36C25520Q0488.docx

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Required Field Contract Opportunity Sources Sought Notice H158 Medical Physicist Testing- Columia VA (VA-20-00054116) 66048 36C25520Q0488

11AM

CENTRAL TIME, CHICAGO, USA

N 541690 Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 15 3450 S 4th Street Trafficway Leavenworth KS 66048 Contracting Officer Jeanine Wallace jeanine.wallace@va.gov 913-946-1968 800 Hospital Drive Columbia Missouri 65201 jeanine.wallace@va.gov This Sources Sought Notice is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Your response to this Sources Sought Notice will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this announcement or the Government use of such information. This request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort.

The information provided may be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs in developing its acquisition approach, statement of work/statement of objectives and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this Sources Sought Notice or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice.

The purpose of this sources sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HubZone and other Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the services described below.

Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) company name (b) address (c) point of contact (d) phone, fax, and email (e) DUNS number (f) Cage Code (g) Tax ID Number (h) Type of small business, e.g. Services Disabled Veteran Owned small Business, Veteran-owned small business, 8(a), HUBZone, Women Owned Small Business, Small disadvantaged business, or Small Business HUBZone business and (i) must provide a capability statement that addresses the organizations qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below.

The VA Heartland Network 15, Contracting Office located at 3450 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, KS, 66048-5055 is seeking a potential qualified contractor to provide a qualified Diagnostic Medical Physicist to assist the Harry S. Truman VAMC Radiation Safety Officer in the management of the VHA x-Ray Compliance program located at 800 Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO 65201.

Please see the statement of work on following pages.

NAICS Code: 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services) $16.5 Million

Important information: The Government is not obligated to nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this sources sought synopsis request. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. Currently a total set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms is anticipated based on the Veterans Administration requirement with Public Law 109-461, Section 8127 Veterans Benefit Act. However, if response by Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms proves inadequate, an alternate set-aside or full and open competition may be determined. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services). The small business size standard is $16.5 million. Notice to potential offerors: All offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM located on the web at www.sam.gov). Additionally, all Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses or Veteran Owned Businesses who respond to a solicitation on this project must be registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Veterans Enterprise VetBiz Registry located at http://vip.vetbiz.gov. All interested Offerors should submit information by e-mail: to jeanine.wallace@va.gov. All information submissions should be received no later than 11:00 am CST on June 15, 2020. After review of the responses to this announcement, the Government intends to proceed with the acquisition and a subsequent solicitation will be published.

Revised April 2020

Scope of Work for Medical Physicist

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Harry S Truman VAMC is looking for a “qualified”, Diagnostic Medical Physicist to assist the HSTVA Radiation Safety Officer in the management of the VHA x-ray compliance program. A “qualified” Diagnostic Medical Physicist is an individual who is certified by the American Board of Radiology, American Board of Medical Physics, American Board of Health Physics, or the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine.

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, material, supplies, equipment, and qualified personnel to provide on-site diagnostic medical physics support or services for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), under the terms and conditions stated herein and must adhere to VHA Directive 1105.04, Fluoroscopy Safety, dated June 21, 2018 unless otherwise agreed upon with the HSTVA Radiation Safety Officer or his designated alternate.

The Contractor shall comply with radiation protection standards in 29 CFR 1910.1096 and immediately report any unsafe conditions with the potential to adversely impact the facility radiation workers or patients to the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO).

The physicist must provide documentation of their current board certifications and of all individuals who might work independently on site. Board Certifications documents will be reviewed by the HSTVA Radiation Safety Officer for appropriateness. State Licensure is not equal to board certification.

All data gathering will be performed by the medical physicist or by individuals who are working under the direct supervision of the medical physicist on location unless a variation is agreed to by the HSTVA RSO. Direct supervision shall mean that the boarded medical physicist is physically on the primary HSTVA facility property. Direct supervision means that the boarded medical physicist is on HSTVA property.

A working day shall be considered Monday through Friday, not counting Federal Holidays, unless agreed upon with the RSO. Work may be performed during normal off hours with adequate coordination with the HSTVA RSO. There will be no extra charge for working during normal off hours. For example, performing checks on equipment during early evening hours or a Saturday/Sunday when the patient workload is less, and the equipment is more readily available.

Unless otherwise stated, the costs of performing the functions below are expected to be part of the cost of this contract. This would include reviewing various aspects of the HSTVA QA program. The cost of travel is to be incorporated into the cost of work for the various aspects of this contract.

