36C25622Q0527_1 v1.pdf

PAGE 1 OF 1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE 4. ORDER NO. 5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls) 8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY CODE 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS UNRESTRICTED OR SET ASIDE: % FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR CODE FACILITY CODE 18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

TELEPHONE NO. DUNS: DUNS+4:

PHONE: FAX:

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

ITEM NO. SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________ 29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION (REV. NOV 2021)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

36C25622Q0527 04-29-2022

Christopher D. Vu 832-710-8651 05-13-2022

3:00 PM CST

36C256

Department of Veterans Affairs

Network Contracting Office 16

Galleria Financial Center

5075 Westheimer Road, Suite 750

Houston TX 77056 5645

X 100

X

561320

$30 Million

N/A

36C580

Department of Veterans Affairs

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Receiving Warehouse Building 100

2002 Holcombe Boulevard

Houston TX 77030 4298

36C256

Department of Veterans Affairs

Network Contracting Office 16

Galleria Financial Center

5075 Westheimer Road, Suite 750

Houston TX 77056 5646

FSC e-Invoice Payment http://www.fsc.va.gov/fsc/einvoice.asp

Invoice Setup Information 1-877-489-6135

Invoice must be submitted electronically

1-877-489-6135 512-460-5429

See CONTINUATION Page

Contractor shall provide onsite Register Nurse services for the John L. McClellan Veterans Affairs Medical Center in accordance with the Price/Cost Schedule of Services and

Performance Work Statement referenced in pages 6 to 36.

For solicitation submission requirements and evaluation factors for this solicitation reference pages 63 and 65.

This is a solicitation in accordance with Federal

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 and 13.5.

See CONTINUATION Page

X 1

Christopher D. Vu

VA-VHA-SAOC-2018-E8E15CC2

36C25622Q0527

Table of Contents

SECTION A

A.1 SF 1449 SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND

COMMERCIAL SERVICES

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

B.2 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

ITEM INFORMATION

B.3 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

SECTION C - CONTRACT CLAUSES

C.1 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS

AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021)

C.2 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

C.3 SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

C.4 52.217-8 OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999)

C.5 VAAR 852.212-70 PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES APPLICABLE TO VA

ACQUISITION OF COMMERCIAL ITEMS (APR 2020)

C.6 852.219-10DEV VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (JUL 2019) (NOV 2020) (DEVIATION)

C.7 VAAR 852.219-74 LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING—MONITORING AND

COMPLIANCE (JUL 2018)

C.8 VAAR 852.219-77 VA NOTICE OF LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING—

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE FOR SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION (SEP 2021)

(DEVIATION)

C.9 VAAR 852.237-72 CRIME CONTROL ACT—REPORTING OF CHILD ABUSE (OCT

2019)

C.10 VAAR 852.242-71 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICER (OCT 2020)

C.11 52.212-5 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT

STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JAN 2022)

SECTION D - CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, OR ATTACHMENTS

D.1 QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

D.2 WAGE DETERMINATION

D.3 PAST PERFORMANCE REFERENCE

SECTION E - SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

E.1 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND

COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021)

E.2 52.204-24 REPRESENTATION REGARDING CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT (NOV 2021)

E.3 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (OCT 2018)

E.4 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

E.5 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006)

E.6 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB

1998)

E.7 52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014)

E.8 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS—COMMERCIAL

ITEMS (FEB 2021) (JUL 2020) (DEVIATION)

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

1. Contract Administration: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals:

a. CONTRACTOR:

Phone: ____________________________________

Email: ____________________________________

SAM UEI Number: ____________________________

TAX ID: __________________________________

b. GOVERNMENT:

Christopher D. Vu, Contracting Officer Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 16 (NCO 16) 5075 Westheimer Road, Suite 750 (90C) Houston, TX 77056

Phone: 832-710-8651 Email: christopher.vu2@va.gov

Nykeia Weathersby, Contracting Officer’s Representative Department of Veterans Affairs John L. McClellan Clinical Practice Office 4300 W 7th Street Little Rock, AR 72205

Phone: 501-257-5309 Email: nykeia.weathersby@va.gov

2. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the contractor shall be electronically reimbursed:

[X} 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer- System For Award

Management

[ ] 52.232-36, Payment by Third Party

3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

a. Quarterly [ ] mailto:christopher.vu2@va.gov mailto:nykeia.weathersby@va.gov

b. Semi-Annually [ ]

c. Other [ x ] Monthly in arrears.

4. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS: All Invoices from the contractor shall be submitted electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests.

5. SECURE FAX: Please review VA Handbook 6500 that requires the following statement on all fax cover sheets be included: This fax is intended only for the use of the person or office to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, or protected by law. All others are hereby notified that the receipt of this fax does not waive any applicable privilege or exemption for disclosure and that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is prohibited. If you have received this fax in error, please notify this office immediately at the telephone number listed above.

6. The Contracting Officer will schedule a post award orientation for contract orientation purposes as required by VA Acquisition Manual, Part M842.502-70.

7. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

AMENDMENT NO DATE

B.2 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

ITEM INFORMATION

ITEM

NUMBER

DESCRIPTION OF

SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

23,040.00 HR __________________ __________________

Onsite Registered Nurse Support for the Intensive Care Unit and

Other Critical in support of the John L. McCllelan Veterans Affairs Medical Center 4300 West 7th street , Little Rock, Arkansas.

Invoicing and Payment is limited to quantity of hours for services rendered.

Contract Period: Base POP Begin: 08-01-2022 POP End: 10-31-2022 PRINCIPAL NAICS CODE: 561320 - Temporary Help Services PRODUCT/SERVICE CODE: Q401 - Medical - Nursing

GRAND TOTAL __________________

B.3 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Onsite Registered Nurse (RN) Services

1. SERVICES: This is a NON PERSONAL services agreement for 20 Registered

Nurses (RNs) supplement staffing for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Acute Care, Oncology, Community Living Center (CLC), and other critical areas at the Central

Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) campuses located at 4300 West 7th street, Little Rock, Arkansas and 2200 Fort Roots Drive, North Little Rock, AR 72114.

Contractor’s personnel shall perform on-site nursing services for varying periods of time in the various areas of the Medical Center and based on their qualifications, may be required to work in areas of the highest need on the date of their scheduled shifts.

Contractor’s personnel shall be subject to the quality assurance standards established by the Joint Commission and shall perform in accordance with ethical, professional, and technical standards of the healthcare industry consistent with VA policy, regulations, procedures, and protocol.

a. The parties agree that contract personnel shall not be considered VA employees for any purpose and Contractor’s personnel will not perform any supervisory duties during the term of the contract. Only those services specified herein are authorized. Changes to the contract are not authorized unless in writing by the Contracting Officer.

b. The contractor shall provide a point of contact to which the Contracting

Officer’s Representative (COR), Associate Director, Patient Care Services

(ADPCS) or designee Clinical Administrative Supervisor (House Supervisor) can coordinate and report problems 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. During normal administrative hours, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday excluding holidays, the contractor shall coordinate and report any problems with the COR. The contractor shall report any problems that occur outside normal administrative hours to the House Supervisor.

2. POSITION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

a. Registered Nurse: The RN will utilize their broad-based clinical knowledge to effectively assess, implement health promotion and prevention interventions, manage acute and chronic illness states, assist patient/residents in the attainment of optimal levels of functioning rehabilitation, evaluate patient/resident response to actual or potential health problems, and provide supportive measures for the dying patient/resident and their significant others.

Nursing care is performed in accordance with the Arkansas Registered Nurses

Practice Act and within the individual nurse’s scope of license. The CAVHS

Nurse Manager(s), or appropriate nursing leadership delegate (i.e., Assistant

Nurse Manager), will provide the RN with clinical oversight during their tour of duty. More specific duties and responsibilities of the Registered Nurse are described below and shall be assessed by the CAVHS ICU prior to provider acceptance.

(1) Maintain patient/resident confidentiality and a safe patient/resident care environment, including familiarity with requirements such as medication administration, patient/resident/family education, discharge process, restraint usage, hazardous waste disposal, etc., as defined by The Joint Commission and all other VA regulatory bodies (i.e., Long Term Care Institute and Office of

Inspector General).

(2) Provide patient/resident-centered care by performing the following tasks:

• assess the health care needs of the patient/resident and maintain or develop a plan of care to meet interdisciplinary goals

• assess and act on significant changes in the patient’s/resident’s health condition

• carry out the plan of care by performing/assigning delegated tasks

• collect and document pertinent data into the electronic patient/resident medical record

• complete nursing assessments within required time frames, and in accordance with policy and procedure.

