36C25718Q0600-0006000.docx

Questions and Answers Note:

1. Red entries indicate without a strike-over indicate a revised entry.

2. Red entries with a strike-over indicate a deletion.

3. Yellow highlights indicate special emphasis; however, all information within the subject PWS is relevant and requires performance adherence.

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE

7. ADMINISTERED BY

2.

AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE

OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF

CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE

CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV.

11/2016) is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office.

is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO:

Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITE M 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR

43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes r eference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS

ENTERED INTO

PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

BY

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14.

DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME

AND TITLE OF SIGNER

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30

PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243 (Type or print) (Type or print) (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (If other than Item 6) (Specify type of modification and authority) (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS

OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer) none 09-25-2018 N/A 36C257 Department of Veterans Affairs SAO West NCO 17 Hassan Wilson, Contract Specialist 11495 Turner Road El Paso TX 79930-4221 36C257 El Paso Contracting

To all Offerors/Bidders

36C25718Q0600 07-31-2018

X x x Not required x Reason for Amendment:

a. Notify firms that the solicitation closing date is extended to Friday, 9.28.18 at 5PM, Mountain Time.

b. Provide questions and answers as attached.

c. All other terms and conditions remain in full force and effect.

Marisela Galarza Contracting Officer

NCO181L5L2-4273

1. Question: Invoice payment interval?

Answer: Hereby adjusted to “Monthly.”

2. Question: Can the aspect of the Government paying for actual number of hours be revised?

Answer: PWS is hereby adjusted to reflect the following: The Government will only pay for the actual number of hours (intent is to imply 8 hours equal 1 day) performed.

3. Question: Please add molecular diagnostic studies?

Answer: The PWS is hereby adjusted to reflect the following: molecular diagnostic studies is hereby added to the Performance Work Statement as such, “ (d) When Special testing (such as flow cytometry, cytogenetics, immunofluorescence studies, nontumoral muscle biopsies with muscle enzymes, stone analyses, nontumoral renal biopsy workups, molecular diagnostic studies or other esoteric tests are needed), the contractor shall notify the VA prior to testing. Consent must be given for these Special testing before the VA will pay for the fee basis lab to perform. The VA has the option to send the Special testing to another VA facility for processing. All blocks and slides for the consult case are required to be sent back to the ordering facility for purposes to send to outside consulting facility. “

4. Question: Can the “Contractor’s Facility be added to the PWS as such?”

Page 22 of 84, (4), sentence 2, Cell viability - frozen sections will be finalized within 30 minutes from the time that the frozen section reaches the "Amarillo VAHCS histology department", please change to the "contractor's facility". Please make correction to “contractors facility”.

Answer: The PWS is hereby adjusted to reflect the following:

(4) Frozen sections when the VA pathologist(s) is/are on leave or are otherwise unavailable to perform. Cell viability –frozen sections will be finalized within 30 minutes from the time that the frozen section reaches the Amarillo VAHCS histology department the contractor’s facility.

Contractor shall be able to meet the finalization time, after notification of arrival of frozen sections at the

VA and shall directly call the results back to VA surgeon, if in the operating suite so that the surgeon can then continue the operation in a timely, safe manner.

Note: Page# references may vary when asserted to any forthcoming contract and this solicitation.

5. Question: Please consider revising reference to consults within PWS.

Answer: The PWS is hereby adjusted to reflect the following:

(g) When outside consults are needed on VA cases, the VA will send the case to another VA or to a fee basis consultant at the VA’s expense for the first 100 cases/year. The cost of any cases over 100 will be equally shared by the Contractor and the VA with the Contractor’s share being deducted from the monthly payments made by the VA. the Contractor shall notify the VA personnel (preferably verbal communication at the time of finalizing) when one of the VA cases signed out by the Contractor will need to go out for consult. All blocks and slides for the consult case are required to be sent back to the ordering facility for purposes to send to outside consulting facility.

6. Question: Does the PWS reference the correct VA standards; ie: The Joint Commission (TJC)

3.0. Accreditation

All services performed by the Contractor shall meet or exceed VA standards and at a minimum, The Joint Commission (TJC) the College of American Pathologists (CAP) standards should be met. The contractor is required to validate their competencies (to perform their duties) through the physician credentialing and re-credentialing process or Veto.

the flowing documents for each Contractor employee working on the contract:

(1) Credentials and qualifications for the job.

