A.1 Vendor Questions and Answers - A00002.docx

36C24926R0040 A00002

A.1 VENDOR QUESTIONS

1. Attachment D.4 Past Performance Survey requires the customer reference to submit D.4 no later than April 16, 2026 @ 5:00 p.m. EST. Given the short duration between the publishing of the sources sought request on April 13, 2026, and an update of SAM.gov with solicitation documentation after April 14 with D.4 due date of April 16, could the government extend the Past Performance Survey submittal due date to on/before 4 May 2026, the solicitation due date?

A. This will be extended to match the solicitation due date.

1. Is this a new TVHS VAMC requirement or is there an incumbent?

A. There is currently an incumbent performing on an emergency basis.

1. If there is an incumbent,

2. What is the incumbent company’s name?

2. How many Perfusionist are currently performing

2. What is the number of vacant positions?

A. SpecialtyCare and we cannot provide staffing information.

1. Kindly provide the cases performed annually:

3. On pump and off pump cases- Estimated 70-90 annually

3. VADs- Unknown

3. AngioVac - Unknown

3. Liver Transplants.- None

3. HIPEC Chemo cases for cancer treatments - Unknown

4. Are Perfusionists on standby, in the operating room? Yes

3. Non-cardiac Cell saver cases- Unknown the amount of cases

5. Are Perfusionists responsible for these? – Yes, although cardiac cases take priority

3. ECMO’s -

6. Who covers bedside ECMO monitoring? Perfusionist

6. If the Perfusionist, what is the average length of time a patient is on ECMO? Varies

1. Who is responsible for VAD monitoring?- Perfusionist

1. Does the TVHS VAMC observe AMSECT best standards such as N+1?

A. Contractor’s Perfusionists shall meet or exceed guidelines set forth by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP): http://www.abcp.org; The professional standards of The Joint Commission (TJC): https://www.jointcommission.org/en-us/standards/standards-manuals; The standards of the American Hospital Association (AHA): http://www.hpoe.org/resources?show=100&type=8 and; VA and TVHS policies and procedures.

1. How many Cardiac Surgeons and Physician Assistants/Nurse Practitioners are at the TVHS VAMC?- Although subject to change currently there are two surgeons, and two physician assistants.

1. What days are assigned to the operating room?- Varies as needed.

1. What days of the week are Open-Heart cases performed?- Varies as needed.

1. Can the TVHS VAMC confirm that all equipment will be provided by the VA?

A. Yes, except for the contractor shall furnish disposables if specifically requested in writing by the TVHS VAMC.

1. Who is the manufacturer of the equipment (i.e. ECMO, VADs, Heart Lung Machine (HLM), Cell Saver, Balloon Pump, etc.)?

A. Varies, TVHS will provide upgrades and annual maintenance, and safety inspections on equipment required to ensure full compliance with Joint Commission standards in effect during the term of this contract.

1. Are the Perfusionist required to be in the hospital if there are no cases scheduled?

A. Yes, One (1) Contractor Perfusionist shall be onsite each workday, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays; and one (1) Contractor Perfusionist shall provide on-call coverage.

1. Staffing and Coverage Requirements (Sections 3.1.2, 3.1.3, and 2.9):

Section 2.9 identifies the requirement as one (1) FTE (2080 hours annually), while Sections 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 elaborates on emergency services and off-hour coverage. On-call services are described as being included within the overall perfusion services and not separately compensated, with only hours worked billed at the standard rate.

Could you please clarify how the Government intends for offerors to account for the operational and staffing requirements associated with continuous 24/7 on-call coverage for a second perfusionist within the pricing structure, particularly given the single FTE baseline?

A. FTE staffing requirement has been changed to 1.7 FTE to better match the needs of the VAMC. There are two separate line items for staffing, one is for services during clinic hours and the other is for on-call services.

1. Operational Scenarios and Staffing Expectations:

Based on Section 4.4.1.2 (autotransfusion support for non-open-heart procedures), could the you help clarify whether concurrent coverage scenarios are anticipated, such as:

- The primary perfusionist engaged in an open heart procedure.

- The on-call perfusionist responding to an emergent ECMO insertion or balloon pump case.

- A simultaneous requirement for perfusion support for autotransfusion pumps for surgical procedures other than open heart (4.4.1.2.)

In such cases, should offerors plan for a third perfusionist to ensure uninterrupted coverage across all clinical needs? Additionally, are perfusionists required to monitor ECMO patients at bedside 24 hours a day and 7 days a week until the patient is decannulated, transferred to another facility, or decelerated?

A. The contractor is responsible for providing coverage during the clinic hours and on-call after hours. The requirement is that offerors propose a minimum of two (2) key personnel to be credentialed but it is desired that a third (3) key person be provided to assist with this coverage.

1. Workload and Historical Data:

Could you provide approximate annual volumes for:

- Open heart (OH) cases – Estimated 70-90 annually.

- ECMO cases - Varies

- VAD monitoring requirements - Varies

1. Incumbent Information:

-Is there an incumbent contractor currently supporting this requirement?

-Are there any performance gaps or areas of emphasis the Government is seeking to improve under this contract?

A. Yes, SpecialtyCare is the current incumbent. We are unable to provide this requested information.

1. In order to price our solution, could the TVHS VAMC clarify your bullet #10 regarding disposables? What is the manufacturer of the circuit and does the VAMC have a specific custom kit they want the vendor to supply?

A. Vendor’s do not have to price quote for disposables, that is listed as manufacture list price minus 10%. Disposables will be requested on an as needed basis.

1. Upon review of SAM.gov, the due date has been extended to May 08, 2026 at 05:00 PM EDT, correct?

A. Yes, response due date has been extended.