P02 MR RFI 36C10B27Q0040 0002 QandA Responses.pdf

Request for Information 36C10B27Q0040 Amendment 0002

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question 1: P02 MR RFI 36C10B27Q0040, 1. Introduction, Pg. 1 – The NAICS Code selected for this procurement is 541519, Other Computer Related Services, with a size standard of 150 employees. Has the government considered NAICS 238210 or 236220? These NAICS also carry a bonding requirement commonly applied to these projects nationwide within the Department of Veterans Affairs due to ICRA, conduit, painting and patching, replacement of ceiling tiles, bathroom tiles, etc.

Answer: No. NAICS 238210 is for Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors, and NAICS 236220 is for Commercial and Institutional Building Construction. This requirement being considered is for a Nurse Call System.

Question 2: P02 MR RFI 36C10B27Q0040, 2. Background, Pg. 2 – This section states:

“The VA, Veterans Health Administration Birmingham VA Health Care System (BVHCS) is performing market research related to a potential requirement for brand name or equal Hillrom Voalte nurse call system with staging services, installation services, termination/testing/labeling of cables, and installation to integrate with 107 Hillrom beds that are in use at the BVHCS.” Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.1 Salient Characteristics, Pg. 23 – This section states: “The BNE Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System shall not use middleware to interface bed data. For purposes of this solicitation, “middleware” is defined as a separate, third-party integration platform supplied by a vendor other than the nurse call system manufacturer.”

The first section, from the most recently released RFI Notice, does not include any restriction on “middleware”. The second section, which appears to be from the previously cancelled solicitation for this effort, includes the restriction. Does the government intend to restrict offerors to accessing their own patient bed data through specific vendor?

Answer: Reference RFI 36C10B27Q0040 notice and associated Draft PD section 1.1 Salient Characteristics, Page 23. The BNE Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System shall not use middleware to interface bed data.

Reference RFI, Page 1: The purpose of this RFI notice is for planning purposes, to identify market information and qualified contractors who are able to meet VA’s requirement for Brand Name or Equal Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System without the use of middleware.

Reference RFI, Page 4: Indicate if the Draft Product Description provided sufficient detail to describe the technical and functional requirements that encompass the brand name or equal Hillrom Voalte nurse call system. [YES / NO]. If “NO”, please provide your technical and functional comments and/or recommendations on elements of the Draft Product Description that may contribute to more accurate, cost-efficient solution.

Question 3: Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.0 Product Requirements, Pg. 2 - Delivery of hardware and software shall be within 30 days of award unless the Contractor has coordinated a change with the COR and gained the COR’s written approval. Any change to delivery must support completion of required installation and configuration in accordance with Government requirement.

What is the government’s plan for ensuring delivery in 30 days or less?

Answer: A fundamental principle of Government contracting is that once a vendor enters into a contractual relationship with the Government, the responsibility for meeting all terms, conditions, and requirements of that contract rests with the contractor unless otherwise stated.

Reference Draft Product Description (PD) section 1.0 Product Requirements, Pg.

2, requires delivery of hardware and software within 30 days of award. In addition, Draft PD section 3.1 requires the contractor to obtain written confirmation from the COR confirming the anticipated delivery date.

Reference RFI, Page 1: The purpose of this RFI notice is for planning purposes, to identify market information and qualified contractors who are able to meet VA’s requirement for Brand Name or Equal Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System without the use of middleware.

Reference RFI, Page 4: Indicate if the Draft Product Description provided sufficient detail to describe the technical and functional requirements that encompass the brand name or equal Hillrom Voalte nurse call system. [YES / NO]. If “NO”, please provide your technical and functional comments and/or

Question 4: Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.0 Product Requirements, Pg. 2 - Installation and configuration performance shall be within 150 days of award. Warranty period shall be 12 months from the date of final Government acceptance.