7. Question: Can we reconsider Work Hours within the PWS?

1. WORK HOURS

A. The services covered by this contract shall be furnished by the contractor as defined herein.

B. The following terms have the following meanings:

(1) Work hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

8. Question: Please clarify Record Keeping within the PWS:

Answer: The PWS is hereby clarified as such:

5. RECORD KEEPING

The Contractor shall establish and maintain a record keeping system that will record the hours worked by the contractor employee(s). Recorded hours (it is our intent to imply 8 hours to equal 1 day) worked shall be sent electronically to the Laboratory Manager/COR, monthly, at time of invoicing. At this time, invoices shall be sent to:

Brenda Brock, Brenda.brock@va.gov

9. Question: Please clarify “COR Responsibilities” in regards to invoicing, etc.

COR Responsibilities:

The COR shall be the VA official responsible for verifying task order compliance. After task order award, any incidents of Contractor or Contractor noncompliance as evidenced by the monitoring procedures shall be forwarded immediately to the Contracting Officer.

The COR will be responsible for monitoring the Contractors performance to ensure all specifications and requirements are fulfilled.

The COR will maintain a record-keeping system of services by Excel Spreadsheet and OLCS. The COR will review this data monthly when invoices are received and certify all invoices for payment by comparing the hours itemized statement of services performed by patient name or by case number with the documented on the VA record-keeping system and those on the itemized invoices. Any evidence of the Contractor's or Contractor’s staff non-compliance as evidenced by the monitoring procedures shall be forwarded immediately to the Contracting Officer.

The COR will review and certify monthly invoices for payment. If in the event the Contractor fails to provide the services in this task order, payments will be adjusted to compensate the Government for the difference.

All contract administration functions will be retained by the VA.

10. Question: Termination for Cause – Would it be possible to have 30 days to remedy any non-serious deficit? Can you insert “ 30 days to remedy any non-serious deficit?”

Answer: Standard FAR Clause must remain unchanged, as any future contract derived from the subject solicitation is governed by FAR Part 49 – Termination of Contracts. Offerors are advised to be familiar with all information within this Government regulation. Terminations may be executed in different categories, and minor deficits are “normally” and “optimally” resolved before termination procedures are taken.

11. Question: Please clarify requirement to provide “Contractor’s Past Performance.”

(2) For each project/program, the Contractor shall provide a description of the services provided and the relevance of the services to the PWS. Each reference should be able to assess the Contractor’s performance and provide information to VA regarding customer satisfaction. The reference information must include: Project/Contract Title; Company/Agency Name of Reference; Point of Contact; Email Address; Telephone Number; Fax Number; Award Amount; Award Date; and Completion Date. (Label as Factor# 2/ Tab# 3)

Offerors are encouraged to submit “Past Performance” in accordance with the specified solicitation inasmuch as closely related. Perceived incongruency to the past performance requirements listed within the subject solicitation should not deter vendors from providing offers.

12. Question: Please clarify the following within the PWS – (1) (a) The Contractor shall perform these services for “260” business days a year.”

1. Services

a. The Contractor shall provide all necessary labor, consultation, assistance, and expertise to provide pathology coverage services to include:

(1) Surgical (including gross only), non-GYN cytology, peripheral smear, and bone marrow cases.

(a) The Contractor shall perform these services for 260 business days a year all cases received on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the second and forth Fridays of each month.

13. Question: Please clarify outside consults.

Answer: The PWS is hereby clarified as such:

(g) When outside consults are needed on VA cases, the VA will send the case to another VA or to a fee basis consultant at the VA’s expense for the first 100 cases/year. The cost of any cases over 100 will be equally shared by the Contractor and the VA with the Contractor’s share being deducted from the monthly payments made by the VA. the Contractor shall notify the VA personnel (preferably verbal communication at the time of finalizing) when one of the VA cases signed out by the Contractor will need to go out for consult. All blocks and slides for the consult case are required to be sent back to the ordering facility for purposes to send to outside consulting facility.

14. Question: 3.O Accreditation, a. (2) and (3) Please delete in their entirety. NOTE: Competency checklists and annual performance evaluations are not maintained for physicians. Their competency to perform their duties is validated through the physician credentialing and re-credentialing process.

Answer: Verbal concurrence is granted to remove - 3.O Accreditation, a. (2) and (3). Yet to insert “validation of competency will be provided through the physician credentialing and re-credentialing process.

NOTE: All information to include terms and conditions within the subject solicitation are unchanged.

End of Document