PWS.docx

Columbia VA Health Care System Taxi Services Performance Work Statement

1. GENERAL:

This requirement is for a firmed fixed priced service contract to provide twenty-four (24) hour/seven (7) days a week Taxi (Livery) Transportation Services for eligible Veterans/Patients associated with the Columbia VA Health Care System located in Columbia South Carolina and its surrounding Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

2. BACKGROUND:

The Columbia VA Health Care System encompassing acute medical, surgical, psychiatric, and long-term care. The hospital is located in Columbia, South Carolina and provides primary, secondary, and some tertiary care. Annually, the Medical Center serves approximately 81,552 patients. Satellite outpatient clinics are located in Anderson, Greenville, Florence, Orangeburg, Rock Hill, Sumter, and Spartanburg, South Carolina.

3. PROJECTED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

This procurement is for a Base Year with the possibility of four (4) one-year option periods as follows: Base Year

Hours of operation shall be twenty-four (24) hour/seven (7) days a week to include all weekends and holidays.

4. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

Columbia VA Health Care System 6439 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209

Anderson VA Outpatient Clinic 3030 North Highway 81 Anderson, SC 29261

Florence VA Outpatient Clinic 1822 Sally Hill Farms Florence, SC 29501

Greenville VA Outpatient Clinic 41 Park Creek Drive Greenville, SC 29605

Orangeburg VA Outpatient Clinic 151 Magnolia Village Parkway Orangeburg, SC 29118

Rock Hill VA Outpatient Clinic 2670 Mills Park Dr Rock Hill, SC 29732

Spartanburg VA Outpatient Clinic 279 North Grove Medical Park Drive Spartanburg, SC 29303

Sumter VA Outpatient Clinic 245 North Bultman Dr Sumter, SC 29150

5. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS:

A Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and/or Alternate Contracting Officer Representative (ACOR) shall be assigned to this procurement and written notification shall be provided to the Contractor after award.

• Scheduling of work performance shall be arranged through the designated COR/ACOR assigned.

The Contractor shall provide twenty-four (24) hour/seven (7) days a week Taxi (Livery) Transportation Services for eligible Veterans/Patients associated with the Columbia VA Health Care System and Community Based Outpatient Clinic’s listed in accordance with all terms, conditions, provisions, and schedule of this service.

Contractor shall transport Veterans to or from any pickup point, to or from any floor, Ward, Nursing Home, Veteran’s Home, Medical Center facility, appointment area or office as instructed.

• Any personal belongings transporting Veterans may have (e.g. walkers, suitcase, boxes, etc.) shall also be transported with the person.

• Contractor shall transport Veteran and their family member, attendant, escort, and/or caregiver.

5.1 Qualification Requirements

Contractors shall have the necessary equipment, vehicles required, and personnel to furnish Transportation Services in the volume required for all Veterans, their family, and equipment items necessary for the Veterans utilization.

Contractor shall meet all requirements of Federal, State and City codes regarding operations of Taxi type service requirements.

Contractors shall submit with the following items, fully describing each requirement. These items shall be supplied to the designated COR upon renewal or if any changes occur.

· Location and Telephone number of establishment where calls shall be received, and vehicles shall be available for Dispatch and Inspection.

· A copy of the current Annual Safety Inspections required by the State of South Carolina

· A copy of the current Annual Safety Inspections required by the State of South Carolina for each vehicle that shall be utilized for this service.

· A completed General Inspection Checklist of each vehicle that shall be utilized for this service; completed by a Certified Mechanic.

· Certificate of Insurance of each vehicle that shall be utilized for this service.

5.2 Service Requirements

Requests for services shall be made in writing, by telephone or electronically means by an authorized Social Work Staff and/or the COR.

Service is to be door to door and shall be non-stop (no stops in between), unless authorized in advance by the authorized Social Work Staff and/or the COR.

The Driver assigned shall be required to confirm the identity of the Veteran and the pick-up and/or drop-off locations with the authorized Social Work Staff and/or COR who placed the order for service.

A listing of all personnel authorized to arrange Taxi travel shall be forwarded to the Contractor upon award by the designated COR.

If the Contractor cannot meet the demand of the Government, the Government has the right to utilize outside Contractors to meet the necessary demand for services.

5.3 Response Time Requirements

The Government requires transport arrival within fifteen (15) minutes of scheduled pick up and thirty (30) minutes for unscheduled calls for pick up.

