Attachment D - BPA Ordering Instructions | 75H71227Q00001

Attachment D

BPA Ordering Instructions

Nonpersonal Hospitalist Physician Services

Solicitation No. 75H71227Q00001

Phoenix Area Indian Health Service

1. PURPOSE

These instructions establish the procedures for requesting, considering, selecting, and ordering Hospitalist physician services under Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) established under Solicitation No.

75H71227Q00001. They apply to authorized Phoenix Area Ordering Activities and shall be read together with the BPA, Attachment A - Performance Work Statement (PWS), Attachment B - Awarded Pricing Schedule, Attachment C - Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses, and Attachment E - BPA Schedule and Special

Requirements.

2. GENERAL ORDERING PRINCIPLES

Establishment of a BPA does not guarantee issuance of any BPA Call, any minimum number of hours, selection of any physician candidate, or any minimum revenue. The Government is obligated only to the extent an authorized BPA Call is issued.

Individual requirements will normally be filled through a candidate request and selection process. The

Government intends to provide BPA holders a reasonable opportunity to submit qualified candidates for requirements within the scope of their BPAs, when practicable. For anticipated recurring requirements, the

Government generally intends to provide BPA holders eligible for the applicable Ordering Activity an opportunity to submit qualified candidates.

The Government may establish response timeframes and candidate-submission procedures appropriate to the urgency, complexity, staffing circumstances, and clinical needs of the particular requirement.

3. IDENTIFICATION OF A REQUIREMENT

When an Ordering Activity identifies a need for Hospitalist coverage, the Contracting Officer or authorized

Government representative may issue a candidate request to applicable BPA holders. A candidate request is not a BPA Call, does not obligate funds, and does not authorize performance.

A candidate request may identify, as applicable:

• Ordering Activity and facility/location;

• anticipated coverage period and required start date;

• shift schedule, coverage hours, estimated hours, or anticipated number of shifts;

• response deadline and candidate-submission instructions;

• facility-specific qualifications, credentials, privileges, experience, clinical competencies, or procedures within the general scope of the BPA and PWS;

• anticipated credentialing, privileging, onboarding, or security requirements; and

• other information reasonably necessary for BPA holders to identify qualified and available candidates.

4. CANDIDATE SUBMISSIONS

BPA holders may submit one or more qualified and available physician candidates responsive to the candidate request. Candidate submissions shall contain the information requested by the Government and sufficient information to permit assessment of the candidate against the applicable PWS and facility-specific requirements.

BPA holders are responsible for accurately representing candidate availability, qualifications, credentials, experience, relationship to the BPA holder or approved teaming/staffing arrangement, and any material limitations affecting availability or performance.

Unless specifically requested by the Contracting Officer, BPA holders are not required to submit a new hourly rate with a candidate submission. The applicable established BPA rate for the Ordering Activity will normally apply to the resulting Call.

Submission or Government consideration of a candidate does not guarantee candidate selection, credentialing, privileging, onboarding approval, or issuance of a BPA Call.

5. CANDIDATE CONSIDERATION AND SELECTION

The Government will consider submitted candidates based on their qualifications and suitability for the specific requirement. Consideration may include applicable PWS requirements, education, licensure, board status, credentials, relevant inpatient Hospital Medicine experience, clinical competencies, availability, facility-specific requirements, and other information reasonably related to successful performance of the requirement.

The Government is not required to select a candidate merely because the candidate satisfies minimum qualification requirements. Candidate selection may consider meaningful differences in relevant qualifications, experience, demonstrated clinical capability, availability, and suitability for the particular facility and requirement.

The Government may use clinical subject matter experts, medical staff, credentialing personnel, CORs, or other appropriate Government personnel to review candidate information. Candidate review is not a FAR Part 15 source selection and does not require numerical scoring, adjectival ratings, or identical narrative documentation for each candidate.

The Government may request clarification or additional candidate information when useful to determine qualifications, availability, credentialing status, or suitability. The Government is not obligated to request missing information or permit supplementation of every candidate submission.