• identify and act on predictable needs of the patient/resident

• meet the health care needs of patient/resident by assessing and assisting the patient/resident to meet expressed needs

• meet the emotional and spiritual needs of patients/residents and/or families

• prioritize and complete tasks within the RN’s assigned shift

• update patient/resident care plans

• notify assigned physician of any changes in condition

• report incidents of verbal or physical abuse immediately to the Nurse

Manager of the unit they are assigned; or designated off-shift nursing leadership

(3) Perform the following tasks: (A competency checklist should be provided by the agency for each staff member at the time of submission for approval for credentialing)

• perform head-to-toe assessment

• insert IV lines

• care and management of peripheral and central lines, including PICC lines

• administer medication including IVs

• coordinate and participate in admission and discharge of patient

• measure vital signs/hemodynamic monitoring including Pain (the 5th Vital

Sign), pulse oximetry, etc.

• perform wound care including dressing changes (sterile and non-sterile), and obtaining wound cultures as necessary

• obtain and deliver specimens to lab

• perform tracheostomy care

• perform non-acute and/or acute ventilator care, if needed

• perform suctioning including oral, nasogastric, and tracheostomy

• perform deep suctioning, which may include obtaining specimens

• assess for and administer tube feedings

• assist with routine urinary and bowel elimination including catheters, colostomies, and digital stimulation.

• assist and perform enemas and other supportive measures as needed.

• educate patients/residents and/or families regarding health and diagnoses and medication administration including indications for the medication.

• respond and assist in emergency situations

• provide clinical oversight to Licensed Practical Nurses, Nursing Assistants and Health Technicians

b. For All Positions:

(1) The contract nursing staff shall complete and document all assessments accurately and within assigned timeframes.

(2) The contract staff assigned shall be physically able to carry out measures under the “Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior (PMDB),” which includes prevention techniques, basic self-defense, and the ability to perform a therapeutic containment to provide care in the Acute

Medical/Mental Health units.

(3) The contract nursing staff shall, always, conduct themselves in a professional manner treating patient/residents, visitors, and staff in a courteous manner. Sustained allegations of patient/resident or coworker abuse, both verbally or physically, will result in immediate removal from CAVHS, and will also be reported to the Contracting Officer. The contracted nurse is expected to report to duty on time as excessive absenteeism or tardiness will be reported to the Contracting Officer. These incidents may result in that contractor employee not being eligible for continued contract performance with CAVHS.

(4) Dress apparel: Contractor personnel shall be required to dress in a professional manner and in accordance with VA Handbook 1850.4 Employee

Uniforms. VHA Handbook 1850.04

c. Contract RNs: Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) with a 100% accuracy rate shall be used in the applicable areas for medication administration.

BCMA is designed to provide electronic validation and documentation of medication administration, reduce medication misadventures, provide an online patient/resident medication record, and promote a safer inpatient/resident care environment. Spot check (use random review) of patient/resident charts or review of incident reports will be conducted. If issues are found, remedial training of contractor employee will be given. If remedial training is unsuccessful, the contractor employee may be removed from providing services under the Contract.

Contracted nurses are expected to participate in quality measures such as PRN effectiveness.

3. SCHEDULING: The following entities/positions are authorized by the Contracting

Officer to place requests with the contractor for services required under this contract:

ADPCS or designee, Clinical Administrative Nurse (House Supervisor) or COR. The

VA shall provide Contractor with the names, titles and telephone numbers of individuals authorized to request staffing. Contractor’s personnel will be scheduled for shifts (Day, Evening, Night, Weekend, etc.) based on the needs of VAMC providing maximum flexibility to the appropriate VA authority in scheduling.

a. CAVHS does not guarantee a set contract or number of hours for any agency personnel. Contractor shall maintain sufficient VA credentialed staff to meet service requests for uncovered shifts. Contractor shall confirm with VA the ability to meet all scheduled coverage requirements upon award of the contract.

b. CAVHS reserves the right to cancel or change any scheduled shift of any contract personnel with at least a two-hour notice to the contractor prior to cancellation of a shift, at no cost to the VA. If the VA fails to provide two-hour advance notice, the contractor may charge the VA for two (2) hours from the beginning of the cancelled shift. The VA retains the right to change the scheduled shift and/or work location within VAMC, provided the nurse is clinically qualified to work in the area.

c. Contract nursing staff must contact their agency regarding cancellations, changes in scheduling, etc. The contractor will, in turn, contact the VAMC of employee cancellation and advise the name of the replacement provider. The Contractor will provide notification of cancellations at least two (2) hours prior to the beginning of a scheduled shift. Notification of, or the inability to provide, a replacement provider must be made to the HCS VAMC at least two hours prior to the start of the scheduled shift.