The Contractor shall ensure dispatching vehicles occurs within two (2) hours for all unplanned trips called into their office by the facility.

The Contractor shall have the ability to provide transportation for up to 40 Veterans at any given time simultaneous dispatching when multiple transportation is required. Have the ability to schedule transportation for multiple riders.

· Two or more Veterans departing at approximately the same time with delivery in opposing directions.

· Two or more Veterans departing at the Community Outpatient Clinics as well as at the Columbia VA Health Care System with delivery to various locations.

The Contractor shall have a waiting period of fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled time at the location set for pick up. If authorized by the designated Social Worker and/or COR after this period, the Contractor may invoice for any additional waiting period after the fifteen (15) minutes has expired.

· The exact times for each service call shall be recorded on all Trip Tickets submitted for payment.

The Government shall be responsible for monitoring all arrival times as well as complete trip times for each authorized service provided.

5.4 Canceled calls and Non Pick-Up Requirements

Contractor shall be notified of cancellations within one (1) hour prior to the scheduled appointed pick up.

· Name of person notified and date/time of notification shall be documented on all Trip Tickets.

Any calls dispatched which has resulted in arrival at its destination and then is canceled shall be invoiced to the Government as a one-way trip.

5.5 Number of Patient Requirements

One (1) to three (3) individuals, including the Veteran, may be transported during on (1) trip, unless otherwise specifically authorized by the assigned Social Worker and/or COR.

When, pursuant to the Government’s Authorization, if more than one (1) patient is transported at the same time on a trip, reimbursement shall be made only at the single patient rates.

· Regardless of the number of patients being transported at the same time on a single trip within a twenty-five (25) mile radius of the designated destination.

· The Contractor shall be reimbursed for the mileage rate for only one (1) trip to the farthest distance traveled with any one (1) patient on the individual trip occurrence.

5.6 Passenger Transportation Requirement

If a Veteran being transported declines to properly wear a seatbelt, he/she shall not be transported and the authorized Social Worker and/or delegated COR shall be notified immediately.

The Contractor shall confirm all Veterans in wheelchairs and/or traveling with Oxygen Tanks (O2) are accommodated and are loaded ensuring all safety systems are working properly at all times.

Should the driver encounter any problems with transportation of a Veteran, the driver shall contact the authorized Social Worker and/or delegated COR immediately.

The authorized Social Worker and/or delegated COR shall be notified immediately of any unusual events, including, but not limited to:

· Accidents

· Safety problems

· Other such incidents that may occur

If requested, a written report of the incident shall be delivered to the authorized Social Worker and/or delegated COR recording full event.

The Contractor may not transport non-VA beneficiaries or “private-pay” customers with any Government beneficiaries.

Any additional equipment such as i.e. Oxygen Tanks shall be secured prior to departure.

5.7 Contractor Vehicle Requirements

The Contractor shall have available a minimum of ten (10) transportation vehicles at all times for the utilization of the Government for this service requirement.

The Government reserves the right, upon a twenty-four (24) hour notification, to thoroughly inspect the Contractors Transportation Vehicles utilized for this service, the establishment where all records are maintained and if different the facility where the Vehicles are being stored/dispatched from.

· A list of all vehicles utilized for the Government’s Transportation shall be provided to the COR upon request and shall have the minimum information: o Make of Vehicle

· Model of Vehicle

· Manufacturer Year of Vehicle

· Number of doors

Contractor shall ensure all vehicles used in transporting are clean, non-smoking, and have in working operational condition, not limited to the following:

· Air Conditioner

· Heater

· Passenger Seat Belts

All vehicles and equipment utilized by the Contractor shall comply with the applicable section(s) of the State of South Carolina’s Public Transportation Regulations.

5.8 Contractor Licensing and Permits Requirements

It is the responsibility of the Contractor to have all of the required licensing and permits necessary to perform the required transportation service.

The Contractor shall be required to provide copies of current permits and licensure upon request.

· All employees who perform this service shall have appropriate credentials and/or licensure for the State of South Carolina under applicable State Law and/or Regulation.

· Current and Valid South Carolina Driver’s License

· Proof of Insurance shall be maintained, and copies provided to the COR.

