36C24224R0049 0002 VENDOR QA AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO_CAYUGA COUNTY CBOC.pdf

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

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6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

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10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO. 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE CODE

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended, is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office. is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30 PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

(Type or print) (Type or print)

(Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code)

(If other than Item 6)

(Specify type of modification and authority)

(such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

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ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

1 6

0002 12-04-2024 MSO-2024-COM-0030

36C242

Department of Veterans Affairs

Network Contracting Office (NCO) 2

Bath VA Medical Center

76 Veterans Avenue

Bath NY 14810-0810

Danelle Wassink

Danelle.Wassink@va.gov

36C242

Department of Veterans Affairs

Network Contracting Office 2

Bath VA Medical Center

76 Veterans Avenue

Bath NY 14810-0810

To all Offerors/Bidders 36C24224R0049

10-17-2024 X

X X

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning _______1 ___ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR

ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified. ** HOUR & DATE for Receipt of Offers is EXTENDED to: 12-19-2024 16:30 ET.

X ONE (1)

0002: The purpose of this Amendment is to provide answers to vendor questions received in response to Solicitation

36C24224R0049, Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) services in Cayuga County, NY.

Please reference Attachment 1 starting on Page 2 for vendor questions and answers.

The following attachment is added to the solicitation in response to vendor inquiries:

D.51- VA Enterprise Facility IT Support Infrastructure Standard

The date and time for receipt of proposals is hereby extended to December 19th, 2024 by 16:30 ET.

JADWIGA KUSTRA

CONTRACTING OFFICER

Attachment 1, Vendor Q&A #2 Solicitation 36C24224R0049 0002

Question Number

Question/Answer

1 Question: The solicitation states, "A copy of licenses shall be provided with offer and will be updated annually." The proposed staffing does not mention the requirement to provide a copy of licenses. Does the VA want the bidder to submit a copy of all staff licenses with the proposal?

Answer: Copies of licenses for proposed staff should be submitted at the time of proposal.

2 Question: The solicitation states, " the contractor shall meet all requirements for anticoagulation management." The solicitation also states, "the Clinical pharmacy services will be provided by the Syracuse VAMC via telehealth."

And the solicitation states, "Anticoagulation services will be provided by Syracuse VA Medical Center's Anticoagulation Clinic for patients who are requesting or receiving anticoagulants from the Syracuse VA Medical Center, using the Anticoagulation Clinic Consult Menu." If the VA is providing the Clinical Pharmacy Services, isn't the VA also providing the anticoagulation management?

Answer: VA is providing anticoagulation management.

3 Question: Would the Government like to see the EOC Management Plans in the Miscellaneous volume?

Answer: Please include the EOC Management Plans in the Factor 1, Subfactor D: Geographic Location section.

4 Question: Does the current location possess adequate network infrastructure to meet the requirements of this contract?

Answer: The infrastructure at the current VA Auburn Clinic is operational and functioning appropriately to meet the requirements of this solicitation.

5 Question: Is an upgrade to CAT cabling necessary at the current location?

Answer: No.

6 Question: Is there an existing CCTV system installed at the current location?

Answer: No.

7 Question: Traditionally, the VA has allowed CBOC contractors to submit BLS certifications prior to award so the incumbent does not have an unfair advantage. Will the VA reconsider and allow the submission of BLS certifications during the credentialing process?

Answer: Please refer to Amendment 0001, Question 21, which states that the BLS should be submitted at the time of proposal for any candidates that are to be considered part of the offeror’s proposed staffing plan.

8 Question: Will the Government consider extending the proposal submission deadline by an additional 30 days?

Answer: This solicitation will be extended for a reasonable time to allow vendor to review the content of this Amendment. The length of extension will be specified on Page 1 of subject Amendment. The extension will not be for a period of an additional 30 days.

9 Question: Would the Government please confirm that they intended to omit FAR 52.225-1 within the Representations and Certifications in section E.17, 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications- Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2024)?

Answer: E.17, 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications- Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2024), is not a tailorable provision and thus, there are no intentional omissions.

10 Question: The Past Performance Reference Information template provided automatically underlines and bolds all content added. Would the Government please confirm that it is permissible for the Offeror to unbold and remove underline from the content added?

Answer: It is permissible for the Offeror to remove underlining and bold font from the attachment.

11 Question: Would the Government please confirm that access to the clinical systems and EHR does not require contractor-provided hardware?

Answer: Confirmed; access to the clinical systems and EHR does not require contractor-provided hardware.