4. TOUR OF DUTY: The contract resulting from this requirement shall provide maximum flexibility to the VA scheduling authority. Central Arkansas Veterans

Healthcare System provides nursing services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Temporary contract nursing services shall supplement full time CAVHS staff on an as needed basis as staffing needs arise depending on vacancies, vacations, resignations, and illnesses to ensure required staffing levels are maintained.

Notification of required needs may be between 24-48 hours. Coverage may include weekends, federal holidays, days, evenings, or overnights, and are variable within a

24-hour period. Contractor’s personnel shall be required to work any regular or irregular tour, with 8-hour and 12-hour tours typically being:

8 Hour Tour:

Day 0730 -1600

Evening 1530 - 2400 Night 2330 - 0800

12 Hour Tour:

Day 0700 -1930

Night 1900-0730 (12-hour short shift – 8 hours – 0700 -1530; 1500 - 2330; and 2300 - 0730).

Select units/areas may have tour starts that vary from these standard times.

a. Contractor’s personnel must be present at CAVHS during scheduled work hours and be performing required services identified herein or the Contractor’s payment will decrease accordingly. Contractor will be notified and required to have back-up plan to provide needed staff in the event of a no-show. A no-show is defined as the contract employee not being in place at the scheduled start time. Contractor will be notified within two (2) hours of the contract employee reporting for duty if their services are not needed due to a decrease in workload.

b. The scheduling, tracking and compensation of personnel in accordance with

State or Federal Law is the sole responsibility of the Contractor. Overtime may be necessary and is applicable for anything over 40 hours per week worked at the

VAMC. Overtime hours are priced at the same rate as regular time; however, the contractor is responsible for ensuring that Overtime Service Contract Act guidelines are followed. Overtime must be pre-approved by the Staffing Office for the Contract and will not be allowed for contractor staff to complete charting in the medical record. All patient/resident documentation must be completed prior to leaving for the day. Day and evening eight (8) hour tours include a ½ hour non-paid lunch break as well as all twelve (12) hour shifts. If patient/resident care needs prevent the ability to take a 30 minute lunch, the Nurse Manager or Staffing

Office must be notified during the said shift to provide coverage or authorize no lunch. Contractor will notify COR or House Supervisor if staffing needs can only be met through overtime.Hours worked by contractor’s employees at a facility other than those covered by this contract, shall not be included in the calculation for overtime compensation under this contract.

c. Contractor’s personnel must present a legible “service ticket” to the appropriate

VA authority (Nurse Manager, Assistant Nurse Manager, Associate Nurse

Executive or House Supervisor) for each shift worked, showing the individual’s name, date, work unit and hours worked to include meal breaks. The appropriate authority will initial and retain a copy for verification and payment purposes.

Timecards signed by other than those listed above will not be accepted with invoices for payment.

5. BASIC QUALIFICATION/KNOWLEDGE SKILLS: Contractor shall ensure that all contract personnel have met the qualifying criteria outlined in this section. Personnel assigned by the contractor to perform the services covered by this contract shall have a current unrestricted license from a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United

States or the District of Columbia. The qualifications of such personnel shall also be subject to review/approval by the Chief Nurse Executive or designee. Personnel shall be proficient in spoken and written English. Personnel shall be graduates of a professional, accredited nursing school approved by the appropriate State at the time the program was completed, or in the case of graduates from foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, unrestricted license as described herein will also meet the basic education requirement.

a. Individuals will be required to provide and maintain current license, applicable certifications, proof of a negative TB test within the past 12 months, proof of flu vaccine within the past 12 months, proof of Covid-19 vaccination, pre-employment drug screening, and BLS certification. ACLS Certification is required for agency staff working in acute care, med-surg, or critical care areas. Contractor will provide proof of updated licenses and certifications to the COR or designated individual prior to being scheduled for required training. Contractor will also provide proof of updated licenses and certifications to the COR or designated individual as they expire. Contractor will be responsible for completing initial competency evaluations based on VA-provided competency list and will provide completed assessment to

COR. Individuals must meet physical requirements to perform a full range of duties without physical restrictions. Personnel must also have a working knowledge and basic skills in the use of personal computers (PC). Contract personnel are required to be credentialed through VetPro.

b. Evidence of completion of required licensure, credentials, required training, current competencies and initiation of background investigations must be validated for all contractor personnel referred to perform services under this contract prior to providing direct patient care.

c. Ultimately, the decision to accept or reject contract staff rests with the VA.

