Questions and Answers - Medical Support Services for the CDP_Final.pdf

Medical Support Services for the Center for Domestic Preparedness

Solicitation Number: 70FA2021R00000001

1) Question: Attachments 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are referenced in the PWS. Could Government provide Attachments 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26.

Answer: See Section J Attachments

2) Question: On page 71 of the RFP, it states that “the Government considers 22 full time equivalents (FTEs) may be required to complete the requirements.” Is 22 FTE the current level of effort under the incumbent contract? If so, can the Government provide the break out of how many/which types of positions comprise the current 22 FTE?

Answer: The 22 FTEs is based on the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE). It is the role of the offeror to come up with their own solution (technical approach/staffing plan) to meeting the requirements of the PWS.

3) Question: Can the Government provide a list positions/labor categories currently performing under this contract?

Answer: A partial list of possible labor categories is included in Section I.3, FAR Clause

52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires, however the offeror should provide their solution to the PWS

4) Question: Are all required positions under the current contract presently filled?

Answer: The incumbent contractor has maintained adequate manning to provide required support to the CDP.

5) Question: Can the Government provide job descriptions and qualification for each labor category requested?

Answer: The PWS provides any necessary information relative to qualifications of personnel. The offeror should be able, based on the PWS Management Responsibilities and Performance Requirements, be able to determine the skillsets required for each position based on their proposed approach and staffing plan.

6) Question: Regarding background investigations, can the Government provide the positions that will require:

o Low Risk without Information System Access o Low Risk with Information System Access, o Moderate Risk o High Risk

• Answer: Based on coordination with the CDP Security Manager all contract employees will be investigated as Low Risk with Information System Access.

7) Question: As this effort is mostly for medical staffing, would the government change the

NAICS for this requirement from 562211 to NAICS 621111 or 621340?

Answer: Section K.2 of the solicitation has been corrected to NAICS code 621999. This is consistent with Section L.3, Proposal Preparation Instructions, which identifies the

NAICS code as 621999.

8) Question: Is it the Government’s expectation that the same contracts provided in Section 5

(Experience) of the Technical Volume also be used for Section 6 (Past Performance)?

Answer: It is up to the offeror to decide if they want to use the same contracts for Section

5 (Experience) and Section 6 (Past Performance). Please note that experience is examples of what the offeror previously accomplished and past performance is how well the offeror performed under a contract.

9) Question: It is our understanding that the “Key Personnel” is the Program Manager, plus any other positions that offerors designate as Key Personnel. Is this assumption correct? If not, can the Government identify which individuals are considered Key Personnel?

Answer: This is correct.

10) Question: PWS 1.3.1 We recommend the inclusion of supplemental Key Personnel requirements: Project Manager, Alternate Project Manager, Lab Supervisor, and Paramedics.

Because of the nature of this work, we feel that these positions are further designated as Key

Personnel by the Government as set forth in the contract clause HSAR 3052.215-70, Key

Personnel or Facilities.

Answer: The offeror can propose any of their positions as key personnel. The government requirement is for technical positions such as lab technicians, EMS, Paramedics, Nurses, etc. be certified and or licensed to perform their task.

11) Question: PWS. 4.1.1.1 The PWS states that “The contractor shall ensure that all equipment used under the scope of this contract is properly inspected, tested and calibrated as required by regulatory guidelines. The contractor shall maintain a tracking system for all equipment that requires routine maintenance, inspection, testing, and/or calibration. The contractor shall facilitate access to the tracking system records for inspection purposes by Government employees designated by the COR and/or inspections by outside regulatory agencies.” Will the government please clarify if this cost will be charged to the ODC CLIN?

Answer: It is the contractors responsibility to maintain GFE. Costs associated with maintaining GFE is reimbursable via ODC CLIN.

12) Question: PWS 5.1 The PWS states “The contractor shall furnish all consumable supplies except for those specifically identified in the contract as Government furnished.” Can the government please provide a list of these supplies upon contract award?

Answer: General supplies for operating a clinical blood lab, medical screening, and emergency medical response associated with the contract are reimbursable via ODC

CLIN. The Government can provide a list of these consumables upon award.

13) Question: PWS 6.1 The PWS states that “The contractor shall provide a system to ensure quality control for all work performed. The system shall be in compliance with the ISO-9000 quality management system requirements.” To ensure that a quality control system is in compliance with ISO-9000 requirements, will the government consider adding a requirement for including ISO certification documentation from the prime contractor within the proposal submission?

Answer: There is no expectation the contractor will achieve ISO 9001-2015 certification.

The ISO standards, as industry best practices, are used to guide the CDP’s quality management system.