Most, if not all, full facility nurse call installations require 2-years of workmanship warranty and 5-year hardware warranty. This has been the industry standard for some time. Does the government anticipate requiring either of these when the final solicitation is published?

Answer: The Draft PD provided the Governments minimum requirements.

Reference Draft PD section 1.0 Product Requirements, page 3: Warranty period shall be 12 months from the date of final Government acceptance.

Question 5: Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.0 Product Requirements, Pg. 2 - The Contractor shall work with the COR to complete a Pre Infection Control Risk Assessment (PICRA) form provided by VHA. The Contractor’s responses on that form shall be provided to the COR no later than seven calendar days after the kickoff meeting. The Contractor’s responses on the completed PICRA will be by the Government to determine the ICRA class and necessary containment measures. The contractor shall follow the approved PICRA throughout performance.

Does the government want us to include ICRA in our proposal cost, or will this be addressed after award?

Answer: In response to RFI 36C10B27Q0040, Vendors considering providing a rough order of magnitude or commercially available list pricing for identified products and/or services that can meet the Government’s requirement as stated in the Draft PD should ensure all anticipated costs associated with meeting the requirements as stated in the Draft PD are included.

Question 6: Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.1 Salient Characteristics, Pg. 23

- The BNE Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System shall not use middleware to interface bed data. For purposes of this solicitation, “middleware” is defined as a separate, third-party integration platform supplied by a vendor other than the nurse call system manufacturer.

Does this include restriction against the use of existing middleware? For example, the Birmingham VAMC has Vocera Engage, which is referenced in the solicitation. Oracle Cerner Care Aware is another national middleware, which all nurse call systems are required to connect with in the Department of Veteran Affairs. Would the government allow Hill-Rom bed data to be shared through those pre-existing middleware, similar to how its done at every other VA Medical Center with Hill-Rom beds and all other “OR Equal” nurse call systems?

Answer: The current BVHCS nurse call system is being replaced in its entirety.

As such, no pre-existing middleware exists.

Reference RFI, Page 1: The purpose of this RFI notice is for planning purposes, to identify market information and qualified contractors who are able to meet VA’s requirement for Brand Name or Equal Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System without the use of middleware.

Reference RFI, Page 4: Indicate if the Draft Product Description provided sufficient detail to describe the technical and functional requirements that encompass the brand name or equal Hillrom Voalte nurse call system. [YES / NO]. If “NO”, please provide your technical and functional comments and/or

Question 7: Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.1 Salient Characteristics, Pg. 23

- The BNE Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System shall provide the information identified below in a visual dashboard that is accessible via workstations located at the nurse stations. The dashboard shall provide at a minimum, the following information:

• Patient room number

• Patient name or corresponding Health Insurance Portability and Accountability

Act (HIPPA) compliant naming convention.

• Patient notes (ex. Hard of hearing, NPO (nothing by mouth), etc.)

• Risk Status: based on electronic medical records assessment (Fall Risk, Skin, Pulmonary) or manual entry.

• Assigned staff.

• Active calls.

• Call wait times.

• Rounding reminders that automatically reset based on caregiver presence

• Caregiver presence displays on Status Board, Dome Light illumination to signal staff for patient assistance according to the hospital’s pre-determined code comprised of lights and sounds, graphical stations.

• Patient presence in bed.

• Bed exit armed.

• Brakes set.

• Bed in low position.

• Individual Side rails status, i.e., up/down.

• Head of bed angle.

• Patient weight.

Will the government please confirm that Hill-Rom is required to share this data either directly with the nurse call manufacturer, through 37-PIN connection, or through an existing middleware already deployed in the Birmingham VA Medical Center?

Answer: BVHCS Hillrom Centrella Smart+ beds share the required data through a 37-PIN connection.

Reference RFI, Page 1: The purpose of this RFI notice is for planning purposes, to identify market information and qualified contractors who are able to meet VA’s requirement for Brand Name or Equal Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System without the use of middleware.