Contractor shall not have any personnel report to duty until written notification is received from the

Contracting Officer advising that the candidate(s) presented has met all requirements for contract performance.

6. SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS/KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS: This contract requires the services of Registered Nurses in various areas of the Medical Center. In addition to the basic qualifications mentioned above, each area requires specific knowledge/qualifications, which are identified below. The experience required should be within the past 3 years:

The following training classes provided by VAMC prior to reporting for duty.

- Nursing Service Basic Orientation (est. 4 hrs.) *

- In-service/validation of competency for specific work area (est. 4 hrs.)

RN (Specialty Care – ICU/PACU/Cath Lab/Bronch, Emergency Department, Oncology, CLC, Med Surg)

Current ACLS Certification

Current BLS Certification

One (1) year experience in Specialty Area

- EHR (Electronic Health Record (est. 4 hrs.)

- BCMA (Bar Code Medication Administration) (est. 4 hrs.)

- All mandatory VA Training Topics

VAMC CONDUCTED TRAINING REQUIREMENTS WILL BE AT THE

CONTRACTOR’S EXPENSE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NURSING SERVICE

BASIC ORIENTATION.

*VAMC WILL REIMBURSE THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE NURSING SERVICE

BASIC ORIENTATION CLASSES ONLY AT THE RATES SPECIFIED IN THE

PURSUANT CONTRACT PAYMENT WILL BE MADE ONLY AFTER PERSONNEL

HAVE COMPLETED A MINIMUM OF TWO (2) SHIFTS OF SERVICE AT THE

MEDICAL CENTER. FAILURE TO ATTEND A CLASS DUE TO ILLNESS WILL BE

EXCUSED ONLY IF CONTRACTOR PROVIDES TELEPHONIC NOTICE TO COR

OR HOUSE SUPERVISOR 2 HOURS PRIOR TO CLASS SCHEDULED START

TIME. THIS CONTRACT SHALL PROVIDE MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY TO THE VA

AUTHORITY IN SCHEDULING.

a. All personnel performing services must complete orientation prior to beginning work on contract shifts:

(1) Maximum of 8 hours of computer-based pre-orientation work (off-site by contract nursing staff)

(2) Maximum of 1-day Contracted Nurse Orientation (on-site at CAVHS)

(3) 1 day competency Assessment (on-site at CAVHS) **Competency Assessment will be pass/fail. Contract Staff must pass the assessment to begin working on the units.

b. In addition, licensed nursing staff (RNs/LPNs) may undergo orientation consisting of one, eight-hour shift in each unit area the professional intends to work; up to 24 hours (Acute Medicine, Critical Care, CLC, Oncology).

c. Former CAVHS employees who have separated from the facility within the previous 6 months will not be required to complete the orientation process prior to being eligible for scheduled shifts.

7. CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY: The contractor shall designate a Point of

Contact (POC) who shall be responsible for overall performance of the work under this contract and shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all matters relating to daily operation. The POC’s name and contact information shall be provided to both the

Contracting Officer and the COR. The POC or designated alternate shall respond to calls from the COR or House Supervisor within thirty (30) minutes on a twenty-four (24) hour a day, seven (7) days a week basis for calls concerning personnel staffing problems or other issues requiring immediate attention.

a. Contractor shall provide scheduled services throughout the agreement period. In the event of the absence of Contractor’s personnel for any reason, the Contractor shall bear the responsibility of providing replacement personnel to fulfill the requirement. During normal administrative hours, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday excluding holidays, the contractor shall coordinate and report any problems with the COR. The Contractor shall report any problems that occur outside normal administrative hours to the House Supervisor. The Contractor shall, in writing, keep the Contracting Officer informed of any unusual circumstances in conjunction with the contract.

b. The Contractor shall assume full responsibility for the protection of its personnel furnishing services under this contract. To carry out this responsibility, the

Contractor shall provide the following to their employees: Worker’s Compensation, Professional Liability Insurance, Health Examinations, Income Tax Withholdings, Social Security Payments and Pre- employment Drug Testing. Payments for any leave (sick, holiday, vacation, etc.) are considered the sole responsibility of the