6. CANDIDATE NON-SELECTION

A candidate may be declined when the information submitted does not demonstrate compliance with a material

PWS or facility-specific requirement, or when the Government determines that another candidate is better suited to the particular clinical requirement based on the considerations identified in Section 5.

Documentation of candidate non-selection should be proportionate to the decision and sufficient to identify the applicable requirement or comparative consideration and the factual basis for the determination. A lengthy technical evaluation is not required for an otherwise straightforward candidate determination.

Feedback to the BPA holder may be concise and factual. The Government is not required to disclose internal deliberative material, comparative details concerning another BPA holder or candidate, or protected information.

7. BPA CALL ISSUANCE

Following candidate selection and completion of any required pre-performance steps, the Government may issue a BPA Call to the BPA holder furnishing the selected candidate or candidates. Selection of a candidate does not itself authorize performance.

Each BPA Call will identify, as applicable, the Ordering Activity and facility, selected physician(s) or authorized staffing requirement, period of performance, schedule or coverage requirement, authorized or estimated hours, applicable BPA hourly rate, funded ceiling, invoicing instructions, and other Call-specific requirements.

Performance may begin only after the Contractor receives an authorized BPA Call and the physician has completed all applicable credentialing, privileging, security, onboarding, and facility approval requirements.

Emails, schedules, verbal direction, candidate selection notices, or communications from clinical personnel do not independently authorize performance or obligate the Government.

8. URGENT, SHORT-NOTICE, AND CONTINUITY REQUIREMENTS

Patient-care and staffing needs may require expedited candidate requests. For urgent, short-notice, replacement, or continuity requirements, the Government may shorten response times and use streamlined communications appropriate to the circumstances.

Nothing in these instructions requires the Government to delay an urgent clinical requirement in order to use the same response period or administrative process used for routine requirements. Any Call must nevertheless be issued by an authorized ordering official and remain within the scope of the BPA and PWS.

9. PRICING FOR BPA CALLS

The applicable awarded BPA hourly rate for the Ordering Activity will normally apply to services ordered under a

Call. A BPA holder may offer a lower rate for a particular requirement.

The fully burdened BPA rate includes the costs identified in the PWS and Pricing Schedule. Separate premiums or reimbursements for nights, weekends, holidays, overtime, travel, transportation, lodging, meals, per diem, or similar costs will not be paid unless expressly authorized by the BPA or Call.

10. CANDIDATE AVAILABILITY AND REPLACEMENT

BPA holders shall promptly notify the Government if a submitted or selected candidate becomes unavailable or if information material to the candidate's qualifications or availability changes.

If a selected or scheduled physician becomes unavailable, the Contractor remains responsible for the coverage required by the applicable BPA Call and shall provide qualified replacement personnel consistent with the PWS, subject to Government credentialing, privileging, and approval requirements. The Government may consider replacement candidates submitted by the Contractor or may seek candidates from other BPA holders, as appropriate to the requirement.

11. PERFORMANCE INFORMATION AND FUTURE CALLS

The Government may consider relevant BPA and Call performance information when administering the BPA and when considering candidates or staffing solutions for future requirements. Relevant information may include staffing reliability, candidate quality, responsiveness, continuity, credentialing/onboarding performance, schedule fulfillment, clinical or administrative performance, and other information reasonably related to successful performance.

Consideration of prior performance does not guarantee or preclude issuance of a future Call and does not alter the eligibility, responsibility, or performance requirements of the BPA.

12. AUTHORITY AND CHANGES

Only a warranted Contracting Officer or other ordering official expressly authorized by the Contracting Officer may issue or modify a BPA Call or otherwise obligate Government funds. CORs, physicians, credentialing staff, schedulers, and other Government personnel may coordinate technical, clinical, and administrative matters within their delegated authority but may not change BPA rates, scope, funded ceilings, authorized hours, or other contractual terms.

Questions concerning whether a direction or request constitutes contractual authorization shall be referred to the Contracting Officer before the Contractor proceeds.