SOURCES SOUGHT
V -- LABORATORY COURIER SERVICES for VA TEMPLE TX Hospital
- Notice Date
- 5/24/2019
- Notice Type
- Synopsis
- NAICS
- 492110
— Couriers and Express Delivery Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Veterans Affairs;NCO 17 North Texas Healthcare System;NCO 17 Network Contracting Activity;124 E HWY 67;Dallas TX 75216
- ZIP Code
- 75216
- Solicitation Number
- 36C25719Q0776
- Response Due
- 5/31/2019
- Archive Date
- 6/30/2019
- Point of Contact
- Grace.Barr@VA.GOV
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Error! Main Document Only. This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources, small and other than small businesses, to perform a potential requirement. Respondents are required to be registered and in good standing in The System for Award Management (SAM) https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ Purpose and Objectives: Your responses to the information requested shall assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method. NAICS code: 492110 and Size Standard is 1500 Employees. NOTE: Respondent claiming SDVOSB and VOSB status shall be registered and CVE verified in VetBiz Registry https://www.vip.vetbiz.va.gov/ Project requirements: To provide a Full Service for Courier Services for Saturday delivery. Information sought: Response to this announcement shall not exceed 10 pages and should include the following information: (1) A tailored capability statement indicating the firm s ability to provide the services required in the Description of Service Section. Include any certifications/qualifications current and past contract information that will support your capability statement. See the Performance Work Statement (PWS), (2) The respondents DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., SDVOSB/VOSB, small, etc.,) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code; (3) Information should be provided electronically in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Please e-mail your response with the above information to Grace.Barr@va.gov with the subject line "Sources Sought, Courier Services CTX Health Care System /your company name" by 9:00 AM CST on May 30, 2019 Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice shall not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in our response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). STATEMENT OF WORK LABORATORY COURIER SERVICES Description of Requirement The Vendor shall provide Saturday lab courier services to the Central Texas Health Care System (CTVHCS), in accordance with this Statement of Work (SOW). Service Contract Requirement Vendor shall provide hourly wages in accordance with U.S. Department of Labor Wage Determinations and FAR Sub contract 22.10 (Service Contract Labor Standards); see Solicitation Attachment 1 (USDOL Wage Determinations). The following position is applicable: 01141 Messenger Courier Period of Performance Period of performance will be for a base year of July 1, 2019 June 30, 2020, with four (4) option years ending June 30,2024. Places of Performance Pick up will be at the Austin Outpatient Clinic, 7901 Metropolis Drive, Austin, TX 78744. Drop off will be Olin E. Teague Veterans Medical Center at 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive, Temple, TX 76504. Definitions and Acronyms: CBOC: Community Based Outpatient Clinic CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDR: Contract Discrepancy Report Contracting Officer (CO) The person executing this contract on behalf of the Government with the authority to enter and administer contracts and make related determinations and findings. Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) A person appointed by the CO to take necessary action to ensure the Vendor performs in accordance with and adheres to the specifications contained in the contract and to protect the interest of the Government. The COR shall report to the CO promptly any indication of non-compliance in order that appropriate action can be taken. CPARS: Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System, which is the official Government reporting system for Vendor past performance on awards. DOT: U.S. Department of Transportation HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act OSHA: U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration POP: Period of Performance QASP: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan VA: VA Health Care System SOW: Statement of Work Scope of Work Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) requires lab courier services. The Vendor shall provide all necessary management, labor, equipment, vehicles, transportation, information security (HIPAA), and insurance to provide lab courier services to and from the VA Health Care System and CBOC address cited under Places of Performance. All work is to be performed in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations or ordinances; including any specified regulations for oxygen cylinders, information security (HIPAA), dangerous goods, diagnostic specimens or bio-hazardous materials. Weekly Courier Service Weekly Courier services include but are not limited to: the transportation of all laboratory specimens (blood/body fluids). Items will be secured (locked) at-all-times while in the possession of the Vendor. Weekly Courier services shall be provided on Saturdays, except for federal holidays or any day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a federal holiday. The ten federal holidays observed by the Federal Government are: New Year s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. s Birthday; Washington