36C25725Q0154.docx

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS

Department of Veterans Affairs Central Texas Veterans HCS 1901 Veterans Memorial Dr. Building #171 Temple TX 76504

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer Mr. Shawn R. Reinhart shawn.reinhart@va.gov 254-421-6661

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Texas Valley Coastal Ben Veterans Healthcare Syste

2601 Veterans Dr.

Harlingen Texas

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

1. This market research notice is being conducted by Network Contracting Office (NCO) 17 VHA Regional Procurement Office-West (RPO-W), 1901 Veterans Memorial Dr. Building #171, Temple, TX 76504.

2. The requirement is for Medical Waste Removal, Sharps Container Treatment/Recycling, and Final Disposal for Valley Coastal Bend.

3. If this is a Service your business can provide, please respond to this Sources Sought Notice by 9:00 AM Central Time on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.

4. The intent of this notice is to establish sources to define the procurement strategy (e.g., set-aside, sole source, unrestricted) for a solicitation that VA intends to post soon. Interested Contractors are requested to respond in accordance with the following:

a. If you have an existing GSA or VA, Federal Supply Schedule contract, include the contract details in your response.

b. Please note that VA is particularly interested in determining the availability of Small Business that can provide this service.

c. Vendors are requested to submit estimated market research pricing with their responses. The estimated pricing will be considered when determining the procurement strategy for the future solicitation. (e.g., if the CO determines that capable small businesses cannot provide fair and reasonable pricing, then the solicitation will not be set-aside).

5. Responses shall include only the following information:

a) Business Name

b) Business Address

c) Point of Contact

· Name

· Phone Number

· E-mail Address

d) SAM UID Number

e) Currently registered in SAM (Yes or No). If Yes, provide expiration date.

f) NAICS code

g) Business Size: Small or Large

h) Type of Business: Service-Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned (VOSB), 8(a), HUBZone, Woman-Owned (WOSB), etc.

i) GSA or VA FSS Contract Number, if applicable

All businesses eligible to provide this service are encouraged to reply as this information may be used to determine potential set-asides for the above-noted requirement.

6. Send responses to the Contracting Officer: Mr. Shawn R. Reinhart at shawn.reinhart@va.gov.

Responses shall be labeled RFQ Sources Sought 36C25725Q0154 (Your company Name).

The email subject line shall state: 36C25725Q0154, Sources Sought Notice.

DISCLAIMER: This notice is issued solely for informational and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Department of Veterans Affairs to form a binding contract. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this notice.

Medical Waste Removal, Sharps Container Treatment/Recycling, and Final Disposal for VATVCBHCS (VCB)

1. Introduction. This basic contract Performance Work Statement (PWS) defines the scope of a full range of collection, disposal, and recycling of regulated medical sharps, bio waste, disposal of Lab Solvents with water and stain, flammable, corrosive and biofluid soiled bed/stretcher mattresses. (The removal of a Bio-Soiled Bed/Stretcher Mattress will be as need and will be considered a “Job”. The VCB will only be charged when a Mattress/Stretcher Removal “Job” is performed.) The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, vehicles, supervision, and other items and services necessary to perform Regulated Medical Waste Removal, Sharps Container Treatment/Recycling, and Final Disposal for the Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VCBHCS) facilities. This requirement is based on the needs of the government and can be modified during the performance period (Base Year + Four Option Years) to comply with the current conditions of the healthcare system and its associated facilities outlined within this PWS.

1.1 Performance Period. The performance period of the contract shall be for a one-year base and four (4) one-year options. Starting on 04/01/2025 thru 03/31/26, plus 4 option years.

1.2 Schedule of Services. Schedule of services shall be based on Schedule B line-items.

1.3 Valley Coastal Bend Veterans Health Care System facilities. Different waste streams, volumes and operation characteristics may exist in facilities identified in Table 1.

Table 1 Harlingen Health Care Clinic, 2601 Veterans Drive, Harlingen, TX 78550 (HCC)

Harlingen Outpatient Care Clinic, 2106 Treasure Hills Blvd., Harlingen, TX 78550 (HOPC)

McAllen Outpatient Clinic, 901 E. Hackberry Ave., McAllen TX 78503 (MOPC)

Corpus Christi Outpatient Clinic 5283 Old Brownsville Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78405 (CCOPC)

Corpus Christi Specialty Clinic 205 S. Enterprize Parkway, Corpus Christi, TX 78405 (CCSC)

Corpus Christi West Point Clinic 925 South Padre Island Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78405 (CCWP)

Laredo Outpatient Clinic 4602 N. Bartlett Ave, Laredo TX 78401 (LOPC)

Brownsville Outpatient Clinic 5700 N Expressway Suite 101, Brownsville TX 78526 (BOPC)

1.4 Historical Data. The following historical data (Table 2) is provided as estimates in pounds and does not reflect full expectations of annual weights.