14) Question: PWS 7.3.3 The PWS states that “The contractor shall have a licensed physician, physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner working under a licensed physician along with three paramedics, onsite during agent operations. Will the government consider changing this to the Alabama Dept of Public Health EMS division which is the governing body of Alabama

EMS providers?

Answer: PWS 7.3.2 is changed to read: The contractor shall perform EMS per the

Alabama Dept of Public Health EMS Division.

15) Question: RFP Section L Will the government consider adding the requirement of a

$2 million dollar line of credit minimum to ensure financial maturity of the contractor to support the complex ODCs on the MSS contract?

Answer: DHS/FEMA does not have a pre-determined line-of-credit amount, however, the Government does consider the offeror’s financial resources as part of the

Responsibility determination (see Section L, Business Proposal Instructions, Evidence of

Responsibility).

16) Question: PWS 1.1 The PWS makes several references to “Section J” in addition to the four files listed in the Solicitation folder and provided with the solicitation. Will the Government provide the remaining Section J elements referenced in the PWS?

17) Question: PWS 1.1 The solicitation reads, “Medical services include Occupational Health and all ancillary services; Can the agency share with us what specific “ancillary services” are required as this this will impact staffing, training and pricing?

Answer: PWS 1.1 will change to read “Medical services include Occupational Health

Services;”. PWS 1.8.1 will change to read “shall cover support services in Occupational

Health;”.

18) Question: PWS 1.8.1 The solicitation references “Ambulatory Transport.” Typically, this is non-emergency transportation. Is it the government intent that paramedics are tasked with this new requirement?

Answer: PWS 1.8.1 will change to read “Emergency Response Services during the reporting period;”.

19) Question: PWS 2.0 The solicitation states that NFPA 1582 & 1584 are applicable. These sections include specific directions for medical support, such as “paramedics at rehab.”

Based on the breadth of this inclusion, are we responsible for assessing our programs for conformance to every aspect of the standard, even though not addressed in the PWS?

Answer: Employers are required to assess national standards such as NFPA, OSHA, etc., when performing support services to ensure compliance of the task being performed. Not all standards apply.

20) Question: PWS 4.2.4 The solicitation reads, “The Government will not be responsible for damage or loss to the contractor's stored supplies or materials.” Does this include lab supplies, lab equipment reagents, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, or to only non-medical supplies and materials?

Answer: The sentence will be removed. Liability for damages will be assessed based on an investigation into lost, stolen, or damaged property and material stored on site.

21) Question: PWS 4.3 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall provide any additional or state of the art equipment needed to perform the requirements of this contract.” Will the government reimburse the contractor for the full purchase/lease cost and maintenance cost?

Answer: Any innovative ideas or improvements proposed by the contractor will be evaluated by the Government prior to implementation. Reimbursement of cost and maintenance will be determined during the evaluation, with the Government’s final decision on whether it will be an allowable cost under ODC CLIN.

What “State of the art” medical equipment does the Government foresee being utilized on this contract?

Answer: The intent is to prompt critical thinking and invest intellect into advancing the medical support services provided at the CDP. Contractor knowledge and contacts are a way to achieve improvements.

Is there a maximum dollar value the government expects the contractor to be prepared to incur should the government request the contractor provide this equipment?

Answer: See above

22) Question: PWS 5.1 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall furnish all consumable supplies except for those specifically identified in the contract as Government furnished.”

Does the government anticipate the contractor to provide all pharmaceuticals and laboratory supplies and reagents? If so, what is the typical number of each type of laboratory test conducted monthly and what are the specific make, model and year of each piece of lab equipment?

Answer: Operating cost for consumables is built into the ODC CLIN.

23) Question: PWS 5.2 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall provide all administrative materials, and consumable supplies such as paper, pens, ribbons and office supplies, required to accomplish the requirements as described in the PWS.” Will the government consider these ODCs? If not, what is the anticipated monthly volume of supplies listed by type of supplies when CTF is fully operational?

Answer: These costs are not allowable for the ODC CLIN. The contractor should be prepared to furnish general supplies and equipment to support administrative operations based on proposed manning.

24) Question: PWS 5.3 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall provide telecommunication devices (e.g. mobile devices such as cell phones, smart phones, air cards, etc.)”. How many by type of mobile devices are required? Will the government consider these costs as ODCs?

When shall the government provide a list of authorized devices and models to the bidders?

Answer: This cost is not allowable as ODCs. The contractor can select any of the local providers to ensure they can communicate with the Government and other contacts.

25) Question: PWS 7.0 The solicitation reads, “This responsibility includes promoting and protecting individuals’ physical and mental health.” Does the government contemplate the provider as responsible for all mental health services, including but not limited to crisis, episodic, situational and mental health events?

Answer: No, there is no requirement for providing mental health services. This term is used as a description of the expected environment.

