36C25221R0003 0003.docx

36C25221R0003 0003

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE

7.

ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF

PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE

CODE

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:

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,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ 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 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 NUMBERE

D CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

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

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 amendmen t, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

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)

CHECK

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) 12-09-2020 36C252 Department of Veterans Affairs Great Lakes Acquisition Center (GLAC) 115 S 84th Street, Suite 101 Milwaukee WI 53214-1476 36C252 Department of Veterans Affairs Great Lakes Acquisition Center (GLAC) 115 S 84th Street, Suite 101 Milwaukee WI 53214-1476 To all Offerors/Bidders

36C25221R0003 11-17-2020

X X X ** HOUR & DATE for Receipt of Offers is EXTENDED to: December 14, 2020 at 2:00pm CST The purpose of this amendment is to extend the proposal due date, address vendor questions, and update Attachment A CCT Capabilities Confirmation.

Proposals are due on December 14, 2020 at 2:00pm CST.

Maureen Falaschi

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1. Has the VA Rule of Two been met? In other words, does VA have a reasonable expectation that two or more SDVOSBs will submit offers and that an award can be made at a fair and reasonable price?

See PPM 2018-04 and block 10 on the first page of the solicitation.

2. How many SDVOSB firms responded to the VA’s sources sought inquiry?

This question does not pertain to the RFP.

3. Did VA review any data sources, other than the responses to the sources sought inquiry, in making its set-aside decision?

This question does not pertain to the RFP.

4. Did VA create an IGCE for this procurement? If so, what information was used to create the IGCE (e.g., historical cost information, etc.)?

Yes, an IGCE was created for this procurement. The second part of this question does not pertain to the RFP.

5. Why did the VA decide that the “total maximum amount of services acquired under this contract shall not exceed $10,000,000,” especially since the workload under this contract is much larger than other similar VA contracts that also imposed a $10-$15 million ceiling?

The Contracting Officer has determined the ceiling amount to be adequate.

6. Can VA explain how this procurement is a 100% set aside even though it is collecting, at the same time as SDVOSB proposals, proposals from non-SDVOSBs?

See PPM 2018-04.

7. Because the Rule of Two has presumably been satisfied here, the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006 requires VA to conduct the “competition restricted to . . . [SDVOSBs].” 38 U.S.C. 8127(d). Can VA explain how this procurement will be restricted to SDVOSBs given that VA can reference competitive proposals submitted by non-SDVOSBs, such as large businesses?

See PPM 2018-04.

8. Will the VA make an initial SDVOSB price reasonableness determination before reviewing pricing from large businesses? What procedural measures are in place to ensure that the evaluation of SDVOSB proposals will not be influenced by information, such as pricing, in non-SDVOSB proposals?

Yes. See RFP section E.6(b) on page 69 of 86.

9. The solicitation indicates the VA may not intend to conduct discussions—how does this comport with acting senior procurement executive Rick LeMond’s statement in 2018 that when using a tiered evaluation his “expectation” would be to conduct discussions if it was determined that no SDVOSB offeror submitted a reasonable price “because we do want to give our veteran-owned small business community the first opportunity when we have tiered evaluations.”? In other words, will VA conduct discussions with technically acceptable SDVOSBs, which initially do not offer a fair and reasonable price, before proceeding to the lower, non-SDVOSB tiers?

See RFP section E.6(b) on page 69 of 86.

10. Stretcher transports made up approximately 90% of all runs listed as BLS according to this solicitation. How is this extremely high-volume level of service possible at this VA location however it was not even listed as a service at all for Hines VA and Lovell VA solicitations and is not a service provided for them? Also, if the actual number of Stretcher services was 90% of the listed BLS runs for the documented previous year, why are the projected stretcher services listed in the pricing schedule the equivalent of 70% instead of 90%? This will obviously skew the total projected pricing schedule quote if it is expected by VA that stretcher transports are of less cost than BLS transports.

The PWS demonstrates the needs and requirements of Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. The most up-to-date estimated quantities of each level of service (Stretcher Services, BLS, ALS, CCT) are in the Price Schedule.

11. Are Stretcher transports listed as a service needed in order to reduce spending by VA? We ask because the transports are still done via ambulance and require the same number of personnel, therefore the cost associated with providing said service is no less than a BLS transport. Why does VA believe that stretcher services costs the contractor less to provide and therefore should pay contractor less for?