Table 2

2. Scope of work. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring their proposed service solution shall effectively achieve performance requirements. System and/or equipment procedures designed by the Contractor shall ensure separation and preparation of waste streams for removal through final disposal.

The Contractor shall provide a contingency plan for the disposal of medical waste. The Contractor shall provide recommendations and solutions to ensure the facilities develop onsite treatment of medical waste disposal, sharps disposal, used needle disposal, bio-hazard disposal, regulated waste disposal, bio-hazard cleanup infectious waste disposal for catastrophic disaster (Pandemic influenza plan, fire, flood, or terrorism).

2.1 Container Phase-in and Phase-Out. In the event a new service provider is awarded, the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Contracting Officer (CO), incumbent Contractor and new Contractor shall coordinate the phase-out and phase-in of Sharps and medical waste containers. The phase-out and phase-in period shall be accomplished within 30-days of the start of the period of performance, unless otherwise authorized by the CO. Installation of any additional containers needed shall proceed in accordance with an accepted phase-out and phase-in schedule. The new Contractor shall submit the schedule for acceptance to the COR (Please be advised that Patient Care cannot be interrupted so installation may have to happen after hours and or on the weekends). The COR will ensure to provide to old contractor for any inputs, concerns, or unavailable dates. The CO will intervene as necessary to ensure a smooth transition. No area, room or location shall be without a container by close of duty day. The Contractor shall remove and dispose of all packing material, pallets, trash, and debris, and shall be disposed of off VA property.

2.2 Container description and services. The Contractor shall provide all wall mounted sharps cabinets for installation, and all sharps’ containers listed in this contract as well as approved bio-waste/sharps cardboard boxes, orange bio-hazard sticker/labels as needed in all sizes, red bio bags, and shipping labels for the bio-waste, and oversized bio bags for the disposal of biofluid soiled bed/stretcher mattresses. The Contractor shall only supply Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sharps containers. All wall mounted sharps cabinets shall be mounted to ADA Standards, which requires the top/opening of the Sharps container to be between 52” and 56” from the floor.

2.3 The Contractor shall supply flame retardant reusable sharps containers to meet National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) regulations for patient room installation. The Contractor shall supply sharps containers which have vertical/direct drop openings, are rigid, heavy duty, puncture resistant, leak proof on sides, bottom and able to be closed for transport. Containers shall be secured throughout the entire process.

2.4 The Contractor shall provide outer cabinets, counter mounts/bases and floor mounts/bases and containers that comply with federal, state, and local regulations regarding labeling. All cabinets and containers shall be clearly labeled with the biohazard symbol and the word BIOHAZARD, during Phase In / Phase Out the quantities of needed cabinets, counter mounts/bases and floor mounts/bases can be identified at the different clinics.

2.5 The Contractor shall supply sharps containers with a viewing top so that clinicians can see the level of sharps in the container while remaining aesthetically pleasing to patients and visitors.

2.6 The Contractor shall provide and install uniform outer cabinets for all wall mounted container sizes. Outer cabinets shall enclose the sides and bottom portions of all containers to ensure safety and aesthetics. The Contractor shall provide outer cabinets that incorporate a key locking system to ensure that no wall mounted container is removed by unauthorized personnel.

2.7 An initial collection schedule shall be executed every week during the first 30-days of the contract period at all locations identified herein. The Contractor and COR will meet and after initial 30-day period and coordinate a pickup/drop-off schedule for each clinic. Pickup/Dropoff Services shall be conducted Monday-Friday, except Federal holidays, from 0900-1500 if pickup/drop off fall on a holiday, services shall be provided the day before or after the holiday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the holiday is observed on the Friday before. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the holidays is observed on the Monday after. Federal holidays observed by the Federal Government.

