from funeral home to the National Cemetery or to a local site owned by the state or by an agency or political subdivision of the state for interment or inurnment. 5.1.1 Loading the Casketed or the Cremated Remains. The remains shall be carefully and professionally placed in the type of vehicle normally used in for funeral services. 5.2 Transportation of Remains. The Contractor shall coordinate and transport the body or unclaimed remains in a funeral coach, ambulance, and hearse or service car to the Contractor s facility; and when ready for burial, the Contractor shall transport it to the National Cemetery for burial. 5.2.1 In the event that interment or cremation is to be other than at the National Cemetery, additional expenses may be allowed for transportation. 5.3 Storage of Deceased Veteran. The Contractor shall have adequate storage space to hold and store (refrigeration) the remains until burial arrangements are confirmed. 6.0 Permits/Licenses to operate. The Contractor shall possess the current transit permit at the time of award of Contract. Permits covering burial, cremation or removal of the body, if required, are to be secured and paid for by the Contractor. 6.1 In accordance with the PA Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, the Contractor shall provide proof of license for the establishment and funeral home director(s), prior to commencing any work under this contract. 6.2 The Contractor s employees shall have the appropriate and current license(s) prior to commencing work under this contract. Copies of registrations and licenses shall be furnished upon COR s request. The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining Workers Compensation and Professional Liability Insurance, as well as remaining current on Federal, State and Medicare payments. 7.0 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans (QASP) 7.1 The QASP will be used by the Government to monitor and evaluate the Contractor s performance using mostly customer feedback and surveillance. The Government will use random, scheduled and unscheduled inspections of the various reports transcribed to determine the validity of the customers complaints. Performance will be recorded by the COR or designated representative and when an observation indicates defective performance, the COR will request the Contractor or designated representative to initial the observation. 7.2 The COR will conduct on-site inspections of the facilities to ensure services are performed according to the terms and conditions of the contract. 8.0 Contractor s Quality Control Program (QCP) 8.1 The Contractor shall implement and maintain a complete quality control (QC) program so that all requirements are provided for as specified in all sections of this contract. The Contractor s QCP shall include but not be limited to the following: 8.1.1 A statement describing how the Contractor will meet the basic requirements of this contract (including staffing levels, time of response) shall be provided to the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) fifteen (30) days after effective date of contract award and whenever there are major turnover of personnel. A major turn-over is two or more employees. 8.1.2 A method for identifying deficiencies in the quality of services performed before the performance deficiency becomes unacceptable. The QCP shall contain processes for corrective actions without dependence upon Government direction and shall maintain records of all Contractor QC inspections and corrective actions. 8.1.3 A method of recording or logging the activities of the Contractor, which would demonstrate the Contractor's ability to maintain the minimum requirements of this contract. 8.2 The COR or designated representative will monitor the Contractor's performance using the Contractor s QCP and the Government s QASP. 8.3 The Contractor shall provide at least semi-annual quality control or assurance report to the COR. The report shall include the results of the reviews, identification of problems and a correction plan. 9.0 Miscellaneous Items 9.1 Coordination with the National Cemetery and the COR shall occurred frequently to ensure the deceased veteran is buried properly and timely. The Contractor shall keep the COR or DR informed as to the timeline of events. 9.2 COR responsibilities. The COR or DR will coordinate with the Contractor to ensure the proper documents and items are provided such as the DD 214 and/or other documents to verify Veterans Eligibility to be buried at the National Cemetery. 10.0 Hours of Operation. The VA will conduct business with the Contractor during its normal operational hours, excluding Federal Holidays. 11.0 Invoicing and Payments. 11.1 Payments in arrears. The invoice shall include the Contract number, current Purchase Order number, Order Date, Performance Period, and Description of Services provided during the month. The Contractor shall forward the invoice to the COR or designated representative for prior approval before submitting to OB10 for verification. OB10 shall forward the Contractor s invoice directly to DFAS Austin (also known as Finance Service Center) for payment. 11.2 OB10 electronic registration. VA entered into a relationship with OB10, a global provider of electronic invoicing. With OB10, all Contractors will be able to securely submit invoices directly from their existing billing systems. Contractors can easily submit invoices electronically through OB10. By submitting invoices electronically through OB10, the Contractor will experience prompt payment with reduced exceptions. Your participation is required in order to continue providing products or services to the VA in compliance with the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (IPERA) and Mandate AN97. The rule mandating electronic invoice submission was published on Nov 27, 2012, and has an effective date of Dec 27, 2012. Mandata AN97 can be located on the Federal Registry at the link provided: https://federalregister.gov/a/2012-28612. 