Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Procurement & Grants Office, Program Acquisition Branch, 255 East Paces Ferry Rd, NE, Rm 500, Atlanta, GA 30305

D -- PROFICIENCY TESTING DATA ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT SOL 98B172(N) DUE 072798 POC Mark S. Federer, Contracting Officer, (404) 842-6789 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) contemplates award of a five year contract to provide standardized Proficiency Testing (PT) data to the CDC in a format and of a quality that will allow scientists within the Division of Laboratory Systems to fulfill their DHHS-mandated roles in CLIA implementation, namely: evaluating collective laboratory performance with PT, and monitoring PT program provider performance. The CDC believes it is possible to address the concerns of PT programs and participants while allowing CDC access to data it requires if the PT data are provided exclusively to the contractor, which would transmit either grouped data, or linked data that does not contain laboratory identifiers, to the CDC. This would assure the PT providers of the confidentiality of their data. Since it will be necessary to link these data with HCFA databases to obtain demographic and other information, it will be necessary for the CLIA ID number of participants to be included in the data delivered to CDC by the contractor. To facilitate cross-discipline data analyses and to be compatible with other data systems in the future, it is desirable to have the data in a standard coding system. The Systematized Nomenclature of Human and Veterinary Medicine (SNOMED) is the standard coding system used by College of American Pathologists and other organizations and should be considered for use because: 1. It is a recognized standard, 2. It is documented and published, and 3. It has a logic structure that would prove useful for research queries. Written requests for copies of the solicitation will be honored if received within 15 days of the RFP issue date, which will be on or about June 22, 1998. Requests received after that date will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis until the supply is exhausted. The date specified for receipt of offers will be approximately 35 days after the RFP issue date. Requests for copies of the RFP must cite the RFP Number: 98B172(N). Telephone requests will not be accepted.This acquisition will be 100 percent set-aside for small business concerns. The applicable SIC Code is 7375. For purposes of this acquisition, a business concern is considered "small" if their average annual receipts (including affiliates) during the three preceding fiscal years do not exceed $18 Million. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the agency. (0148)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0042 19980601\D-0006.SOL)