s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day, and any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a federal holiday. Weekly Courier services shall be to and from the designated pick-up and delivery points as specified below between the CTVHCS and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC): Pick up will be at the Austin Outpatient Clinic, 7901 Metropolis Drive, Austin, TX 78744. Pick up will be each Saturday between 11:45 am 12:00 noon (clinic closes at noon sharp, courier must arrive before then). Drop off will be Olin E. Teague Veterans Medical Center Laboratory at 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive, Temple, TX 76504; Building 163, Room 1C36C (accessioning section). VA Health Care System normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Local Standard Time. The VA Laboratory is open 24/7. Deliveries to CTVHCS will occur after normal business hours; therefore, the vendor shall use the facility s Emergency Department entrance (or alternate location designated by signage). Due to the time-sensitive nature of the laboratory specimens, the CTVHCS requires same day delivery. The Vendor shall provide the COR with a copy of delivery routes within five (5) business days of award. Additionally, the Vendor shall provide the COR with updated copies of delivery routes five (5) business days prior to the effective date of any changes to the established delivery routes. Additional Courier Requirements Laboratory specimen containers for delivery and pickup are approximately 16 inches high x 30 inches long x 20 inches wide; however, they may vary in size. Environmental Controls The Vendor shall be responsible to maintain a temperature-controlled environment between 68 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity level between 65 to 72 percent in vehicle or storage areas. Lab specimens shall be maintained at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius with the use of adequate refrigerant packs (to be supplied by VA) for all deliveries of laboratory specimens or supplies. Items must be kept out of contact with environmental hazards such as dust, snow, and rain. The Vendor personnel drivers shall not leave vehicles in extreme heat or cold while specimens, sterile supplies, and pharmaceuticals are being transported. The Vendor shall be responsible for failures by the Vendor to ensure established environmental controls are maintained, of which results in damage or deterioration of laboratory specimens, supplies, or pharmaceuticals. Should specimens and/or transported items be lost, broken, or otherwise damaged, the Vendor shall be required to submit a preliminary summary incident report to the COR within 24 hours of the incident. The Vendor shall provide a written incident report explaining the details of the incident; specifically, what caused the incident (who, what, where, when, and how) within seventy-two hours of the incident. Bloodborne Pathogens The Vendor and the Vendor personnel shall comply with the effective VA Medical Center Policy (and Occupational Health requirements in accordance with OSHA Blood Borne Pathogens (BBP) Law and the OSHA Tuberculosis Compliance Directive, enforceable under OSHA s General Duty Clause) governing healthcare workers infected with a blood borne pathogen. If the Vendor obtains information that a person providing services under this contract may be infected with a blood borne pathogen, the Vendor shall immediately advise the COR. HIPAA Compliance The Vendor must adhere to the provisions of Public Law 104-191, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the National Standards to Protect the Privacy and Security of Protected Health Information (PHI). In addition, all VA security policies and applicable confidentiality statues such as 38 U.S.C. §5701 (VA Claims Confidentiality), 38 U.S.C. §5705 (Confidentiality of Healthcare Quality Assurance Review Records), 38 U.S.C. §7332 (Confidentiality of certain medical records), as well as 45 C.F.R. Parts 160, 162, and 164 (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) should be followed. As required by HIPAA, HHS has promulgated rules governing the use and disclosure of protected health information by covered entities. The covered entity component of VA is the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). In accordance with HIPAA, the Vendor shall be required to enter into a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with VA upon award. Contingency Plan Inclement weather. The Vendor shall develop a contingency plan within five (5) business days after award to address possible inclement weather conditions. The plan shall provide the Austin Community Based Outpatient Clinic, VA laboratory staff, and the COR with notifications early enough to provide the appropriate staff time to notify veteran patients that laboratory services need to be rescheduled. The Vendor shall immediately notify the COR or VA lab personnel via phone and email communications of emergent road closures authorized by the Texas DOT. The Vendor shall develop a contingency plan within five (5) business days to ensure uninterrupted daily scheduled courier services for VA. This plan shall be reviewed annually by the Vendor, the COR, and other designated VA lab personnel. Vendor Vehicles Within five (5) business days after award, the vendor shall provide the following: Number of vehicles, including make, model, and license plates Vendor vehicles and storage areas used in the performance of this contract must be licensed and meet the minimum requirements as mandated by the States of Texas. Vehicles shall have the company name/logo prominently