In addition to the days designated as holidays, the Government observes the following days:

· Any other day designated by Federal Statute

· Any other day designated by Executive Order

· Any other day designated by the President’s Proclamation

The observance of such days by Contractor personnel shall not otherwise be a reason for an additional period of performance, or entitlement of compensation. In the event the Contractor’s personnel work during the holiday, they may be reimbursed by the Contractor, however, no form of holiday or other premium compensation will be reimbursed either as a direct or indirect cost, other than their normal compensation for the time worked.

2.8 The Contractor shall provide sharps containers listed herein, equipment, and proper vehicles, as legally required, for the transportation of sharps waste to disposal site(s). Contractor vehicles shall be operated only by licensed operators and only on paved roadways, unless otherwise authorized by the VA Contracting Officer Representative’s (COR’s).

2.9 The Contractor shall provide medical waste containers/tubs to include the red liner biohazard bags, appropriate packaging labels, orange bio-hazard sticker/labels as needed in all sizes, approved bio-waste/sharps cardboard boxes and bags for biofluid soiled bed/stretcher mattresses. The Contractor shall provide reusable containers for the packaging of medical waste transportation. Transport carts to service all VA facilities shall be provided by the Contractor, all carts shall be disinfected after each use.

3. Collection and disposal documentation. The Contractor shall sign, date, and furnish a paper copy and send a copy via email of the manifest to the COR or COR Representative, prior to any medical regulated waste leaving the pickup sites. The manifest shall be broken down reflecting quantity / volume of sharps and medical waste being disposed and show amount autoclaved and incinerated. The Contractor shall ensure manifest certification matches the removed material, transport waste to an authorized facility, and sign the manifest to verify that medical waste has been delivered. The Contractor shall also maintain a copy of the manifest for their records, return all remaining copies of the manifest to the generator, assuring final disposal.

3.1 The Contractor shall coordinate marking, packaging, and providing proof of disposition for medical waste, and pathological waste, in strict accordance with all local, state, and federal laws.

3.2 The Contractor shall provide necessary documentation to ensure compliance with Joint Commission / OIG requirements related to items under this contract.

3.3 The Contractor shall ensure storage, pick up, transportation and disposals are performed in accordance with all local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and codes.

3.4 The Contractor shall provide VA COR’s with documented proof that transportation and disposal of such waste is in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Proof of all legally required permits, licenses, insurance, manifests, or any other documentation so required by law, shall be provided, and furnished to the VA CORs.

3.5 The Contractor shall notify the VA CORs of any change or alteration to Contractor’s permits and licenses for facilities, (including but not limited to disposal sites), or for any change in status which may affect Contractor’s performance and in performance of obligations under this contract.

3.6 The Contractor’s services shall be in accordance with all Department of Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and applicable Federal, State, and local governmental regulations and codes that are applicable, but different in scope, are to be complied with and shall be strictly adhered to.

3.6.1 The transporter shall provide container water-resistant labeling of regulated waste with the following information: Name of Transporter or immediate handler and State permit or identification number of the transporter.

3.6.2 No intermediate handlers or subcontracting of collection and/or transportation is allowed without obtaining prior approval from the VA CORs.

3.6.3 The Contractor shall supply documentation assuring all employees are trained according to applicable Federal, State, and local regulations and supply training updates to VA COR within 10 days of contract award.

3.6.4 The Contractor shall have enough backup equipment and manpower and a contingency plan for the disposal of all types of medical waste.

3.6.5 The Contractor shall provide recommendations and solutions to ensure the facilities develop onsite treatment of medical waste disposal, sharps disposal, used needle disposal, bio-hazard disposal, regulated waste, flammable and corrosive waste disposal, biofluid soiled bed/stretcher mattresses and bio-hazard cleanup infectious waste disposal for catastrophic disaster (Pandemic, fire, flood, natural disaster, or terrorism).

3.6.6 The Contractor shall have and submit with proposal, a listing of disposal site(s), backup disposal site(s), along with copy of permits. The Contractor shall submit backup disposal site(s) permits annually thereafter.

3.6.7 The Contractor shall provide all locations with the approximate quantity of sharps containers (monthly) and approximate sizes per Table 3. (The wall mounted cabinets are a one-time installation in the Phase-in & Phase-out period, but the Government will require some on reserve incase the clinics require more in the future.) Each sharp’s container shall be accompanied with the appropriate locking lid/cap.

Table 3

Needed

Needed

Needed

Needed

Needed

Needed

Needed

Needed

3.7 The Contractor shall provide a transition plan for coverage of all locations that use bio-waste containers and the process to expand total containers due to increased workload or establishment of new clinical space.