The actual number and types of imaging units required to be checked may vary. The HSTVA is in the process of acquiring additional and replacement imaging systems. These additional imaging systems may or may not be located on the main HSTVA campus. New imaging systems that are acquired in the future which are located at offsite locations will be part of this contract. The cost of performing the various types of tasks should be based on a single machine and not on the total number that is anticipated. For example, the cost of performing an annual check for a Fluoroscopy unit regardless of the number of Fluoroscopy units on site, since the number may vary vs a reduced price per unit based upon a higher total of Fluoroscopy units. The price of performing an annual check on a fluoroscopy unit should be the same regardless of whether there is a single unit or whether there are ten units.

Depending on the actual type and age of the unit to be checked, some of the specifications may not be required. The actual number and types of imaging machines can vary as well as the extent of the scope of work that may be required for each machine. For example, not all dose ranges may be required to be checked for any or all of the fluoroscopy machines. Therefore, the cost should be based on the category of machine and the amount of data that will be collected and not solely on the individual machine. For example, a fluoroscopy machine requiring 3 sets of exposure settings verses a machine that is requiring 1 exposure setting.

In addition to the standard checks that are required by the ACR/VHA/JC, the physicist will also check the radiation output of each written fluoroscopy protocol for each specified machine. These fluoroscopy protocols are the written starting set up for the fluoroscopy machine. There may be a single written protocol or multiple protocols that would need to be checked for each fluoroscopy machine. These protocol checks are separate from any necessary protocols that would be required to perform annual machine checks or prior to clinical use checks. These protocols are to be checked prior to first clinical use, after repair of a component that effected radiation output, and during annual reviews.

Review of the technical QA program The qualified expert shall review the technical QA program. Reviewing the HSTVA QA programs is expected to be part of the service of the physicist, for example, reviewing the CT protocol optimization notebooks for each CT unit or reviewing the QA data from fluoroscopy machines or Nuclear Medicine machines. The review shall include a trend analysis of the QA data. The results of the technical QA program review shall be included in the written report. Any trends that identify problems shall be included in the report along with recommended corrective actions. The QA program includes CT, Fluoroscopy, Nuclear Medicine, PET/CT, Fluoroscopy, general diagnostic x-ray and ultrasound.

The physicist shall perform all work with his own equipment and phantoms unless agreed to ahead of time. All equipment shall be properly calibrated. The physicist shall produce the calibration certificates upon request to the RSO. The physicist is to provide reports in a format that is in accordance with VHA requirements which are required by the National Health Physics Program (NHPP). The NHPP is the VHA’s radiation regulators.

The medical physicist must be willing and able to provide phone and email consultation on radiation safety and related compliance issues on Nuclear Medicine, X-ray compliance and other modes of imaging to the HSTVA RSO. This shall be at no charge.

It is understood that terms of this contract may need to be altered due to changes of types of imaging equipment and or changes in HSTVA requirements.

The HSTVA is looking for pricing for 1 year plus 4 possible 1-year extensions, starting October 1, 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter to maintain proper compliance. The HSTVA has the option of not exercising an option year. The HSTVA has the option of terminating the contract due to lack of performance of the medical physicist.

Mandatory Services to be Performed

a. The qualified diagnostic medical physicist shall perform imaging equipment (x-ray equipment, nuclear medicine cameras, PET/CT cameras, and MRIs) inspections to ensure compliance with the current American College of Radiology (ACR) and Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) requirements. Any deficiencies or non-conformances discovered during the inspection shall be verbally communicated to the service supervisor or RSO prior to the qualified diagnostic medical physicist leaving the facility. Deficiencies or non-conformances which represent unsafe conditions with the potential to adversely impact the facility radiation workers or patients shall be reported to the RSO immediately upon discovery. A written report of the deficiency results shall be provided to the service supervisor and RSO within 5 working days after discovery. A comprehensive report shall be provided to the RSO within 30 days from the completion of the inspection. All imaging equipment, unless otherwise specified or required, shall be inspected at least annually, not to exceed 14 months.

b. The qualified diagnostic medical physicist shall perform acceptance testing of all new or relocated imaging equipment prior to first clinical use. The acceptance testing shall comply with the most current ACR or VHA standards, depending upon which one is the most stringent. If Mammography is ever established at the HSTVA MQSA standards will be complied with. Any deficiencies or non-conformances discovered during the inspection shall be verbally communicated to the service supervisor or RSO prior to the qualified diagnostic medical physicist leaving the facility. A written report of the deficiencies shall be provided to the service supervisor and RSO within 5 working days after discovery. Deficiencies or non-conformances which represent unsafe conditions with the potential to adversely impact the facility radiation workers or patients shall be reported to the RSO immediately upon discovery. A comprehensive report shall be provided to the RSO within 30 days from the completion of the inspection.