If not, what specific mental health services does the government anticipate the contractor to deliver from mental health physicians and other mental health allied providers?

Answer: There is no requirement for mental health services.

26) Question: 7.1.2 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall provide medical screening for all staff requiring the use of personal protective equipment based on the CDP’s Respiratory

Protection Program (Section J, Attachment 12) and CFR 1910.134.” What PPE will contractor be screening for since PPE covers a broad area?

Answer: AVON C-50 full faced respirator, half faced respirators, N95, SCBA, protective outer garments such as level C ensembles and Level A ensembles. The risk of the tasks determines what PPE is used.

27) Question: 7.1.4.7 The solicitation reads, “If an individual is not cleared the contractor shall conduct follow-up interviews, within three calendar days for students and within 24 hours for staff, to clarify any negative findings from the medical questionnaire or physical examination.”

If a student has issues that preclude training is the student still onsite three days after disqualification from participating in training exercises?

How does the government anticipate addressing situations when the student is no longer onsite and has returned to their home?

Answer: This pertains to medical screening of the documentation presented by students in CTAS. If a student is not cleared the follow-up is to inform the student why they are not cleared and offer information to assist them to become medically cleared, for example, ask the student to obtain clearance from their attending physician. This does not apply to students reaching campus prior to clearance determinations. Those cases will be managed on a case by case basis.

28) Question: PWS 7.1.4.7 The solicitation reads, “If an individual is not cleared the contractor shall conduct follow-up interviews, within three calendar days for students and within 24 hours for staff, to clarify any negative findings from the medical questionnaire or physical examination.”

Does this include Weekends? Holidays?

If a Report is issued on Friday, is weekend follow-up required?

Answer: This pertains to medical screening of the documentation presented by students in

CTAS. If a student is not cleared the follow-up is to inform the student why they are not cleared and offer information to assist them to become medically cleared, for example, ask the student to obtain clearance from their attending physician. This does not apply to students reaching campus prior to clearance determinations. Those cases will be managed on a case by case basis.

29) Question: PWS 7.2.1 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall provide the following medical surveillance services:

Exposure assessment (potential and confirmed)

Written exposure control plan

Will the government refine the requirement for which specific hazards? Noise, nerve agent, asbestos, lead, etc.?

Answer: Exposure to the hazards in the work environment. To include but not limited to, Organophosphate based nerve agents GB and VX, Ricin A Chain, Bacillus Anthracis delta Sterne, commercial chemicals such as caustic and bleach, pesticides, noise, welding fumes, blood borne pathogens, etc.

30) Question: 7.2.3 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall provide a written opinion to the individual and their employer within 24 hours, that documents detected or reported medical conditions.”

Notifying the individual’s employer may likely result in a HIPAA violation. Will the government amend this section to comport with HIPAA restrictions?

Answer: The PWS will change to “The contractor shall provide a written opinion to the individual and those authorized by the individual…”

31) Question: 7.2.4 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall provide medical follow-up services during normal duty hours to individuals that become sick or require medical support monitoring. This support shall require monitoring of individuals at periodic intervals in the

Government’s lodging facilities.”

When a student, staff or visitor tests positive for COVID-19 infection, is it the responsibility of the contractor to provide care?

If yes, please define the care that is in compliance with current CDC guidelines for Covid-19 infection and post infection?

Define periodic intervals? This information will assist in determining staffing levels

Shall the Medical Director have the authority to quarantine any individuals who have tested positive?

Does the agency have a current plan in place or will MSS be responsible for its creation and tracking.

Answer: All COVID related cases are managed by the Government. There are no medical support service requirement beyond initial student encounter and emergency transport if required. Follow-on contact with the student will follow the same guidance as routine follow-ups similar to other students becoming ill at the CDP. Contact tracing is performed by the OHN and

CDP Safety.

32) Question: PWS 7.2.5 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall provide verbal and written consultation services upon the Government request, by a physician certified by the American

Board of Preventive Medicine in Occupational Medicine for issues pertaining to nerve agent exposure, biological material exposure, and other health related issues in relation to the training environment.”

It is our understanding incumbent physician(s) are not certified by the American Board of

Preventive Medicine in Occupational Medicine. Is it the government’s intent to preclude all incumbent physician(s) from eligibility to render services on this contract or will the government amend these requirements to align with current physician(s) certifications?

Answer: The PWS will change to read certified by the American Board of Preventive

Medicine in Occupational Medicine or other board that offers a certificate of added qualifications for occupational medicine.

33) Question: PWS 7.3.3 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall have a licensed physician, physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner working under a licensed physician along with three paramedics, onsite during agent operations.”

Current support is rendered during chemical trainings only. Does the government intend the personnel to be available for both Chemical and Biological exercises?

