36C25719Q0831-001.docx

VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Healthcare System Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service

STATEMENT OF WORK

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Title of Project: Laboratory Courier Service

2. Scope of Work: The contractor shall provide regularly scheduled pick-ups of laboratory specimens and supplies from various locations noted below and deliver to the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service locations throughout VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System. The contractor shall furnish all labor, tools, material, equipment, and supervision necessary to provide saem day pick-up and delivery of routine and emergency reagents and lab products and specimens for the following locations:

3. Background: The VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Healthcare System Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service has a requirement to provide testing services to the medical staff and veteran patients. The purpose of the resulting contract will be to provide courier services for the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Healthcare System.

4. Performance Period: Base + 4 Option Years

i. Base Year: 10/1/2019 to 09/30/2020

ii. Option Year 1: 10/1/2020 to 09/30/2021

iii. Option Year 2: 10/01/2021 to 09/30/2022

iv. Option Year 3: 10/01/2022 to 09/30/2023

v. Option Year 4: 10/01/2023 to 09/30/2024

5. Type of Contract: Firm Fixed Price

B. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING

1. The contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in this SOW until the contracting officer has conducted a kick-off meeting or has advised the contractor that a kick-off meeting is waived.

C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. For every task, the contractor shall identify in writing all necessary subtasks (if any), associated costs by task, along with associated sub-milestone dates. The contractor’s subtask structure shall be reflected in the technical proposal and detailed work plan.

2. All written deliverables shall be phrased in layperson language. Statistical and other technical terminology shall not be used without providing a glossary of terms.

3. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) is identified as the Administrative Officer for the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service. All work coordination shall be made through the COR. The contractor shall be provided a copy of the letter of delegation authorizing the COR at the commencement of the term of this agreement. No other person shall be authorized to act in such capacity unless appointed in writing by the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to approve changes or modify any of the requirements under this contract. The contractor shall communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters pertaining to contract administration. Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to make commitments or issue changes which will affect price, quantity, or quality of performance of this contract. In the event the contractor effects any such changes at the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer, the change shall be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment will be made in the contract price to cover any increase in costs incurred as a result thereof.

4. The contractor shall not perform any inherently governmental functions. This includes, but is not limited to, determination of agency policy, determination of Federal program priorities for budget requests, direction and control of government employees, selection or non-selection of individuals for Federal Government employment including the interviewing of individuals for employment, approval of position descriptions, and performance standards for Federal employees, approving any contractual documents, approval of Federal licensing actions and inspections, and/or determination of budget policy, guidance, and strategy.

5. Services provided under the terms of this contract are required to follow the College of American Pathologists accreditation policies and all applicable Federal, State, and Government laws.

6. The Contracting Officer Representative will track and record difficulties such as poor turnaround time. Any noted difficulties or deficiencies will be reported to the contracting officer for appropriate action and remedy.

i. Texas Valley Coastal Bend Healthcare Center Julio Benavides Administrative Officer for PALMS 2601 Veterans Drive Harlingen, TX 78550 Phone (956) 291-9241

7. Items to be transported will consist primarily of small/medium prepackaged containers and/or coolers containing laboratory specimens from each location. Shipments may also include, but is not limited to:

i. Envelopes

ii. Small boxes of mail and/or supplies

iii. Medical Records

iv. X-Ray films

v. Supplies All shipments will be clearly labeled. The VAMC locations will be responsible for proper packaging and labeling.

8. The contractor assumes all liability risks for work performed under this contract. The contractor must assume total liability for all contract employees. All couriers transporting specimens under this contract shall possess a valid driver’s license, vehicle insurance and registration, and have two-way radios, cellphones, or pagers for communication purposes. The contractor shall provide proof that all drivers have had training in the transportation of hazardous materials.

9. The contractor shall provide all vehicles and couriers needed to perform this effort. Each vehicle shall be adequately stocked with at least one up-to-date complete “Spill Kit” for biohazard cleanup in case of leakage or accidental discharge.

10. The cargo may contain biohazard material and dangerous goods. The contractor shall certify that all individuals involved in shipping clinical specimens have been trained and tested as specified in the training requirements of 49 CFR Part 172, Subpart H.

11. The contractor shall maintain proper temperature in vehicles to preserve medical supplies, specimens, and films. The contractor shall provide insulated transport containers for the pick-up and delivery of specimens. Vehicles shall not be left in extreme heat or cold while specimens and/or films are being transported.

12. Pick-up/delivery Schedule

i. Pick-up and deliveries shall be made daily from each location Monday thru Friday except on Federal Holidays (as observed). Pickup times shall be established by Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service in accordance with clinic personnel.

1. Federal Holidays

a. New Year’s Day

b. President’s Day

c. Martin Luther King’s Birthday

d. Memorial Day

e. Independence Day

f. Labor Day

g. Columbus Day

h. Veterans Day

i. Thanksgiving

j. Christmas Day

k. Any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a Federal Holiday.

ii. Pick-ups will be made at Laredo (LOPC), McAllen (MOPC), and Corpus Christi (CCSC) and will be delivered to Harlingen (HCC) to the main laboratory on the 3rd floor.

iii. The contractor shall pick up all empty containers/coolers and other items from the delivery site and return them to the specified clinic locations at the next pick-up date/time.