c. The qualified diagnostic medical physicist shall perform a full inspection of imaging equipment after repairs or modifications that may affect the radiation output or image quality. A lesser qualified medical physicist can perform the inspection only if the individual is under the Direct Supervision of a boarded physicist. Any deficiencies or non-conformances discovered during the inspection shall be verbally communicated to the service supervisor or RSO prior to the qualified diagnostic medical physicist leaving the facility. Deficiencies or non-conformances which represent unsafe conditions with the potential to adversely impact the facility radiation workers or patients shall be reported to the RSO immediately upon discovery. A written report of the deficiencies shall be provided to the service supervisor and RSO within 5 working days after performing of the inspection. A comprehensive report shall be provided to the RSO within 30 days from the completion of the inspection.

d. The qualified diagnostic medical physicist shall provide consultation for additional services as needed, i.e., safety training or establishing an adequate QA program to meet VHA/HSTVA standards.

e. The qualified diagnostic medical physicist shall review CT protocol optimization and other HSTVA imaging QA programs at least annually at no additional charge during the annual equipment inspections. This is to be incorporated into the cost of the contract as part of the annual CT, Fluoroscopy, Diagnostic x-ray, Ultrasound and MRI reviews. QA review and training not associated with an annual inspection shall be considered a separate item if the review and training has been requested and arrangements made through the HSTVA Radiation Safety Officer or his delegate.

f. The qualified diagnostic medical physicist shall provide shielding design calculations for each new, replaced, or relocated x-ray imaging system. The calculations for each shall comply with the National Council for Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Report No. 147, and, for dental units, NCRP Report No. 145, and shall be documented in a written report which includes a diagram showing adjacent areas. The qualified diagnostic medical physicist shall perform a shielding survey to verify the structural shielding was installed per the shielding design report and complies with the design goals. A written report of the shielding survey shall be provided to the RSO within 30 workings days after the shielding survey has been completed. The RSO has the option of performing the surveys and/or calculations and submitting them to the boarded medical physicist for review. This would be a line item as needed cost.

g. The qualified diagnostic medical physicist shall assist in the development of a comprehensive technical quality assurance (QA) program (e.g., technique charts, repeat/reject analysis monitoring, monitoring of exposure indices to radiographic image receptors, QA program for display monitors, QA for CT, monitoring of dose metrics from fluoroscopy studies), which complies with ACR recommendations, for all modalities. The qualified diagnostic medical physicist shall review at least annually the QA program. A written report of the results shall be provided to the service supervisor or RSO within 30 working days after performing of the inspection. A QA program is expected on all x-ray and Nuclear Medicine systems.

h. The qualified diagnostic medical physicist shall perform a follow-up inspection to verify compliance of any necessary corrective action performed to correct deficiencies found. Depending on the circumstances, this could be done directly by the medical physicist or in cooperation with the RSO and/or his designate.

i. The physicist will work with the facility’s RSO or his designee in the establishing and maintenance of a comprehensive x-ray compliance safety program. This program will adhere to the requirements and expectations of the Joint Commission, the VHA’s NHPP (National Health Physics Program), the ACR and the internal requirements of the HSTVA.

j. The medical physicist shall perform an annual survey (not more than 14 months) of all diagnostic imaging equipment in accordance of the Joint Commission, the ACR and the NHPP.

k. The physicist shall perform all work with his own equipment and shall provide a current certificate of calibration with the final report.

l. The medical physicist is expected to provide at least 1 paper copy of the physicist report and an appropriate electronic version on a CD or email to the RSO within 30 days of completion of the work.

m. The medical physicist will be available for consultation by phone and email for issues such as patient and staff radiation exposures, radiation safety issues, machine QA etc. at no additional charge.

n. The medical physicist will assist in the review of CT protocols for optimization on at least a calendar year basis. The medical physicist will review the QA program for each CT unit on, at least, a calendar year basis. This would include the CT Simulator unit at the Radiation Therapy facility, the PET/CT and SPECT/CT units if the units are capable of performing diagnostic CT studies.

o. The medical physicist will be able to perform shielding calculations based upon NCRP 147. Shielding calculations shall be submitted to the RSO.

p. The medical physicist will be able to perform radiation surveys of based upon NCRP 147. Survey reports shall be submitted to the RSO. The survey report will be submitted to the RSO within 14 calendar days of the survey being performed.

q. The medical physicist shall perform shielding design calculations for new, replaced or relocated X-ray imaging equipment per room.

r. The medical physicist shall perform Shielding inspection requirements

s. Travel fees shall be at no cost to the government.

t. The cost of the primary annual checks will be a primary evaluation criterion not just the total package since the other services are an estimate of as needed.