displayed. Each vehicle used in the performance of this contract shall be adequately stocked with at least one current/up-to-date complete Spill Kit for a bio-hazard clean-up in case of leakage or accidental discharge from container. The Vendor shall provide comprehensive automobile liability insurance required by the States of Texas. Upon request, the Vendor shall provide certified proof of automobile liability insurance for all vehicles used by the Vendor in the performance of this contract. Vendor vehicles must be maintained in a sanitary clean condition, absent of foreign debris and contaminants. All vehicles must be in good working condition with all doors and trunks able to fully close and lock. Unattended vehicles with VA contents shall be locked at all times. The following types of vehicles are prohibited from use under the contract: Bicycles Motorcycles Vehicles without a secure cargo area, such as convertibles Pickup trucks without fully enclosed and lockable bed cover, unless cargo is secured in the driver s cab. Vendor Drivers/Personnel Within five (5) business days after award, the vendor shall provide the following to the COR: Number of drivers, including names and states of licensure The Vendor shall review the HHS OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities on the HHS OIG web site at http://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/index.asp to ensure all proposed Vendor employee(s) are not listed. By signing the contract, the vendor certifies that the HHS OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities has been reviewed and that proposed vendor employee(s) are not listed as of the date the contract was signed. Vendor drivers must maintain a valid driver s license for the type of vehicle operated as required by State of Texas. The Vendor shall be licensed by the state and/or local health authority in those localities where licenses are required. Vendor personnel, while performing the services of this contract, shall conduct themselves in a professional business-like manner. The Contracting Officer, upon discussion with the COR, reserves the right to exclude vendor staff members from providing services under the contract or task order based upon breaches of conduct, including conduct that jeopardizes patient care or interferes with the regular and ordinary operation of the facility. Breaches of conduct include intoxication or debilitation resulting from drug use, theft, patient abuse, dereliction or negligence in performing tasks, or other conduct resulting in formal complaints by Veterans or other staff members to designated government representatives. The vendor and COR shall address issues raised concerning vendor personnel conduct. The Contracting Officer shall be the final decision on questions of acceptability and in validating complaints. Smoking is permitted only in designated areas when Vendor personnel are on VA Health Care System or CBOC facilities. Smoking is not allowed within vehicles or when carrying and transporting delivery items. The vendor s drivers shall observe and abide by all signage, speed limits, pedestrian right-of-way, emergency vehicle right-of-way, and designated roadways. The vendor shall supply his/her employees with uniforms that shall be worn at all times while performing the services of the contract and while vendor employees are on government property and in government buildings. These uniforms shall contain the vendor s company name upon the shirt. Consistency is necessary for identification purposes when the vendor or vendor s personnel are on site at CTVHCS or CBOC facilities. The vendor s drivers, shall be required to maintain a record log of courier pick-ups and deliveries, indicating times and dates of pick-ups and deliveries, number of containers/totes and/or loose items. The vendor s drivers are required to notify the assigned COR during normal business hours of any unusual events that impede him/her in making delivery as required by the contract. Under no circumstances shall any animal or person other than the driver ride in the vehicle or handle items being transported. The Vendor shall provide and maintain training for its employees in appropriate safety and packaging procedures suitable to specimen type and distances transported. This should include issues such as adherence to regulations for transport of biohazards, use of rigid containers where appropriate, temperature control, notification procedures in case of accident or spills, etc. Upon request by the COR, the Vendor shall provide documentation certifying that training has been provided to Vendor s personnel. Reference 49 CFR §173.199 Diagnostic Specimens and Used Health Care Products and § 172.700, Subcontractor H, Training and International Air Transportation Association (IATA) Section 1.5.02. The Government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of any Vendor personnel at any time after performance begins, if personal or professional conduct jeopardizes patient care or interferes with the regular and ordinary operation of the facility. Breaches of conduct include intoxication or debilitation resulting from drug use, theft, patient abuse, dereliction or negligence in performing directed tasks, or other conduct resulting in formal complaints by patient or VA staff members to designated Government representatives. Standards for conduct shall mirror those prescribed by current federal personnel regulations. The CO and COR shall deal with issues raised concerning vendor employee(s) conduct. The final arbiter on questions of acceptability is the CO. Indemnification The Vendor shall be liable for