12 Question: Will the Government confirm that Bidders do not need to align with Article 28?

Answer: VA facilities are federally operated and typically not directly subject to state regulations, like Article 28. However, bidders still need to meet state licensure and credentialing requirements for their staff, as prescribed in the Performance Work Statement.

13 Question: Related to the contingency plan for computer downtime: would the Government please provide detail regarding what “COOP connectivity” will be provided? Will UPS for all VA owned laptops, telecom, and internet/modems be provided?

Answer: COOP plans prioritize maintaining essential operations during disruptions and provide support for core IT infrastructure. If the laptops are determined to be part of a critical communication or operational function, the COOP plan may include UPS devices for them. An attachment is added to the solicitation to provide more specific information: D.51, VA Enterprise Facility IT Support Infrastructure Standard. Local policies contain sensitive information and will be released to the successful offeror after award.

14 Question: Would the Government please provide copy of or link to the VA OIT DevSecOps COOP plan for reference?

Answer: Please refer to attachment D.51, VA Enterprise Facility IT Support Infrastructure Standard for more information.

15 Question: Are there any objective rating levels in the evaluation process for Factors 1 through 4? For example, do you use ratings such as excellent, good, or average? If so, does an SBA-certified SDVOSB company need to exceed both the Factor 1 and Factor 2 ratings relative to other proposals to be considered at a higher level for winning the award?

Answer: Yes, objective rating levels are used in accordance with internal guidelines and regulations. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, will be the most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. All non-price factors, when combined, are significantly more important than cost/price, as stated in provision E.16, 52.212-2 Evaluation- Commercial Products and Commercial Services, on Page 171. While the ratings for individual factors are a key component of the evaluation, the ultimate award decision will be based on a best value determination. This means that the Government will evaluate all factors collectively, considering the relative importance of each, as stated in the solicitation, and balancing technical merit against price. An SBA-certified SDVOSB or any other bidder does not necessarily need to exceed the ratings for both Factor 1 and Factor 2 compared to other proposals to be considered at a higher level. Instead, the Government will assess how well the entire proposal aligns with the requirements and provides the best overall value to the Government.

16 Question: Are there any new provisions in the latest solicitation that preclude the use of the current clinic office location? In other words, is the current clinic location still eligible for the new requirement?

Answer: This is addressed in Amendment 0001. The current clinic location is still eligible for the new requirement.

17 Question: Would the Government accept an alternative pricing sheet?

Specifically, we are inquiring if a one-time construction or development cost can be incorporated as a separate CLIN item (If space is built brand new).

Answer: No, proposals that do not include pricing for all line items and sub-line items in all performance periods of the Schedule of Services (Price Schedule) will be considered incomplete. An alternative pricing sheet should not be submitted with the proposal, pricing should be submitted as outlined, using capitated, Per Member Per Month (PMPM) rates.

18 Question: Does the Government rate past performance as inferior if a commercial clinic or hospital management is provided compared to a VA

CBOC.

Answer: The Government evaluates past performance based on relevancy, recency and quality of the services provided. While past performance managing VA CBOCs may be considered highly relevant due to its direct alignment with the requirements, past performance managing commercial clinics or hospitals is not inherently rated as inferior. Instead, the Government assesses how closely the experience aligns with the scope, complexity, and nature of the services described in the solicitation.

Experience providing outpatient medical care, staffing and clinic operations in a commercial setting may still demonstrate relevant capabilities, particularly if it reflects similar standards and requirements. Offerors are encouraged to provide detailed information on how their past performance-whether in VA or commercial context- relates to the solicitation’s requirements and demonstrates their ability to fulfill the Government’s needs successfully.

19 Question: Due to the holiday season and the proposed start date of the contract sometime in October 2025, we kindly request that the Government extend the proposal deadline to the first week of January.

Answer: This solicitation will be extended to allow vendors time to review the content of this Amendment. The length of extension will be specified on Page 1 of subject Amendment. The extension will not be to the first week of January.

20 Question: In the past five years, has there been any instance where the Contractor was required to provide expensive medications, such as oral chemotherapy, antibiotics, or IV medications, in the clinic, with the cost to be covered by the Contractor?

Answer: No.

21 Question: The estimated patient volume is 1,350 per month, while the PACT team capacity is a maximum of 1,200 patients. Could the Government clarify the expected FTE staffing requirements, specifically for physicians, nurses, and LPN/MSA roles? We are particularly seeking guidance on govt expectation on how the 1.1 FTE (representing 1,320 patients, equivalent to

1.1 PACT team size) should be staffed for these positions.

Answer: The estimated number of members is 1,350. The offeror must propose their own staffing mix to provide services for the indicated number of members, keeping in mind capacity limits for providers stated in the PWS.