Reference RFI, Page 4: Indicate if the Draft Product Description provided sufficient detail to describe the technical and functional requirements that encompass the brand name or equal Hillrom Voalte nurse call system. [YES / NO]. If “NO”, please provide your technical and functional comments and/or

Question 8:

Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.1 Salient Characteristics, Pg. 23 - The BNE Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call system shall include Room Control Boards (RCB) that can function in a standalone mode while experiencing loss-of-system communication and homerun or equivalent wiring topology.

Would the government accept an alternative, more cost-effective, wiring topology that still allows the entire nurse call system to function in standalone mode without homeruns?

Why is the government specifying a configuration (home run cabling) as opposed to function?

How will the government evaluate equivalency on an alternate “configuration”?

Answer: Reference Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.1 Salient Characteristics, Pg. 23 The BNE Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call system shall include Room Control Boards (RCB) that can function in a standalone mode while experiencing loss-of-system communication and homerun or equivalent wiring topology.

Reference RFI, Page 4: If your company is proposing an ‘or equal’ solution, be sure to demonstrate how your product/service meets the salient characteristics identified in the Draft PD attached hereto, including how the proposed ‘or equal’ solution is able to integrate with the existing BVHCS Hillrom hospital beds without the use of middleware.

Reference RFI, Page 1: The purpose of this RFI notice is for planning purposes, to identify market information and qualified contractors who are able to meet VA’s requirement for Brand Name or Equal Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System without the use of middleware.

Reference RFI, Page 4: Indicate if the Draft Product Description provided sufficient detail to describe the technical and functional requirements that encompass the brand name or equal Hillrom Voalte nurse call system. [YES / NO]. If “NO”, please provide your technical and functional comments and/or

Question 9:

Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.3 Site Conditions, Pg. 24 - IT closet co-location – The BNE Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System equipment, including but not limited to POE switches, fiber interface devices, UPS units, and other associated network equipment, may be co-located within the existing BVHCS IT closets and telecommunications rooms that contain VA IT infrastructure; however, this is not a requirement.

Does this mean offerors are allowed to use alternative closet locations to provide a more cost-effective system design?

Answer: Yes. Reference Draft PD Section 1.3 Site Conditions and Draft PD Attachment 4 Schematic Drawings. IT closet co-location – The BNE Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System equipment, including but not limited to POE switches, fiber interface devices, UPS units, and other associated network equipment, may be co-located within the existing BVHCS IT closets and telecommunications rooms that contain VA IT infrastructure; however, this is not a requirement.

Question 10:

Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.3 Site Conditions, Pg. 24 - The Contractor shall not reuse any existing IT infrastructure.

Does this include conduit, Server Racks/Cabinets, or Fiber Terminations?

Answer:

Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.3 Site Conditions, Pg. 24 “The Contractor shall provide new fiber backbone cabling between each contractor-provided core switch and to the main computer server room. The Contractor shall not reuse any existing IT infrastructure.”

Attachment A Draft Product Description, 1.5 Installation and Configuration, Pg.

26; The Contractor shall ensure all installation and services provided comply with the OEM’s warranty requirements. All equipment shall be installed and connected in strict accordance with the OEM recommended instructions. The Contractor shall remove all components of the existing nurse call system and, as appropriate, replace components. This includes, but is not limited to, the headend amplifier system, speakers, components, conductors, conduit, etc.

located throughout the facilities. The Contractor shall blank plate any abandoned device openings. The Contractor shall reuse conduit whenever possible.

The Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, equipment, etc. necessary to replace the existing Nurse Call System with the Contractor’s BNE Hillrom Voalte Nurse Call System in accordance with this PD; the OEM’s installation instructions and warranty requirements; the contract documents; VHA Directive 7715(1) as Amended September 5, 2023; National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA); local building codes; Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 1069 Standard for safety for hospital signaling and nurse call equipment; and VA and American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) facility standards.”