Pre-Bid RFI 537-19-124_AE and VA.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 18 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Z1DA--537-19-124 Upgrade Nurse Call
- Solicitation number
- 36C25222B0012
About this file
This document contains pre-bid questions and answers regarding a federal solicitation for upgrading the nurse call system at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. The solicitation seeks a lump sum base bid to replace the nurse call system across multiple buildings on the medical center campus, and involves removing old devices and installing new nurse call stations, conduits, cabling and interfaces. Key requirements include IP67 rated call stations in showers, HL7 interface capability, bi-directional integration with patient beds and EMR system, and reporting on all call types and response times. The project is to be completed within 428 calendar days of receiving the notice to proceed.
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Pre-bid RFIs
| 537-19-124 Upgrade Nurse Call | ||
| 36C25222B0012 RFIs | ||
| No. | COMMENT | Response |
| 1 | Unable to download addendum #1 PDF documents. When downloading the docs we receive an error message that states the files are corrupt. | See Amendment 0002. |
| 2 | Please extend the RFI period until additional documents are accessible to the public. | See Amendment 0002. |
| 3 | Part 3: Detailed Project Scope of Work: Remove old devices, conduits, and cabling and install new devices, conduit, and cabling. – Can existing conduits be reused if in the correct location for use? | The nurse call system must be installed in a complete and separate dedicated raceway system. Existing conduit can be reused in Building 40 only. Fill capacity must not exceed 40%. The Contractor is also responsible for temporarily disconnecting, removing the light fixtures for connection to the nurse call, and reconnecting after the nurse call connection, via the pillow speaker. |
| 4 | In locations where there are masonry walls it is acceptable to use wiremold? | Yes. |
| 5 | Are you anticipating any asbestos abatement for this project? If asbestos is founding during the course of construction will it be treated as an extra to the contract? | Asbestos containing materials to be disturbed during demolition activities must be abated. Asbestos containing materials are listed in the Asbestos Survey Report. If the contractor suspects asbestos material in areas not identify in the survey, the contractor is responsible to test of the suspected material. Positive test results materials to be disturbed during demolition activities will be an unforeseen condition. |
| 6 | Infection Control: Contractor must provide terminal cleaning in all rooms and corridors before removing infection control barriers. The VA must provide terminal cleaning for ORs. – Please confirm TERMINAL CLEANING will be required in all rooms and corridors that work is being performed in. | Confirmed |
| 7 | Please confirm 5% retainage will be held on this project. | No, any retainage held will be IAW FAR and VA policy. |
| 8 | Please confirm the infection control system must be 1 hour fire rated. | Confirmed |
| 9 | Section 1.4 References, Para 6.B. This section references OCIS handbook 6500. The handbook specifications note the standards to follow Risk Management Framework (RMF). Please confirm that RMF is to be followed for all aspects of this project. Please indicate if costs associated with RMF ATO should be included as part of this proposal. | Yes. The latest edition of OCIS handbook 6500 must be followed. |
| 10 | Prior ATO approval at other VA Government Healthcare sites does not constitute approval for this project. ATO / RMF evaluation will be required prior, during and at upon completion. Should those time frames be incorporated in the 428 day schedule? Or does the 428 day schedule start after the ATO (Authority to Operate) has been granted. | The 428 day schedule start after the ATO (Authority to Operate) has been granted. |
| 11 | Section 2.1 (System Description), Para E. states that the System is to consist of the following interfaces when specifically approved by the TVE 0050P3B or shown on the drawings: |
| a. | Pocket Page Interface |
| b. | Computer Interface |
| c. | Printer Interface |
| d. | Wireless telephone network Interface |
| e. | Nurse Locating System Interface |
| None of the interfaces are shown on the drawings. Please clarify whether or not any of these interfaces are required. If an interface for any of these functions are required, please define the system manufacturer and specific function required. | These interfaces will not be part of this bid. However, the new nurse call system must be able to provide these function interfaces. | ||
