Attachment_D.1_Statement_of_Work.pdf

75FCMC19R0034

Statement of Work

Attachment D.1

Quality, Safety, and Oversight (QSOG) Infection Prevention and Control Consultant

I. Background Under sections 1819(a-d, f) and 1861(e) of the Social Security Act (the Act), the Secretary has the responsibility to assure that Medicare requirements are met and their enforcement are adequate to protect the health and safety of all individuals in nursing homes and hospitals.

Section 1864 of the Act grants State Agencies (SAs) the authority to perform surveys of nursing homes and hospitals to determine initial and ongoing compliance.

A growing number of individuals are receiving care in long-term care settings, such as skilled nursing facilities. The population in these facilities is requiring more complex medical care as a result of rapid transitions between health care settings. These trends can create an increased risk for healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which can worsen health status, increase health care costs, and is a top priority for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CMS has initiated (in partnership with stakeholders) targeted efforts to address specific quality of care issues including transitions of care, antimicrobial stewardship, and HAIs and their prevention.

Furthermore, facilities reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid as well as SAs need expertise and training in infection prevention and control.

II. Purpose CMS seeks consultative services of a full-time equivalent (1,875 hours) individual who has significant expertise in infection prevention and control and will provide clinical strategies and approaches that improve the care and services provided to nursing home residents, and patients in other Quality, Safety, and Oversight Group provider types/settings such as hospitals, ambulatory care centers, dialysis facilities, home health, and hospice. In addition, this individual will provide infection prevention and control recommendations on policies to include but is not limited to the prevention of HAIs and spread of infections during transitions of care, optimal use of antimicrobials, and multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs).

III. Tasks Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all of the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the requirements of this Statement of Work (SOW). For the tasks listed below, where there is reference to a number of days, this will mean business days. Task requests (Task 1.1 – Task 3.1) may involve any of the Quality, Safety, and Oversight Group (QSOG) provider types; therefore, the Contractor shall work with any QSOG staff as directed by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

Task 1: Meeting and Reporting Requirements The Contractor shall be responsible to obtain a complete understanding of the requirements of the project, schedule routine status meetings via conference calls with the COR, and will document these meetings.

1.1 Status Meetings

The Contractor shall schedule status meetings via conference calls with the COR to discuss project work planning and task status. The Contractor shall create meeting agendas and send them to the COR two days prior to each meeting. The Contractor shall also be responsible for the meeting minutes and will send the minutes to the COR five days after the call. The frequency and length of meetings will be directed by the COR and may vary due to the amount of discussion items, but weekly to biweekly meetings are assumed.

Deliverables:

Status Meeting Agendas and Materials – due to COR 2 days prior to each meeting.

Status Meeting Minutes – due to COR 3 days after each call.

1.2 Progress Reporting

The Contractor shall submit monthly progress reports on all project activities, analyses, milestones met, and deliverables achieved. These reports will be used by the COR for the purpose of tracking deliverables and reconciling monthly invoices. These reports will be in a format approved by the COR and will include a summary of the activities for the prior month, work planned for the next period, issues, and suggested topics for analyses.

Deliverables:

Monthly Progress Reports - due to COR within 5 days of the end of the month of performance, and prior to invoicing.

1.3 Work Plan

The Contractor shall maintain a work plan. The work plan shall include the work schedule and a breakdown of the activities within each task. The draft work plan shall be submitted five days prior to the Kick-Off Meeting. The work plan will be updated monthly or as needed. Activities assigned by COR will become a part of the work plan.

Deliverables:

Draft Work Plan – due 5 days prior to Kick-Off Meeting.

Kick-Off Meeting- within 10 days of contract award.

Updated Work Plan – updated monthly or as needed.

1.4. Final Report

The draft report shall include, at a minimum, a summary of the work and accomplishments realized during the contract year, emphasizing conclusions and recommendations. Include for each subject a detailed analysis of the work performed. Also include any charts, tables or diagrams relevant to the subject, and present negative findings as well as positive findings.