VA is not aware of the cost experience of contractors providing Stretcher Services. The Price Schedule reflects the VA’s requirement.

12. The State of Illinois is very specific about regulating what is a stretcher transport compared to BLS transport. Will VA follow Illinois law which states that a stretcher transport cannot require any medical monitoring or clinical observation?

The VA will place orders for transportation in accordance with doctor’s orders and applicable state stretcher transport regulations will be followed.

13. What is VA's definition of a Stretcher transport compared to a BLS transport? What latitude will contractor have to upgrade the level of service upon evaluation if it is determined by contractor that the transport requires a higher level of care?

The VA’s definition is Veterans or beneficiaries who require stretcher transport are those who are bed confined before and after the trip, unable to get up from bed without two-person or mechanical assistance; and/or unable to sit upright for the duration of the transport. The contractor has no latitude to upgrade the level of service without a clinician’s order in conjunction with coordination with the VA Beneficiary Travel Department.

14. This solicitation requires services provided to Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. What are the federal regulations regarding transport across state lines for all levels of care? Do these regulations or statutes supersede State mandates in which companies must comply in order to maintain licensing?

It is the contractor’s responsibility to know and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local mandates.

15. The max budget is not to exceed $10 million according to the solicitation. Did VA determine this max budget by fair and reasonable pricing for the projected volume of services listed by VA? Under the assumption that this max budget provided is not an arbitrary number with no reason or rationale behind it, are we to assume that any price schedule submitted by an offerer that is at or below $10 million is by default fair and reasonable for pricing? If not, please explain.

See answers to Questions 5 and 8.

16. What are the specifications which are required to receive/send data through the VETRIDE portal?

VetRide is a web-based portal. Upon contract award, contract data will be loaded into VetRide and the awardee will be granted access to the VetRide website.

17. Does VETRIDE have capabilities to be integrated with computer-aided-dispatch software?

No. VetRide is a proprietary solution exclusive to the Veterans Transportation Program.

18. What are the expectations on “update ride status” in 4.5.1.2?

The contractor will accept/or reject the trips in VetRide and when the run is complete, the contractor will indicate run is complete in VetRide. The program will notify VA electronically in real time.

19. Illinois has a very limited statute and rules on who can be transported via a stretcher van vs basic life support. As of early 2020, there were no licensed stretcher van providers in the State of Illinois.

a. What is a Stretcher Transport?

The VA’s definition is Veterans or beneficiaries who require stretcher transport are those who are bed confined before and after the trip, unable to get up from bed without two-person or mechanical assistance; and/or unable to sit upright for the duration of the transport.

b. What type of staffing is required for Stretcher Transports?

Staffing is up to the contractor to meet the requirements of a Stretcher Transport.

20. Paragraph 2 of the CCT attachment indicates that a CCT team must “consist of at least one licensed RN, APRN, Physician or PA….” - Under IDPH rules, Tier II practitioners can manage most of the interventions/medications listed. The RN, APRN, Physician or PA is only required for certain of the interventions (specifically IABP or ECMO). Is JBVA looking to mandate the staffing of CCT vehicles with an RN, APRN, Physician or PA?

No. Attachment A CCT Capabilities Confirmation has been updated to remove this requirement.

21. The pharmacology section states that the CCT must carry. Current EMS system policies allow administration and monitoring of these medications, but do not permit the ambulance to be stocked with such medications due to stability, viability and safety issues of keeping all of these medications in an ambulance. Standard practice in the Chicago area is to have the medications supplied by the sending hospital. Please explain the rationale for requiring all of these medications to be kept on the CCT ambulance?

Please see updated Attachment A CCT Capabilities Confirmation.

22. Due to the highly specialized and proprietary nature of IABP and ECMO devices, standard best practice in the Chicago market is to have the sending facility send a medical team familiar with the specific make/model of the devices for competency, quality and liability concerns. Where will these patients be coming from/to? How many expected IABP and ECMO transports are expected each year?

Please see updated Attachment A CCT Capabilities Confirmation.

23. The solicitation asks for "Completed Provision fill-ins for FAR 52.209-7 and 52.212-3". For the 52.212-3, we are registered in SAM already and the section b it asks to complete is a little confusing. Do we just need to say we are in SAM?

The information requested is found within the provision. See FAR 52.212-3.

SECTION D - CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, OR ATTACHMENTS

See attached document: S06 Attachment A CCT Capabilities Confirmation 12.8.2020.

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