| 12 | Section 2.1, Para L. states that when the System is approved to connect to LAN, WAN, Telephone, Public Address, radio paging, wireless systems, etc. that the System must meet UL 60950—1/2, FIPS 142 and FCC Part 14 and be approved by TVE-0050P2B prior to contract bid. Is connection to LAN, WAN, Telephone, Public Address, radio paging, wireless systems, etc. required and approved for this project? Will this be the means of communicating between the different buildings? | It is not required, but it will be acceptable to connect to the LAN for connecting between the different buildings. While more expensive, hard wired connections will be acceptable as well. The Contractor is also responsible for reinterfacing their new nurse call system to the existing Cisco Extension nurse phone in building 40. The code blue is required to be connected to the existing public address system per the Existing Systems Interface on drawing E001. | |
| 13 | Section 2.4 (Products) Para D.3 (HL7 Interface) states that the System may support patient data interface from the hospital admission system (or other database). Is implementation of an HL7 interface and patient data transfer required for this project? | HL7 is required. | |
| 14 | Section 2.4, Para D.5 (Personal Wireless Communicator) states that the System may connect to a wireless communication system is approved. Is this interface required to be implemented for this project? If so, please specify the manufacturer and model of wireless communication system and the specific functionality required. | Personal Wireless Communicators will not be part of this bid; however, the new nurse call system must be able to interface with Personal Wireless Communicators that provides real time locating capabilities. | |
| 15 | Section 2.4, Para G (Interface Equipment).3 (Nurse (aka Staff) Locator Interface) states that the System must be capable of performing staff and nurse locator functions and that two spare interfaces must be provided. Does the System require interface to a 3rd party Real Time Locating System (RTLS)? If so, please specify the manufacturer and model of RTLS system and the specific functionality required. | The RTLS system would be utilized with the Personal Wireless Communicators, and the Personal Wireless Communicators will not be part of this bid; however, the new nurse call system must be able to interface with Personal Wireless Communicators that provides real time locating capabilities. | |
| 16 | Section 2.4, Para J (Patient and Staff Assignment).2 states “Connections to the VA LAN/WAN will be allowed ONLY when the LAN/WAN system has been demonstrated and certified by TVE-0050P3B meeting the minimum guidelines and requirements of the Life Safety Code.” Is connection to the VA LAN/WAN required? | It is not required, but it will be acceptable to connect to the LAN for connecting between the different buildings. No connection to the WAN will be required. Hard wired connections will be acceptable as well. The Contractor is also responsible for reinterfacing their new nurse call system to the existing Cisco Extension nurse phone in building 40. The code blue is required to be connected to the existing public address system per the Existing Systems Interface on drawing E001. | |
| 17 | Specification 27-52-23 page 72 there is a VA Memorandum titled “Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Non – VA Licensed Wireless Operations”. What is the relevance of this memorandum relative to this project? Please provide the referenced attachment. | This is for reference only. The wireless phones which the system will be required to be connected to and provide full functionality with are not part of this project. They will be part of a separate VA project. | |
| 18 | Per Document 36C25222B0012_1 – Part 3: Special Telecommunications Scope Description – There is no code requirement that dictates nurse call stations are required to be IP68 rated. Can you please identify the code requirement that is driving this specifications requirement? The UL1069 standard is to meet IP44 rating for Bathroom /shower stations and is the industry standard. If IP68 is required can you identify the specific locations where this standard will be needed? Can you provide a sample datasheet of a device that was used to derive this spec requirement? For Context: The IP68 device rating is typically intended for portable devices (i.e. wireless phones) to allow devices to be fully submerged in depths of 1.5 meters of water for a duration of 30 minutes. Can you please identify the devices that will require the IP68 rating? IP44 is the industry standard used for nurse call devices and protects from water spray from any direction. Assuming these device will be restroom devices (i.e. shower emergency stations) will the IP44 standard be considered equivalent / acceptable? | IP67 rating of pull cord stations in showers/baths will be acceptable. | |
| 19 | Is the contractor required to provide fiber interconnectivity between buildings or is dark fiber available that can be utilized. | It is not required, but it will be acceptable to connect to the LAN for connecting between the different buildings as the LAN is interconnected between each building. Hard wired connections with fiber will be acceptable as well. | |
| 20 | Buildings 1A/1B, 11A/11B, 30 and 32 have support/outpatient/exam type units that will be non-audio devices with the exception of some lavatory stations where the drawings indicate that audio-enabled toilet stations be provided. Should non-audio toilet stations be deployed in the locations? | Audio devices will be required at all patient locations. | |