11.2.1 How-to register with OB10 instructions. 11.2.1.1 Vendor e-Invoice Set-Up Information: Contact OB10 at the phone number or email address listed below to begin submitting your electronic invoices to the VA Financial Services Center for payment processing, free of charge. If you have question about the e-invoicing program or OB10, contact the FSC at the phone number or email address listed below: OB10 e-Invoice Setup Information: 1-877-489-6135 OB10 e-Invoice email: VA.Registration@ob10.com FSC e-Invoice Contact Information: 1-877-353-9791 FSC e-invoice email: vafsccshd@va.gov 12.0 Security Requirements 12.1 The Computer and Access requirements do not apply and that a Security Accreditation Package is not required. 12.2 The Contractor shall sign and follow confidentiality statements as required. 13.0 VA sensitive information 13.1 The Contractor is expected to perform functions that will require access to VA sensitive information. In the course of providing services, it will be necessary for the Contractor to, view and receive protected health information (PHI), and personnel identifiable information (PII). 13.2 Contracts, in which VA sensitive information are accessed by a Contractor require the following requirements per 38 U.S.C 5723 and 5725: 13.2.1 A prohibition on unauthorized disclosure: Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA See VA Handbook 65006, Appendix C, paragraph 3.a. 13.2.2 A requirement for data breach notification: Upon discovery of any known or suspected security/privacy incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in system(s) to which the contractor /subcontractor has access, the contractor/subcontractor shall immediately and simultaneously notify the COR, the designated ISO (Installation Security Officer), and Privacy Officer for the contract. The term security incident means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action that breaches VA security procedures. See VA Handbook 6500.6, Appendix C paragraph Ga. (Attachment C) 13.2.3 A requirement to pay liquidated damages in the event of a data: In the event of a data breach or privacy incident involving any SPI the contractor processes or maintains under this contract, the contractor shall be liable to VA for liquidated damages for a specified amount per affected individual to cover the cost of providing credit protection services to those individuals. See VA Handbook 6500.6, Appendix C, paragraph 7a and 7d. (Attachment C) 13.2.4 A requirement for annual security/privacy awareness training: Before being granted access to VA information, all contractor employees and subcontractor employees requiring such access shall complete on an annual basis either (i) the VA security/privacy awareness training (contains VA s security/privacy requirements) within 1 week of the initiation of the contract, or (ii) security awareness training provided or arranged by the contractor that conforms to VA s security)privacy requirements as delineated in the hard copy of the VA security awareness training provided to the contractor. If the contractor provides their own training that conforms to VA s requirements, they will provide the COR or CC, a yearly report (due annually on the date of the contract initiation) stating that all applicable employees involved in VA s contract have received their annual security/privacy training that meets VA S requirements and the total number of employees trained. See VA Handbook 6500.6, Appendix C, paragraph 9. (Attachment C) 13.2.5 A requirement to sign VA s Rules of Behavior: Before being granted access to VA information, all contractor employees and subcontractor employees requiring such access shall sign on an annual basis an acknowledgment that they have read, understand, and agree to abide by VA s Contractor Rules of Behavior which is attached to this contract. See VA Handbook 6500.6, paragraph 5, Appendix D (Attachment D), Note: If the vendor anticipates that the services under the contract will be performed by 10 or more individuals, the Contractor Rules of Behavior may be signed by the vendor s designated representative. The contract must reflect by signing the Rules of Behavior on behalf of the vendor that the designated representative agrees to ensure that all such individuals review and understand the Contractor Rules of Behavior when accessing VA s information. 14.0 Commonly Used Acronyms 14.1 CO Contracting Officer 14.2 COR Contracting Officer Representative 14.3 VAMC Veterans Affairs Medical Center 14.4 SOW Statement of Work 14.5 DR Designated Representative (usually representing the COR) 14.6 OB10 3rd party Global provider of electronic invoicing for the VA 14.7 DFAS Austin Defense Finance and Accounting System in Austin, Texas 14.8 FSC Financial Service Center (VA)
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/VA/PiVAMC646/PiVAMC646/36C24418Q9258/listing.html)
 

Document(s)

Attachment
 

File Name: 36C24418Q9258 36C24418Q9258.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=4392479&FileName=36C24418Q9258-000.docx)

Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=4392479&FileName=36C24418Q9258-000.docx

 

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

Record

SN04955146-W 20180616/180614230657-ade59dcbff85d0e5c4165458e98ae936 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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