Equipment Inspections The medical physicist shall conduct equipment inspections or quality control surveys of the imaging equipment listed below. The Medical Physicist shall ensure the imaging equipment’s compliance with applicable Federal regulations and ACR recommendations, and shall include, but not be limited to, monitoring the following basic performance characteristics. Criteria of inspections may change due to modifications from VHA/JC or HSTVA requirements.

A. Radiographic and Fluoroscopic Equipment

Physics inspections of radiographic and fluoroscopic equipment shall comply with the ACR Technical Standard for Diagnostic Medical Physics Performance Monitoring of Radiographic and Fluoroscopic Equipment. The performance of each radiographic and fluoroscopic unit must be evaluated at least annually. This evaluation should include, but not be limited to, the following tests (as applicable).

(1) Integrity of unit assembly.

(2) Collimation and radiation beam alignment.

(3) Fluoroscopic system resolution.

(4) Automatic exposure control system performance.

(5) Fluoroscopic automatic brightness control performance (high-dose-rate, pulsed modes, field-of-view [FOV] variation).

(6) Image artifacts.

(7) Fluoroscopic phantom image quality.

(8) kVp accuracy and reproducibility.

(9) Linearity of exposure versus mA or mAs.

(10) Exposure reproducibility.

(11) Timer accuracy.

(12) Beam quality assessment (half-value layer).

(13) Fluoroscopic entrance exposure. Maximum output for all clinically used settings. (These will be the established written fluoroscopy protocols that is associated with each individual machine which are signed by the appropriate Service Chief or his designate.)

(14) Image receptor entrance exposure.

(15) Equipment radiation safety functions.

(16) Patient dose monitoring system calibration.

(17) Video and digital monitor performance.

(18) Digital image receptor performance.

(19) Grids used with portable x-ray units shall be imaged for uniformity.

B. Computed Radiography (CR) and Digital Radiography (DR) Physics inspections of CR and DR equipment shall comply with the American Association of Physicist in Medicine (AAPM) Report Number 93, Acceptance Testing and Quality Control of Photostimulable Storage Phosphor Imaging Systems or most current AAPM report. The performance of CR and DR must be evaluated at least annually. This evaluation should include, but not be limited to, the following tests (as applicable).

(1) Component and Imaging Plate Physical Inspection and Inventory.

(2) Imaging Plate Dark Noise and Uniformity.

(3) Exposure Indicator Calibration.

(4) Linearity and Auto-ranging Response.

(5) Laser Beam Function.

(6) Limiting Resolution and Resolution Uniformity.

(7) Noise and Low-Contrast Resolution.

(8) Spatial Accuracy.

(9) Erasure Thoroughness.

(10) Aliasing/Grid Response.

(11) IP Throughput.

(12) Positioning and Collimation Errors.

C. CT Scanners

The physics inspection shall conform to the 2012 ACR Computed Tomography Quality Control Manual or the most current edition. The performance of each CT scanner shall be evaluated at least annually. This evaluation should include, but not be limited to, the following tests (as applicable).

(1) Review of Clinical Protocols.

(2) Scout Prescription and Alignment Light Accuracy.

(3) Image Thickness – Axial Mode.

(4) Table Travel Accuracy.

(5) Radiation Beam Width.

(6) Low-Contrast Performance.

(7) Spatial Resolution.

(8) CT Number Accuracy.

(9) Artifact Evaluation.

(10) CT Number Uniformity.

(11) Dosimetry (the scanner displayed CTDIvol values must be within +/- 20% of the measured CTDIvol values).

(12) Gray Level Performance of CT Acquisition Display Monitors.

D. Dental

The physics inspection shall conform to the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD), Quality Control Recommendations for Diagnostic Radiography Volume 1 Dental Facilities July 2001 or most current edition. The performance of dental x-ray inspections shall be annually. This evaluation should include, but not be limited to, the following tests (as applicable).

(1) Collimation.

(2) Beam quality (half value layer).

(3) Timer Accuracy and Reproducibility.

(4) kVp Accuracy and Reproducibility.

(5) mA or mAs Linearity.

(6) Exposure Reproducibility.

(7) Entrance Skin Exposure Evaluation.

(8) Technique Chart Evaluation.

(9) Image uniformity (artifact evaluation).

0. Look for any evidence of “scalloping” (loss of bit depth) or geometric distortion.

0. Use a photometer to measure the maximum and minimum monitor brightness (0% and 100% steps)

0. Measure additional steps within the pattern to establish a response curve.

0. Measure the brightness near the center of the monitor and near all 4 corners (or all 4 sides, depending on the test pattern used).

E. Mammography

The HSTVA currently does not possess a Mammography unit.

However, if in the future the HSTVA does acquire a mammography unit, the qualified diagnostic medical physicist inspecting mammography equipment must meet the qualifications outlined in the MQSA and shall provide the facility with up-to-date documentation demonstrating the qualified diagnostic medical physicist is MQSA qualified. Inspections of mammography equipment must comply with the latest requirements posted on the ACR Web site for the manufacturer of the digital mammography unit being inspected.

F. MRI

The physics inspection shall conform to the 2004 ACR Magnetic Resonance Imaging Quality Control Manual or most current edition. The performance of each MRI scanner shall be evaluated at least annually. This evaluation should include, but not be limited to, the following tests (as applicable).

(1) Magnetic field homogeneity.

(2) Geometric accuracy.

(3) Inter-slice RF interference.

(4) Slice position accuracy.

(5) High-contrast resolution

(6) RF coil performance.

(a) Volume coils’ signal-to-noise ratio

(b) Volume coils’ image uniformity

(c) Volume coils’ ghosting ratio

(d) Phased array coils' signal-to-noise ratio

(e) Surface coils’ signal-to-noise ratio

(7) Slice thickness accuracy

(8) Low-contrast detectability

(9) Soft copy displays

(10) Technologist’s QC program

(11) Site phantom inventory

(12) Site RF coil inventory

G. Nuclear Medicine SPECT

The physics inspection shall conform to the ACR annual performance tests for nuclear medicine cameras. The performance of each nuclear medicine scanner shall be at least annually. This evaluation should include, but not be limited to, the following tests (as applicable).

(1) Intrinsic Uniformity: fail criteria: > 5.0%

(2) System Uniformity: fail criteria: > 5.0%

(3) Intrinsic or System Spatial Resolution: fail criteria: > 3.5 mm bars

(4) Relative Sensitivity: fail criteria: COV > 2.5%

(5) Energy Resolution: fail criteria: > 12%

(6) Count Rate Parameters: fail criteria

(7) Formatter/Video Display

(8) Overall System Performance for SPECT

(9) System Interlocks

H. Nuclear Medicine PET

The physics inspection shall conform to the ACR PET Phantom Instructions for Evaluation of PET Image, ACR Nuclear Medicine Accreditation Program PET Module. For PET/CT units the CT must be inspected at least annually per Item C above. This evaluation should include, but not be limited to, the following tests (as applicable).

(1) Uniformity.

(2) Spatial resolution.

(3) SUV analysis.

For systems in which the CT portion of the PET/CT unit is capable of operating as a diagnostic CT unit, the CT portion is to conform to the standards of a standalone CT unit as required in section C.

I. Display Monitors

The physics inspection shall conform to the AAPM On-line Report No. 03, Assessment of Display Perform for Medical Imaging Systems. QA program for image display monitors, including DICOM GSDF calibration of monitors used for interpretation. The performance of each display monitor shall be evaluated initially, acceptance testing, and at least annually thereafter. This evaluation should include, but not be limited to, the following tests (as applicable).

Acceptance testing (Table 7 from AAPM On-line Report No. 03)

(a) Geometric distortions

(b) Reflection

(c) Luminance response

(d) Luminance dependencies

(e) Resolution

(f) Noise

(g) Veiling glare

(h) Chromaticity

Annual testing (Table 8c from AAPM On-line Report No. 03)

(a) Geometric distortions

(b) Reflection

(c) Luminance response

(d) Luminance dependencies

(e) Resolution

(f) Noise

(g) Veiling glare

(h) Chromaticity

Other duties:

The Diagnostic Medical Physicist oversees the HSTVA x-ray/imaging safety program in association with the HSTVA Radiation Safety Officer. The Medical Physicist will provide recommendations of how the HSTVA QA program should be set up with the appropriate record keeping. The Medical Physicist or his associate will provide periodic training and record review to help ensure that the HSTVA is in compliance with VHA and Joint Commission requirements for imaging.

The current inventory of units to be tested is embedded below. This inventory is as accurate as possible but may change in the future.

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