| 21 | When the drawings show multiple devices on a patient headwall can these devices be incorporated in a single device? Example – Patient station has AUX jacks, 37 Pin Cable, staff assist button, Code Blue Button as opposed to a separate device mounted on the wall for each device. | It will be acceptable if the correct back boxes are used and any additional work to the headwall to fit a single device will be required by the Contractor. Blank cover plates will be required over unused boxes. | |
| 22 | Sheet E001 – SIP Server Software section – States a standalone SIP sever to be included and capable of connecting to the telephone system. Can you provide clarification if the integration to the telephone system should be included in the scope of work or “capable of” and what is the phone system type? | Personal Wireless Communicators, or telephone system, will not be part of this bid; however, the new system must include this capability and provisions to allow future integration Personal Wireless Communicators that provides real time locating capabilities. | |
| 23 | Construction Drawings – Sheet E001 - Device Legend – Device Type 16 is indicated as a staff terminal station. Can the functionality requirements be defined for the staff terminal style device? Can you please provide the specification for the staff terminal #16. Will a staff terminal that includes staff emergency, cancel and audio capabilities meet the requirement? | The staff terminal, #16, must be a touchscreen workflow panel that can will be configured with soft button tiles such as “Room Needs Cleaned”, “Bed Needs Changed”, “Fall Risk”, “Nurse in Room”, “Rounding 30 to 60 Min”, “Wound Care”, “MD in Room”, “Rapid Response”, “STAT orders”, and “Room Needs Cleaned”. | |
| 24 | Is the general contractor to include costs for asbestos abatement or will abatement be considered an extra if it is discovered during construction? | Asbestos containing materials to be disturbed during demolition activities must be abated. Asbestos containing materials are listed in the Asbestos Survey Report. If the contractor suspects asbestos material in areas not identify in the survey, the contractor is responsible to test of the suspected material. Positive test results materials to be disturbed during demolition activities will be an unforeseen condition. | |
| 25 | Documents SO2 – Nurse Call and Code Blue Systems.pdf Jan 12, 2022 & Document S02 –Specifications.pdf Jan 12, 2022 appear to be the same document. The specification document only covers Section 27 52 23. There are no front end specification pertaining to general conditions of the contract such as supervision, infection control, etc. Please upload a full set of specifications. | See Amendment 0003. | |
| 26 | Because specifications have not been uploaded please extend the RFI period to allow sufficient time to review the specifications and ask questions. | See Amendment 0003. | |
| 27 | Sheet E001- Contractor Work Phasing Strategy - Note 2 - References a “5 L-Net”. This is a vendor specific component/network standard not available on the open market. Is the intent of this bid to be sole sourced to Rauland-Borg? | No. 5 L-Net will not be a requirement. | |
| 28 | Only Specification SECTION 27 52 23 (same document with 2 different names S02+- +Specifications and S02+-+Nurse+Call+and+Code+Blue+Systems). Will the Government be releasing any other specifications for other divisions for this project? | See Amendment 0003. | |
| 29 | Can the government please confirm that the nurse call system will connect to the existing LAN in each building and that the existing LAN is interconnected between each building providing for one global networked system? | It is not required, but it will be acceptable to connect to the LAN for connecting between the different buildings as the LAN is interconnected between each building. Hard wired connections with fiber will be acceptable as well. | |
| 30 | Given that nurse call devices are governed by UL1069 as the Standard for Hospital Signaling and Nurse Call Equipment, can the Government confirm that devices designed to meet the ingress protection requirements outlined by UL1069 for use in wet locations are technically equivalent to IP68? This was noted as being acceptable when asked as part of a prior solicitation and we would like to reconfirm. | IP67 rating of pull cord stations in showers/baths will be acceptable. | |
| 31 | Does the Government require the patient room audio stations to have the capability to call room to room and staff to staff? This was noted as being required when asked as part of a prior solicitation and we would like to reconfirm. | Staff to staff is required, room to room is preferred but not required. | |
| 32 | Does the Government require the nurse call system to include a centrally located communication board on each unit for visibility of bed status, patient risks, active calls and reminders? | No. | |