Contractor. The Contractor shall comply with all existing local, state, and federal laws and regulations relevant to fringe benefits and premium pay for their employees. Contractor’s personnel shall not be considered VA employees for any purpose.

c. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing the following to the VAMC:

immediate notification of any pending or previous actions filed against an individual with the State Board, inquiry to the National Practitioner Data Bank, and the VA required Background Investigations. The contractor is responsible for providing to

VAMC the information for agency nurse 6-part folders that will include an Annual

Appraisal form from the Contractor, licensure verification, proof of negative

Tuberculosis (TB) and pre-employment drug screen within the past 12 months, current Basic Life Support (BLS), current Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support

(ACLS) if appropriate, initial competency/skills checklist assessment, and training/education information.

d. The Contractor shall ensure the agency nurse completes the following online education courses, “TMS Privacy and HIPPA Focused Training” and “VA

Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior”.

e. The Contractor shall ensure the agency nurse completes the following online documents, equip, Credentialing & Privileging worksheet, and VetPro. ***VetPro must be completed within 3-5 business day or agency nurse will be removed from consideration. Failure to return documents and submit VetPro significantly delay credentialing process.

f. All contractor employees shall be held to the same performance and conduct standards as employees. Agency nurses shall demonstrate proficiency in all elements of nursing process, assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation for the appropriate Criteria Based Functional Statement.

8. TERM OF THE CONTRACT: The performance period will be for 12 Weeks from the award of the contract. And an optional performance period of 6 months if required.

9. FEDERAL HOLIDAYS: The ten (11) holidays observed by the Federal Government are:

• New Year’s Day,

• Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday,

• President’s Day,

• Memorial Day,

• Juneteenth,

• Independence Day,

• Labor Day,

• Columbus Day,

• Veterans Day,

• Thanksgiving Day,

• Christmas Day, and any other day designated by the President as a National

Holiday. An administrative closure of Federal offices by Executive Order is not a

Federal holiday for the purpose of holiday pay. Contractor will receive holiday pay for work performed only on the official holiday as designated by the Office of

Personnel Management (OPM).

10. CONTRACT MONITORING PROCEDURES: The contracting Officer will appoint a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to assist with monitoring compliance with technical requirements of the contract. The Contractor will be provided with a copy of the COR’s authority and limitation of authority.

a. The COR will be responsible for handling service-related documentation such as time and attendance logs, sign in/sign out sheets and service tickets that verify services called for under the contract have been received by the VAMC. The

COR shall ensure that proper invoices are certified for payment in a timely fashion.

b. COR will notify the Contracting Officer (CO) of any contract non-compliance immediately upon gaining knowledge of any such incident. The COR will use the

Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) form to document any problems that may arise during the term of the contract. The CDR along with any other backup documentation will be forwarded to the CO. The CO will then notify the contractor.

Further, the COR will maintain copies of all the above- mentioned documents.

c. The COR cannot make changes to the agreement, direct Contractor’s work, or obligate the Government in any way.

11. CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

a. Under the performance of this contract, a Government employee who is employed by the Contractor is prohibited from participating personally and substantially on behalf of the Government through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, rendering of advice, certifying for payment or otherwise in that contract. No VA employee who is an employee, director or trustee of an affiliated university or who has a financial interest in the contract may lawfully participate in a VA contract or any other Government contract with the contractor.

b. In relation to the contract monitoring procedures a Government employee who is also employed by the contractor may not certify bills for payment. An employee who is not an employee, officer, director or trustee of the contractor and who does not have a financial interest in the contract shall perform this duty. The agency grants the VA the right to hire agency staff with a 30-day notice and at no additional fee.

Contract personnel cannot work for the VA under the Fee Basis Program and through the Agency.

12. LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor will be required to carry the following types and amount of insurance through the contract period:

• Worker’s Compensation and Employers Liability $100,000 per person

• General Liability $500,000 per occurrence

• Automobile Liability $250,000 per person

• Bodily Injury $500,000 per occurrence

• Property Damage $100,000 per occurrence

13. BADGES AND PARKING: All contractor personnel must by sponsored by an official VA Personal Identity Verification (PIV) sponsor (HR Representative, Contracting Officer Representative, or Program Director) to be issued a VA PIV credential for access to the VA network. All contractor personnel are required to wear their PIV card during the entire time they are on the VA grounds.

a. Contractor personnel are responsible for parking in appropriately designated parking areas and must use their PIV card for access into the parking lot/garage.