Answer: The above-mentioned support is required for agent operations, including inventories, and when nerve agents are being used in training. Currently there is no course where biological materials are the only material used in training.

34) Question: 7.4.10 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall ensure all blood draw specimens are at the Government blood lab for testing within 30 minutes of completion.” It takes over an hour to finish the draws at the end of some classes? Will the government amend the 30 minute deadline to align with the Army Public Health Command guidance of processing within 4 hours.

Answer: PWS 7.4.10 will read “The contractor shall ensure all blood draw specimens are at the Government blood lab for testing based on Army Public Health Command guidance.”.

35) Question: 7.4.12 The solicitation reads, “The contractor shall properly dispose of any and all biohazardous waste following the criteria outlined by the Alabama Department of

Environmental Management (ADEM) for medical waste.” Is the contractor responsible for arranging removal of waste “Red Bags” from CDP campus or movement to FOSS disposal site?

Answer: The contractor is only responsible to get the material to the temporary storage site.

36) Question: 7.5.5 The solicitation reads, “The contract physician(s) shall review and approve all medical standing operating procedures, plans, and program documents prior to implementation.” Does the government anticipate the contractor approving only Contractor

SOPs, or also federal, training facility, or any other type?

Answer: Contractor SOPs pertaining to medical support services.

37) Question: PWS 7.6.2.11 The solicitation reads, “Develop processes and procedures to ensure the clinical competency assessments of the providers are consistently evaluated, updated, and documented on an annual basis.” Will continuing education suffice or will skills stations be required?

Answer: Yes

38) Question: PWS 7.2.1 Will the government provide a list of all laboratory GFE and the:

•Make

•Model

•Number of cycles completed on the equipment

•Estimated percentage of remaining useful life?

39) Question: PWS 7.2.1 Will the government provide a list of all medical equipment used in the performance of the current contract including, but not limited to:

• Purchase cost

• Replacement value

• Type

• Make

• Model

• Condition

• Estimated percentage of remaining useful life?

40) Question: PWS paragraph 7.4 references Biosafety Manual, Section J, Attachment 12. Can the Government please provide the subject manual?

41) Question: PWS paragraph 7.4.1 references requirements of U.S. Army Public Health

Command (USAPHC), Red Blood Cell (RBC) Cholinesterase (ChE) laboratory procedures, Section J, Attachment 22. Can the Government please provide the subject manual?

42) Question: What is the historical level of effort of this requirement, by labor category?

Answer: The incumbent contractor’s information is considered proprietary (regarding historical level of effort). However, the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) utilizes 22 FTEs as specified in the solicitation in Section L. It is the role of the offeror to come up with their own solution (technical approach/staffing plan) to meeting the requirements of the PWS.

43) Question: Which positions are designated as SCA positions?

Answer: This is based on the positions the offeror proposes in their solution to the PWS and what is covered by the wage determination.

44) Question: As SCA applies, please provide the anniversary dates for each SCA and year’s on contract?

45) Question: PWS 1.4.6 - Facility Access references: The contractor shall comply with FEMA

Directive 121-1 “FEMA Personal Identity Verification Guidance,” Section J, Attachment 8;

FEMA Directive 121-3 “Facility Access,” Section J, Attachment 9; and FEMA Manual 121-

3-1 “FEMA Credentialing Access Manual,” Section J, Attachment 10, to arrange for contractor personnel’s access to FEMA facilities, which includes, but is not limited to, arrangements to obtain any necessary identity badges for contractor personnel.

Can the Government please provide these FEMA documents?

46) Question: RFP K.2 Paragraph (a)(1) indicates the NAICS code is 562211, while RFP L.3, paragraph A.1, indicates the NAICS code is 621999. Please confirm that the NAICS code is

621999.

Answer: Section K.2 of the solicitation has been corrected to NAICS code 621999. This is consistent with Section L.3, Proposal Preparation Instructions, which identifies the

NAICS code as 621999.

47) Question: RFP Please explain the distinction between the Experience examples required in

Section 5 of the Technical Volume and the Past Performance examples required in Section 6 of the Technical Volume, to ensure contractors provide the Government what is expected.

Currently, the requirements of the two sections may yield nearly identical content, since the

Government is asking for the most relevant experience/past performance in each.

Answer: Experience is examples of what the offeror has done/accomplished and past performance is how well the offeror did it. It is possible an offeror may choose to use the same examples (but that is up to the offeror), but please note some of the required information listed in each section is different.

48) Question: We recommend the Government eliminate either Section 5 or Section 6 requirements unless it can draw a clearer distinction between the two.

Answer: See above. This information was provided in the RFP.

49) Question: Please specify whether Past Performance references need to include the same contract-related information required in Factor 5, Experience.

Answer: They are separate factors, so it is up to the offeror to make the decision.