Identify any innovations and general advances of special interest. Also include a list of deliverables, challenges and barriers to producing deliverables, challenges to implementing new solutions and guidance, and suggestions for future guidance and policy activities.

CMS may provide feedback on the report. The final report shall address the COR’s comments and shall be submitted to the COR 5 days prior to the end of the contract.

Deliverables:

Draft Final Report – due 15 days prior to the end of the contract.

Final Report – due 5 days prior to the end of the contract.

Task 2: Infection Prevention and Control Support

2.1 Technical Assistance with Certification Surveys, Survey Guidance, and Policy Memos The Contractor shall serve as the subject matter expert to assist with drafting surveys, infection control worksheets, interpretive guidance for surveyors, and policy memos that address infection prevention and control across all QSOG provider types. The Contractor will work with CMS, CMS’s contractors, and other HHS agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) while performing this task. The Contractor shall provide technical assistance with survey protocols, worksheets, and interpretive guidance that evaluate infection prevention and control practices and make recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the protocols for state survey agencies and CMS regional office surveyors.

The Contractor, as directed by the COR, shall research and develop for future testing, standardized infection control survey protocols or worksheets that may be applied to all provider types. Submit a report on reviews and analyses of all infection control protocols and worksheets currently in use across the QSOG provider types; participate in field testing of survey protocols and worksheets (to include in-person testing as directed by the COR); and provide recommendations on standardizing those items that apply to all provider types.

The Contractor will draft and/or revise policy memos related to infection prevention and control and participate in revising data tools such as the Minimum Data Set (MDS).

Deliverables:

Submit interpretive guidance recommendations and revisions, survey improvement recommendations to include reviews and analyses of all infection prevention and control program requirements, survey protocols, survey forms, and/or infection control worksheet revisions as directed by the COR.

Submit standardized infection control survey protocols, survey forms, and worksheets that may be applied to all provider types as directed by the COR.

Submit policy memos as directed by the COR.

Submit MDS revisions as directed by the COR.

2.2 Infection Prevention and Control Policy Questions

The Contractor will be contacted by any QSOG staff as necessary to discuss infection control matters that arise from internal and external stakeholders and to provide technical guidance; this may include but is not limited to questions from facilities submitted by email or telephone, as well as questions from CMS regional and central office staff, state survey agencies, Congress, other governmental agencies, provider groups, attorneys, lobbyists, and the public. The Contractor shall serve as the subject matter expert to assist with responding to inquiries that address infection prevention and control across all QSOG provider types.

Deliverables:

Submit infection control policy responses to inquiries as directed by the COR.

As part of the monthly progress report (see Task 1.2), submit a summary of written responses issued to internal and external stakeholders on infection control inquiries.

2.3 Infection Prevention and Control Training

The Contractor will provide training support and recommendations on clinical topics such as infection prevention and control, antibiotic stewardship, quality improvement, or facility environmental cleaning and disinfection, and construction as they relate to infection prevention and control for surveyors and providers. Trainings may span all provider types that fall under QSOG’s purview. The Contractor shall, as directed by the COR, create training materials to improve surveyor assessment of infection prevention and control practices within facilities.

Trainings or presentations may also include topics and content developed for facilities and other stakeholders. The draft and final materials shall be submitted as directed by the COR. As directed by the COR, the Contractor may be directed to present infection control training materials. Furthermore, the Contractor shall provide technical assistance to other entities working with CMS on infection prevention and control training materials.

Deliverables:

Produce training curricula or presentations and supporting materials as directed by the COR.

Present training on infection prevention and control topics as directed by the COR.

Provide written recommendations for improvements in survey training as directed by the COR.

Provide technical assistance to include written guidance to CMS and other entities working with CMS, on infection prevention and control training materials as directed by the COR.