and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Government against all actions or claims for loss of or damage to property or the injury or death of persons, arising out of or resulting from the fault, negligence, or act or omission of the Vendor, its agents, or employees. Vendor Support for Employees This is not a personal services contract. The vendor shall be responsible for supervision of its employees under this contract. The Vendor shall be responsible for protecting vendor employee furnishing services. To carry out this responsibility, the vendor shall provide or certify that the following is provided for all their staff providing services under the resultant contract: Workers compensation Professional liability insurance Health examinations Income tax withholding Wages in compliance with Service Contract Labor Standards (see Solicitation Attachment 1_USDOL Wage Determinations) Social security payments. Problem Resolution The CO, upon discussion with COR and VA lab personnel, will resolve complaints concerning vendor relations with Government employees and/or patients. The CO is final authority on validating complaints. In the event the vendor is involved and named in a validated complaint, the Government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of the services being rendered. This does not preclude refusal in the event of incidents involving physical or verbal abuse by vendor personnel towards VA personnel, CBOC personnel, COR, and other vendor personnel while performing services as specified in this contract. Record Keeping The Vendor shall be responsible for supplying, completing, and submitting all reports required and/or requested by any federal, state, and/or local government agency, as required by law, ordinance, and/or regulations that pertain to the supplies and services provided under this contract. All correspondence relative to the Contract or any task order shall contain the purchase order number, task order number, facility name, and description of services performed. The COR will provide the Vendor with copies of any reference documents and/or materials within fifteen (15) business days upon receipt of a written request. Confidentiality and Nondisclosure It is agreed that: The preliminary and final deliverables, and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by VA which have been generated by the contractor in the performance of this task order, are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government and shall be submitted to the CO at the conclusion of the task order. The CO will be the sole authorized official to release, verbally or in writing, any data, draft deliverables, final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this task order. No information shall be released by the contractor. Any request for information relating to this task order, presented to the contractor, shall be submitted to the CO for response. Press releases, marketing material, or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project, shall not be publicized without the written approval of the CO. Contractor Security Requirements. This contractor requires no access to CTVHCS or any VA information system. The C&A requirements do not apply. A security accreditation package is not required. Reports and Deliverables The Vendor shall be responsible for complying with all reporting and deliverable requirements established by the contract. Vendor shall be responsible for assuring the accuracy and completeness of all reports and other documents as well as the timely submission of each. Vendor shall comply with contract requirements regarding the appropriate reporting formats, instructions, submission timetables, and technical assistance as required. All reports and deliverables are to be sent by electronic mail unless otherwise specified by the CO or COR. The following are brief descriptions of required documents that must be submitted by Vendor: What Submit as noted Submit To List of Vendor Vehicles, including number of vehicles, make/model, and license plates Within five (5) business days after award COR List of Vendor drivers, including names and states of licensure Within five (5) business days after award COR Provide contingency plan Within five (5) business days after award COR Provide delivery routes Within five (5) business days after award COR For Background Investigations and Special Agreement Checks, complete forms provided by CO Within five (5) business days after award CO with cc to COR Insurance Certificate Within five (5) business days after award CO with cc to COR Quality Control Plan: Description and reporting reflecting the Vendor s plan for meeting of contract requirements and performance standards Within 10 business days after award CO with cc to COR Final list of proposed percentages and businesses to subcontract to Within 10 business days after award CO with cc to COR Proposed Updates to Delivery Routes Within five (5) business days of effective date of proposed change COR Completion of Required Training Within five (5) business days after receiving notice to proceed on cleared Vendor personnel from CO CO and COR Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) The Vendor will be evaluated in accordance with the QASP. The QASP provides a systematic method to evaluate performance for the stated CONTRACT. This QASP explains the following: What will be monitored? How monitoring will take place. Who will conduct the monitoring? How monitoring efforts and results will be documented. This QASP does not detail how the vendor accomplishes the work. Rather, the QASP is created with the premise that the vendor