13. The contractor shall ensure that qualified personnel are available to provide coverage during scheduled and unscheduled absences of primary contract providers or when they will be unable to provide services for one or more consecutive days.

D. SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES

1. The contractor must perform the required work in accordance with Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and Veterans Health Administration Standards. The JCAHO website is: http://www.jointcommission.ord/. The Contractor must comply with all annual updates as issued. Contractor agrees to maintain the minimum acceptable service as specified herein. Failure to comply with the specified terms and conditions and/or adverse reports from external monitoring agencies that indicate poor quality of care may be grounds for termination of the contract. Contract shall provide immediate notification, within 24 hours, to the responsible VA Official of any adverse action by a regulatory agency.

2. The contractor will furnish a statement in writing to the Contracting Officer at close out of the contract to include summary of the contractor actions and statement that all requirements of the contract were fulfilled as agreed. A summary evaluation of contract performance based upon the compliance or noncompliance of contract to include a summary of contractor actions and statement that all requirements of the contract were fulfilled as agreed.

E. EVALUATED OPTIONAL TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES

F. SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES

1. Items are picked up directly from the laboratory and are delivered directly to the laboratory.

G. CHANGES TO STATEMENT OF WORK

1. Any changes to this Statement of Work shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the Contracting Officer. A copy of each change will be kept in a project folder along with all other products of the project. Costs incurred by the contractor through the actions of parties other than the Contracting Officer shall be borne by the contractor.

H. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

I. TRAVEL

J. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

K. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

L. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE

1. It is agreed that: The preliminary and final deliverables, and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by the VA which has been generated by the contractor in the performance of this task order are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government and shall be submitted to the CO at the conclusion of the task order. Press releases, marketing material or any other printed of electronic documentation related to this project shall not be publicized without the written approval of the Contracting Officer.

M. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

1. All contractor 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. In addition, other Contractor personnel may require background investigations- depending upon a risk assessment to be accomplished by the VA Using Service in coordination with the VA’s Information Security Officer. This requirement is applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. The contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all necessary documentation is submitted for his/her employees and the employees of his/her employees and the employees of his/her subcontractors. Contractor employees will not require access to the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System computer systems or patient information to carry out the tasks outlined in the Statement of Work.

2. Privacy Officer – The contractor will not have access to Patient Health Information (PHI) nor will they have the capability of accessing patient information during the services provided to the VA.

3. Information Systems Officer, Information Protection: The contractor will not have access to VA desktop computers nor will they have access to online resources belonging to the government while conducting services.

4. Position Sensitivity – The position sensitivity has been designated as Low Risk.

i. Background Investigation – The level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access is National Agency Check with Written Inquiries.

ii. Contractor Responsibilities

1. The contractor shall bear expenses of obtaining background investigations.

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 shall submit or ensure that their employees submit the required information to the Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The contractor shall submit the required forms to the VA Security and Investigations Center within 5 days of receipt of the e-mail they receive with instructions to do so. The contractor shall not allow contractor personnel who require a background investigation to start performing until the contractor has received written confirmation from the Contracting Officer that the SIC has initiated a background investigation.

4. The contractor, when notified of an unfavorable determination by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration from working under the contract.

5. The contractor shall ensure that all personnel requiring computer access will complete the VA’s Cyber Security Training and Privacy Training prior to obtaining computer access and annually thereafter.

6. Failure to comply with the contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the contract for default.

iii. Personal Identify Verification of Contractor Personnel

1. If required, Contracting Officer Representatives will be responsible for coordination with the VA Police Department to obtain identification badges for contract personnel working under contract for which he/she has responsibility. Contractors will wear/display issued identification badges in a visible manner while on VATVCBHCS property. These procedures implement Homeland Security Presidential Directive – 12 (HSPD-12), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance M-05-24, and Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) Number 201, for contracts requiring contractor to have physical access to a federally-controlled facility or access to a Federal Information System.

iv. Contractor Automation Security Requirements

1. Unless written authorization is issued by the Contracting Officer, contractor employees will not use any form of removable storage media when providing services under the terms of this contract. Removable storage media includes, but is not limited to, USB thumb Drives, MP3 Players, and external hard drives. Should the contractor determine that the use of removable storage devices is required they must submit a written request with full justification to the Contracting Officer. For contractor employees who have access to and store VA information, the Contracting Officer must receive written permission from a VA supervisor and VA Information Security Officer (ISO) before authorizing Contractor employees to use such devices, and if used to store sensitive information and Technology (OI&T) official. Unless and until this written authorization is received, Contractor personnel are not authorized to use any form of removable storage media when providing services under the terms of this contract.

v. Security Controls Compliance Testing

1. On a periodic basis, the VA, including the Office of Inspector General, reserves the right to evaluate any of all the security controls and privacy practices implemented by the contractor under the clauses contained within the contract. With 10 working-days’ notice, at the of the government, the contractor must fully cooperate and assist in a government-sponsored security controls assessment at each location wherein VA information is processed or stored, or information systems are developed, operated, maintained, or used on behalf of VA, including those initiated by the Office of Inspector General. The government may conduct a security control assessment on shorter notice (to include unannounced assessments) as determined by VA in the event of a security incident or at any other time.