| 33 | Is it mandatory for the nurse call system to provide a centrally located communication board on each unit for staff to monitor the following bed state items: |
| a. | Brakes set | |
| b. | Bed exit alarm status | |
| c. | Side rail status | |
| d. | Head of bed angle | |
| e. | Patient weight | The nurse call system must include the capability of transmitting this information but a single centrally located status board displaying this is not required. |
| 34 | Is it mandatory that the nurse call system provide the native ability to integrate with beds without the need for additional software in order to provide the following capabilities: |
| a. | Automatically set and monitor bed exit alerts based on fall risks inputted from EMR | ||
| b. | The ability to monitor a patient’s heart and respiratory rate on status board and display alerts if values fall outside of the ‘normal’ range | ||
| c. | The ability to monitor and display a patient’s MEWS and SIRS early warning score on a centrally located status board and provide an alert if scores decline | It is not mandatory, however, it is very probable that the VA's approval of the submission 27-52-23 may very well be easier to approve if it is native. | |
| 35 | Is it mandatory that the nurse call system have the capability for staff to set reminders that will notify them of upcoming clinical tasks such as turning, pain and IV checks, and rounding reset automatically by caregiver presence? This was noted as being required when asked as part of a prior solicitation and we would like to reconfirm. | Confirmed. | |
| 36 | Is it mandatory that the nurse call system have a bi-directional HL7 interface to the EMR system? | Yes. | |
| 37 | Is it mandatory that the nurse call system have a bi-directional digital data integration with the patient beds utilized by the Jesse Brown VA? | Yes. | |
| 38 | Cabling: The solicitation states that all CAT 6a is required for the entire nurse call system, however, drawing sheet E001 under “network nurse call device cabling” specifies CAT 5e cable. Can the Government please clarify which cable type is required. | Use Cat 6 | |
| 39 | HL7 Interface: The specification states “the system may support downloading and updating of patient data from the hospital admission system via the HL7 standard”. Can the Government confirm whether or not ADT/HL7 is required to be included as part of a response to the solicitation or if the nurse call system need only to be capable of this type of interface? | HL7 is required. | |
| 40 | The specifications require that (1) spare HL interface unit be provided, can the Government please clarify what is required by this section? | An additional ADT/HL7 interface server. | |
| 41 | Please confirm whether reporting on all call types, and response time is necessary for this project. | Confirmed. | |
| 42 | Would the Government agree that the nurse call system should be designed to combine the functionality of the patient station and staff terminal into one device that can be placed anywhere in the patient room in order to minimize hardware device costs as well as the number of backboxes and in-room cabling? | It will be acceptable if the correct back boxes are used, along with any additional work to the headwall, to fit a single device which combines all the attributes of a patient station and staff terminal station. Blank cover plates will be required over unused boxes. | |
| 43 | Would the government agree that the nurse call system should be designed so that no more than two adjacent patient rooms are connected together to expedite patient call response times and mitigate the instances of “daisy chaining” multiple rooms together? | Each room must get its own dome light and call station | |
| 44 | Can the Government confirm that it will not allow nurse call vendors to incorporate proprietary equipment as part of their system’s backbone in lieu of standard “off the shelf” hardware? | No. The devices must be UL listed to work as a system and this may or may not have proprietary equipment. | |
| 45 | Can the government confirm that it will not allow nurse call vendors to utilize proprietary power distribution systems as part of the nurse call system in lieu of standard “off the shelf” devices? | No. The devices must be UL listed to work as a system and this may or may not have proprietary equipment. | |
| 46 | Can the Government please clarify the nurse call configuration within a typical patient room in medsurg (rm. 6672 for example)? The specifications state, “System hardware shall consist of a nurse call and code blue patient communications network comprised of nurse consoles, control stations, staff and duty stations…” and make no mention of “Staff Terminals”. However, the drawings indicate that rooms will be receiving “Staff Terminals”, please confirm whether or not staff terminals are required per the drawings. | It does makes mention of a Staff "Terminal" Stations. The word "Station" is left after terminal in this question. A staff station should be considered a staff terminal station. Both the drawings and specifications shall be met. |
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