2.4 Infection Prevention and Control Pilot Projects

CMS QSOG, their contractors, and other entities, including but not limited to CDC, are dedicated to improving infection prevention and control in our provider types/settings (nursing homes, hospitals, ambulatory care centers, dialysis facilities, home health, and hospice). The

Contractor will participate in pilot projects and provide technical assistance, document development and review, recommendation reports, in-person assistance (e.g., on survey or technical evaluation panel), presentations, and data compilation and analysis, as directed by the

COR.

Deliverables:

Provide infection prevention and control pilot data compilation, analysis, and recommendation reports, as directed by the COR.

Develop and revise infection prevention and control pilot documents as directed by the COR.

Provide technical assistance (including written guidance) and presentations to CMS or outside entities as directed by the COR.

2.5 Infection Control Data Analysis

The Contractor will provide CMS QSOG with data analysis of infection control deficiencies cited by surveyors in long-term care facilities (e.g., F880, F881, F882, F883, and F945). The Contractor will compile and analyze CMS data to determine trends in facility practices cited within the deficiencies. Examples include but are not limited to facility characteristics, surveyor findings, and scope and severity level. As directed by the COR, the Contractor will compile findings of the analysis and recommendations (for infection control trainings or revisions to surveyor guidance and other documents) into a document (e.g., report, paper, manuscript) and/or PowerPoint.

Deliverables:

Perform infection control deficiencies data compilation and analysis.

Provide data analysis and recommendations in a document (i.e., report, paper, or manuscript) and/or PowerPoint (PPT) format as directed by the COR.

Compare infection control deficiencies across years and deliver in a format as directed by the COR. This may be in Excel, Word, and/or PPT format.

Present on data analysis and recommendations as directed by the COR.

Task 3: Stakeholder Outreach, Engagement, and Presentations

3.1 Stakeholder Outreach

As directed by the COR, the Contractor shall conduct outreach, communication, and coordination with stakeholders which may include but is not limited to the CDC, American Medical Directors Association, Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instruments, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Federal Guidelines Institute, state health departments, Agency for Health Facility Survey Agencies, and coordinate work with other initiatives. This may include attending or leading meetings (usually virtually- see Section IV for travel) and may take the form of formal presentations or other communication on topics related to infection prevention and control (e.g., Survey Executives Training Institute) as directed by the COR.

Deliverables:

In the monthly progress report (see Task 1.2), provide a summary of outreach and meetings attended.

Presentation materials will be provided at least 20 business days in advance of the presentation or sooner if needed by the COR.

IV. Meetings and Travel The Contractor is required to be accessible to the COR by telephone and to participate (in person and via teleconferences) in meetings as directed by the COR. Travel costs (local and non-local) shall be funded through this procurement based on the following assumptions. For planning and estimating purposes, assume three trips per year within the United States. Travel includes but is not limited to meetings convened at CMS headquarters in Baltimore, MD, external stakeholder and partner meetings, facility surveys, and policy revision training as directed by the COR.

V. Report Requirements There is a specific report requirement for this procurement. The Contractor shall deliver comments, draft markups, and other written materials via email to the COR. The Contractor shall provide documents using the Microsoft Office suite that is compatible to the version CMS is using. Additionally, the Contractor shall use Adobe Acrobat DC. All documents are required to be Section 508 compliant (see Section 508).

VI. Government Property There is no government property provided. The Contractor shall supply his/her own copy of Microsoft Office suite, Adobe Acrobat DC or other 508 compliance remediation software and have access to telephone, computer, and an email account.

VII. Qualifications The Contractor shall maintain the following qualifications:

• Certification in Infection Control (CIC) as issued by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology; and

VIII. Timeliness The Contractor shall turn in timely work according to the needs of the various tasks of this contract. This includes quick turn-around tasks (a day or two) during emergent infection prevention and control issues, stakeholder inquiries, guidance documents, regulatory language, or established project deadlines. Email requests from CMS shall be responded to in a timely fashion and the Contractor shall be reachable by telephone during normal business hours.