is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the contract. It is the Government s responsibility to be objective, fair, and consistent in evaluating performance. This QASP is a living document and the Government may review and revise it on a regular basis. However, the Government shall coordinate changes with the vendor through contract modification. Copies of the original QASP and revisions shall be provided to the vendor and Government officials implementing surveillance activities. Government Roles and Responsibilities: The following personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities. Contracting Officer (CO) The CO shall ensure performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensure compliance with the contract terms, and shall safeguard the interests of the United States in the contractual relationship. The CO shall also assure that the Vendor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment under this contract. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the Vendor s performance. Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) The COR is responsible for technical administration of the contract and shall assure proper Government surveillance of the Vendor s performance. The COR shall keep a quality assurance file. The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government s behalf. Performance Standards: The Vendor is responsible for performance of ALL terms and conditions of the contract. CORs will provide contract progress reports quarterly to the CO reflecting performance on this plan and all other aspects of the resultant contract. The performance standards outlined in this QASP shall be used to determine the level of vendor performance in the elements defined. Performance standards define desired services. The Government performs surveillance to determine the level of vendor performance to these standards. Methods of QA Surveillance: Various methods exist to monitor performance. The COR shall use the surveillance methods listed below in the administration of this QASP. Direct observation: 100% surveillance Periodic inspections: inspections scheduled and reported quarterly per COR delegation or as needed. Validated user/customer complaints: data will be collected from actual patient complaints. Complaints will be investigated and verified. Random sampling: vendor log books will be reviewed by COR for compliance Verification and/or documentation provided by vendor: vendor provided information on services provided to COR. Performance Requirements: The Performance Requirements are listed below. The Government shall use these standards to determine vendor performance and shall compare vendor performance to the standard and assign a rating. At the end of the performance period, these ratings will be used, in part, to establish the past performance of the vendor on the contract and for purposes of providing the CO with information for inclusion on CPARS: Measures Performance Requirement Acceptable Quality Level Surveillance Method Vendor shall submit accurate invoices Vendor to submit accurate invoices (contract and task order under VAAR Clause 852.232-72) 95% Direct observation (review of invoices) Regular deliveries: Austin OPC pick up no earlier than 11:45 am and no later than 12: noon (clinic closes at noon sharp, courier must arrive before then). Vendor to meet delivery timelines (SOW under Daily Courier Service ) 100% Random sampling (Review of Log Book) User/Customer Complaints Vendor has a plan in place for handling complaints and all complaint responses are submitted to the COR or CO within two (2) business days of complaint 100% Verification provided by vendor/Validated user and customer complaints (response and documentation from vendor) If vendor performance does not meet the Acceptable Quality level, the CO shall inform the Vendor. This will normally be in writing unless circumstances necessitate verbal communication. In any case the CO shall document the discussion and place it in the contract file. When the COR and the CO determines formal written communication is required, the COR shall prepare a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR), and present it to CO. The CO will in turn review and will present to the vendor's program manager for corrective action. The Vendor shall acknowledge receipt of the CDR in writing. The CDR will specify if the Vendor is required to prepare a corrective action plan to document how the Vendor shall correct the unacceptable performance and avoid a recurrence. The CDR will also state how long after receipt the Vendor has to present this corrective action plan to the CO. The Government shall review the Vendor's corrective action plan to determine acceptability. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the vendor s performance and the acceptability of the vendor s corrective action plan. Any CDRs may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action deemed necessary by the CO or for purposes of reporting vendor past performance on CPARS. NOTE: THIS NOTICE WAS NOT POSTED TO FEDBIZOPPS ON THE DATE INDICATED IN THE NOTICE ITSELF (24-MAY-2019); HOWEVER, IT DID APPEAR IN THE FEDBIZOPPS FTP FEED ON THIS DATE. PLEASE CONTACT 877-472-3779 or fbo.support@gsa.gov REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
- Web Link
-
Link To Document
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/VA/VANTHCS/VANTHCS/36C25719Q0776/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Zip Code: 76504
- Record
- SN05322505-F 20190526/190524230015 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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