3.8 The Contractor’s sharps containers, collection, processing of containers and disposal of waste shall comply with all applicable Federal, State, and local regulations including but not limited to the following standards:

· Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), including but not limited to Blood Borne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR 1910 and 1030, and the Needle Stick Safety and Prevention Act HR 5178 as it specifically relates to reusable sharps containers.

· Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) including, but not limited to Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) and Quality Systems Regulation (QSR) regarding reprocessing, validation reporting and annual registering for all equipment used to release medical equipment into commerce.

4. Federal, State, and Local Regulations Applicable to this Requirement.

· The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and guidelines

· The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 USC, §§4321 - 4370e (1969, as amended).

· The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), 42 USC, §§6901 – 6991i (1976 as amended)

· The Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act (TSWDA)-, THSC, Chapter 361.

· Clean Water Act, Federal Water Pollution Control Act (CWA), 33 USC, §§1251 - 1387 (1977, as amended).

· The Texas Administrative Procedure Act (APA)-, Texas Government Code, Chapter 2001.

5. Equipment Maintenance. The Contractor shall maintain all contract provided containers and cabinets ensuring they are free of unpleasant odors, dirt, debris, and pests. All containers and cabinets shall remain in good, workable condition.

6. Quality Control. The Contractor shall develop and maintain a quality control program to ensure contracted services are performed in accordance with commonly accepted commercial practices. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective service.

7. Quality Assurance: The Government will periodically evaluate the Contractor’s performance by appointing a COR to monitor and ensure performance of services are received. The COR will evaluate the Contractor’s performance through intermittent on-site inspections of the Contractor’s quality control program and validation of customer complaints. The government may inspect each task as completed or increase the number of quality control inspections if deemed appropriate because of repeated failures discovered during quality control inspections or because of repeated customer complaints. The Contractor shall provide a Quality Assurance Plan for review and ensure control measures are meet and evaluated for completeness. The Quality Assurance plan shall systematically monitor and evaluate various aspects of the service ensuring standards of quality are being met.

7.1 The VA reserves the right to inspect Contractor’s facility site(s), equipment, and disposal facilities at any time. All permits, including disposal permits, licenses, and insurance of the disposal site(s) shall be included in the proposal submitted. The Contractor shall submit annually, updated documents as they are renewed.

8. Personnel Requirements. The Contractor shall designate and provide name(s) and phone numbers of contact person(s), and a backup, as representatives of the Contractor, within 10 days of award. The Contractor shall provide qualified employees who shall conduct and/or supervise the removal and pickup of all regulated sharps waste from all VA locations.

9. Contract Award Meeting. The Contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in this PWS until the CO has conducted a kickoff meeting or has advised the Contractor that a kickoff meeting is waived.

10. Schedule For Deliverables: If for any reason any deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled time frame, the Contractor shall explain why in writing to the CO, including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice to the CO shall cite the reasons for the delay, and the impact on the overall project. The CO will then review the facts and issue a response, in accordance with applicable regulations.

11. Changes To Statement Of Work: Any changes to this PWS shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the CO. A copy of each change shall 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 CO shall be borne by the Contractor.

12. Reporting Requirements.

12.1 The Contractor shall provide the COR with monthly written progress reports (original plus 2 copies). These are due to the COR by the fifth workday following the end of each calendar month, throughout the project's duration.

12.2 The progress report shall cover all work completed during the preceding month and shall present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent month.

12.2.1 The report shall identify any problems that arose, along with a statement explaining how the problem was resolved.

12.2.2 The report shall identify any problems that have arisen but have not been completely resolved, with an explanation.

13. Contractor Experience Requirements. The Contractor shall identify by name, the key management and technical personnel who shall work under this task order at the time the work is being negotiated. Substitutions of key personnel shall be made only after approval by the Contracting Officer and the COR.

14. Confidentiality And Nondisclosure. The CO will be the sole authorized official to release, verbally or in writing, any data, draft deliverables, final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this task order. No information shall be released by the Contractor. Any request for information relating to this task order, presented to the Contractor, shall be submitted to the CO for response.

15. Compliance with Hospital Policies and Procedures. The Contractor shall adhere to all hospital policies and procedures.

16. Contracting Officers Representative.

Leroy Diaz Chief, Environmental Management Services Gov Cell: 956-410-8006 Office: 956-291-9641 Leroy.Diaz@va.gov

(END OF PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT)

Sources Sought Notice