· Uniform Motor Carrier Bodily Injury

· Property Damage Liability Certificate of Insurance

· Proof of Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity shall be maintained, and copies provided to the COR.

All State required Driver Safety Training shall be provided to the designated COR, including all updated Training to maintain current records at all times.

5.9 Contractor Personnel Requirements

An authorized Social Worker and/or COR may, in the best interests of the Veteran allow a relative, caregiver or attendant to accompany the Veteran at no expense to the Government.

All drivers are required to honor Veteran’s and passenger’s right to privacy and information security.

Contractor shall maintain and make available for inspection all records of each employee as to the character and physical capabilities of performing the duties required of a Taxi Driver. Upon request records shall be provided within twenty-four (24) hours.

· No employee shall be allowed to perform driver duties until all training and background checks have been completed by the Contractor.

· Drivers shall be courteous, considerate and mindful of language to include tone of voice when interacting with passengers.

5.10 Contractor Trip Documentation Requirement

The Contractor shall document each transport with an appropriate document that specifies but not limited to the following information:

· Date

· Veteran Name

· Time of pick up

· Destination

· Time of drop off

· Mileage

· Any notes regarding issues particular to the specific transport.

The Contractor shall provide trip sheets on a daily basis as well as include them with the monthly invoice submitted. The forms shall serve as documentation of the authorized transport and shall be a source document for reconciliation of the Contractor’s requests for payment. Without proper documentation supporting the transport the Government reserves the right to decline payment.

The Contractor agrees to abide by any changes in managing the routing that the authorized Social Worker and/or delegated COR may designate.

5.11 Smoking Requirements

Smoking is not permitted within the facilities at any time. All smoking shall be conducted in designated smoking areas only.

6. INVOICES:

Payment will be made upon receipt of a properly prepared detailed invoice, prepared by the Contractor and submitted through Tungsten Network (formerly known as OB10) http://www.tungsten-network.com/us/en/ no later than ten calendar days following the beginning of the next month, and are to include all contract services furnished for the preceding month.

a. A properly prepared invoice shall contain:

· Invoice Number and Date

· Contractor’s Name and Address

· Accurate Purchase Order Number

· Supply or Service provided

· Period Supply or Service Provided

· Total Amount Due

b. Please begin submitting your electronic invoices through the Tungsten Network for payment processing, free of charge.

c. If you have questions about the e-invoicing program or Tungsten Network, contact information is as follows:

· Tungsten e-Invoice Setup Information: 1-877-489-6135

· Tungsten e-Invoice email: VA.Registration@Tungsten-Network.com

· FSC e-Invoice Contact Information: 1-877-353-9791

· FSC e-invoice email: vafsccshd@va.gov

d. Web Address: HTTP://WWW.FSC.VA.GOV/EINVOICE.ASP

Weekly listing of all trips to be invoiced shall be provided to the designated COR for review and reconcile with trip tickets during the period of performance.

Invoices shall include Veteran and trip specific data to facilitate reconciliation of invoices.

Unauthorized charges (those being disputed or that have not been pre-approved by the designated COR) shall be suspended pending investigation.

· A final determination shall be made within thirty (30) calendar days after notification to the Contractor.

7. TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE:

In accordance with FAR 52.212-4 (l) The Government reserves the right to terminate this contract, or any part hereof, for its sole convenience.

8. RECORDS MANAGEMENT LANGUAGE FOR CONTRACTS:

The following standard items relate to records generated in executing the contract and should be included in a typical Electronic Information Systems (EIS) procurement contract:

a. Citations to pertinent laws, codes and regulations such as 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31 and 33; Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552); Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a); 36 CFR Part 1222 and Part 1228.

b. Contractor shall treat all deliverables under the contract as the property of the U.S. Government for which the Government Agency shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest.

c. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract using Government IT equipment and/or Government records.

d. Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected by the Freedom of Information Act.

e. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any Government Agency records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract.

f. The Government Agency owns the rights to all data/records produced as part of this contract.

g. The Government Agency owns the rights to all electronic information (electronic data, electronic information systems, electronic databases, etc.) and all supporting documentation created as part of this contract. Contractor must deliver sufficient technical documentation with all data deliverables to permit the agency to use the data.

h. Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.].

i. No disposition of documents will be allowed without the prior written consent of the Contracting Officer. The Agency and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the Agency or destroyed without regard to the provisions of the agency records schedules.