Parking information is available from the VAMC Police. CAVHS will not invalidate or make reimbursement for parking violations issued to Contractor’s personnel under any circumstances. After completion of employment, all PIV Badges and

Parking permits shall be turned in to the COR. The Contractor provide and maintain a list of departing personnel with PIV/Parking permit turned in status to

COR on a weekly basis or as practicable during the performance of this

14. PAYMENT: Payment will be made for actual hours worked and at the rates shown in “Schedule of Services”. A Contract employee must be present at the VA facility and must be performing the services required of an RN/LPN to be eligible for payment unless excused by the VA due Nurse on Duty quarantine mandated periods. A record keeping system of Contract hours worked shall be established which shall include at a minimum sign-in/out sheets. Failure to sign-in, sign-out and provide signed service tickets shall result in nonpayment for those hours claimed. The Contractor will not be paid for any overtime not approved in advance by the Contracting Officer’s

Representative. Contract personnel must present a “service ticket” to the appropriate

VA authority (Nurse Manager, Assistant Nurse Manager, Associate Nurse Executive or

House Supervisor) for each tour of duty showing the individual name, date, work unit and hours worked including meal breaks. The appropriate supervisor will sign and retain a copy for verification and payment purposes.

Invoices must be itemized to include the following information: Time period being invoiced

Description of services Unit cost billed Extended amount due

Invoice number, date and

Order and obligation numbers.

Payment shall be made after the COR certifies that services identified within the billing period have been performed.

15. PROCEDURES FOR OIM/COMPUTER ACCESS:

a. Access requirements to VA information systems by Contract personnel shall meet or exceed those requirements established for personnel as described in VHA

Directives. A written and signed request for user access by VHA Management, or designee(s), constitutes management approval (sponsorship) to initiate a request for access to any sensitive automated information system. Access shall be granted to non-VA users only if the purpose for access meets criteria of the Privacy Act and

VA Confidentiality regulations and transfer. To obtain access, the contractor must submit a written request with an original signature to VA Nursing Service Office fourteen (14) days prior to the orientation assignment. VAMC will provide the VA form, ADP Security Notice & Request for Access. Contract personnel must complete VetPro process, be fingerprinted, and Background Investigation forms submitted as part of the Background Investigation requirement.

b. Contract personnel will be required to sign-on before starting work under this contract and abide by the VA Computer Access Security Agreement and

Confidentiality Agreement. In the performance of official duties, the Contract personnel has regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive information, which must be protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act of

1974, HIPAA, and other applicable laws and regulations.The employee is responsible for (1) protecting that information from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration or unauthorized deletion, and (2) following applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc. and (3) completing mandatory education regarding privacy and security as required by VA. Talent Management System (TMS) courses “Privacy and HIPPA

Focused Training” and “VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior” are required prior to agency nurse orientation. Courses will be accessed via the internet. Certificates of completion shall be sent to the COR.

c. Inappropriate usage of VA computer systems (as defined in the user access agreement) will constitute grounds for (at the least) terminating access for that person and (at the most) termination of the entire contract.

d. Inactive accounts for 90 days are automatically flagged by VistA and require action by OIT to remove the flag before the user can log back into the system.

Accounts that are inactive for 6 months are “terminated.” If this occurs, one must go through the process of requesting access as described above before access will be reinstated.

16. CONFIDENTIALITY/PRIVACY ACT: The Contractor understands and agrees that the information in the medical records of all patients is confidential. Strict confidentiality is to be maintained, Rules of Confidentiality expected to be conformed with are delineated in 38 U.S.C. 3301, 38 U.S.C. 4132, 5 U.S.C. 552(a) et.seq. The Contractor and its personnel shall be held liable in the event of breach of confidentiality. The

Contractor is required to sign the attached BAA (Business Associates Agreement). Any person, who knowingly or willingly discloses confidential information from the authorizing VA Medical Centers, may be subject to fines.

17. SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS --

a. Background Investigation Requirement:

(1) CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: All contract employees who require access to the Department of Veterans Affairs computer systems shall be the subject of a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication from the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement prior to contract performance. This requirement is applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. The contractor is responsible for obtaining the background investigation. If the investigation is not completed prior to the start date of the contract, the contractor will be responsible for the actions of those individuals they provide to perform work for VA.

(a) Position Sensitivity – The position sensitivity/risk level has been designated as

Non-sensitive/Low Risk.

(b) Background investigation – The level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access is National Agency Check with

Inquiry (NACI).

(c) Contractor Responsibilities

(2) The contractor shall prescreen all personnel requiring access to the computer systems to ensure they maintain a U.S. citizenship and are able to read, write, speak and understand the English language.

(3) The contractor, when notified of an unfavorable determination by the

Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration from working under the contract.

(4) Failure to comply with contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the contract for cause.

18. CONTACTOR SECURITY REQUIREMENTS (HANDBOOK 6500.6): Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=228

a. LANGUAGE VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY

(1) A contractor/subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, subcontractors, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order.

(2) All contractors, subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of

VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information.

The level and process of background security investigations for contractors must be in accordance with VA Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security

Program.

http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=8

b. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures.

(1) Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry contract personnel safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a

Memorandum of Agreement with Defense Security Service (DSS). Verification of a Security Clearance must be processed through the Special Security Officer located in the Planning and National Security Service within the Office of

Operations, Security, and Preparedness.

(2) Custom software development and outsourced operations must be located in the

U.S. to the maximum extent practical. If such services are proposed to be performed abroad and are not disallowed by other VA policy or mandates, the contractor/subcontractor must state where all non-U.S. services are provided and detail a security plan, deemed to be acceptable by VA, specifically to address http://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=228 http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=8 mitigation of the resulting problems of communication, control, data protection, and so forth. Location within the U.S. may be an evaluation factor.

(3) The contractor or subcontractor must notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor’s employ. The Contracting

Officer must also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to an unfriendly termination.

(4) Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the contractor/subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data -

General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1).

(5) VA information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the contractors/subcontractor’s information systems or media storage systems in order to ensure VA requirements related to data protection and media sanitization can be met. If co-mingling must be allowed to meet the requirements of the business need, the contractor must ensure that VA’s information is returned to the VA or destroyed in accordance with VA’s sanitization requirements. VA reserves the right to conduct on site inspections of contractor and subcontractor IT resources to ensure data security controls, separation of data and job duties, and destruction/media sanitization procedures are in compliance with VA directive requirements.

(6) Prior to termination or completion of this contract, contractor/subcontractor must not destroy information received from VA, or gathered/created by the contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by the VA. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a contractor/subcontractor must be done in accordance with National Archives and

Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records

Management Procedures, applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA

Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met must be sent to the VA Contracting Officer within 30 days of termination of the contract.

(7) The contractor/subcontractor must receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use, disclose and dispose of VA information only in compliance with the terms of the contract and applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies. If Federal or VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies become applicable to the VA information or information systems after execution of the contract, or if NIST issues or updates applicable FIPS or Special Publications (SP) after execution of this contract, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to implement the information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies in this contract.

(8) The contractor/subcontractor shall not make copies of VA information except as authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on contractor/subcontractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the contractor/subcontractor needs to be restored to an operating state. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies must be appropriately destroyed.

(9) If VA determines that the contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for VA to withhold payment to the contractor or third party or terminate the contract for default or terminate for cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation

(FAR) part 12.

(10) If a VHA contract is terminated for cause, the associated BAA must also be terminated and appropriate actions taken in accordance with VHA Handbook

1600.01, Business Associate Agreements. Absent an agreement to use or disclose protected health information, there is no business associate relationship.

(11) The contractor/subcontractor must store, transport, or transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools that are, at a minimum, FIPS 140-2 validated.

(12) The contractor/subcontractor's firewall and Web services security controls, if applicable, shall meet or exceed VA's minimum requirements. VA

Configuration Guidelines are available upon request.

(13) Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the contractor/subcontractor may use and disclose VA information only in two other situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) with VA's prior written approval. The contractor/subcontractor must refer all requests for, demands for production of, or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA contracting officer for response.

(14) Notwithstanding the provision above, the contractor/subcontractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. 5705, confidentiality of medical quality assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. 7332, confidentiality of certain health records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or infection with human immunodeficiency virus. If the contractor/subcontractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above mentioned information, that contractor/subcontractor shall immediately refer such court orders or other requests to the VA contracting officer for response.

(15) For service that involves the storage, generating, transmitting, or exchanging of VA sensitive information but does not require C&A or an MOU-ISA for system interconnection, the contractor/subcontractor must complete a Contractor Security

Control Assessment (CSCA) on a yearly basis and provide it to the COR.

c. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE

(1) Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior…