DRAFT PD - lnvisALERT.docx

Patient Monitoring System for High-Risk Patient Populations TAC Number: VA-26-00009656

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (PD)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR PATIENT CARE SERVICES

MENTAL HEALTH & ACUTE CARE NURSING SERVICES

Patient Monitoring System for High-Risk Patient Populations

Date: February 19, 2026

VA-26-00009656

PD Version Number: 3.0

Contents

PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

In November 2018, VA issued the Cloud First Policy mandating that all new and existing IT solutions be assessed to determine suitability to be offered as an enterprise cloud computing service. The VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) was established by the Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO) in 2017, to host cloud computing solutions.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and Associate Director for Patient Care Services Mental Health & Acute Care Nursing Services have a requirement for a brand name InvisAlert Software solution to be implemented and hosted in the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC). This solution is designed to streamline patient monitoring and care management. The system captures and maintains critical patient information during provider rounds, ensuring accurate, real-time data to support high-quality care.

The solutions shall be a programmable proximity-based rounding system to allow nursing staff to record the rounding information and upload to computerized patient record systems (CPRS). The system aids in the rounding of patients in the mental health ward where the patient wears a wrist band that connects to the iPad and alerts the nurse when rounding has not been completed. The system ensures that the nurses in charge of completing the patient checks are physically near the patient when they perform the check. It is used for patient location monitoring and behavior observation.

The proximity-based rounding system shall be a Bluetooth-enabled system that provides real-time patient data, ensuring closer adherence to monitoring protocols. The system integrates built-in parameters to ensure staff are within 3 feet of the patient to access the patient record and document the observation.

The performance period shall begin from date of award, with one 12‑month base year and four (4) additional 12‑month option years exercised at the Government’s discretion.

All data will be fully secured in the HIPAA compliant VAEC Cloud. Product will be stand-alone or interfaced to an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. The Contractor will work with the client to identify an appropriate scope of work to meet needs. Updates to patient admission fields should be possible. Patient Observation Records from the system can be sent into EHR using a COLD feed that can be configured to receive HL7 messages or monitor file systems for the presence of the report PDF files. A unique patient identifier will be used to associate the report with the patient. This effort will eliminate the need for staff to manually file or scan reports.

The system will be used on the following MH3B (20 beds), ED (2 beds), 3D (2 beds), 5A (2 beds), 5B (10 beds), 5D (2 beds), 5C (2 beds), and ICU (2 beds). The Environmental Rounds module and 1:1 observation will be used on all units. Routine patient rounding every 15 minutes will be used on MH3B and 5B.

BASE PERIOD

Period of Performance shall be 12 months from date of award.

Option Period One

Option Period Two

Option Period Three

Option Period Four

FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

· Tablets

· Proprietary software on the iPad mini 6 is Fbips 140-2 validated. The staff uses this tablet to complete their required patient checks. Each iPad has a protective case

· Syncs with Bluetooth wristbands

· Pictures of the patient for quick identification of the patient

· Customizable risk flags, color-coded, real-time precautions

· Prioritizes the patient checks

· Customized time intervals for individual patients

· Countdown for each patient for their specific check

· Visual cues, numbers and colors for checks due is 1-minute or passed due

· Alerts supervisors when checks are missed, so they can intervene

· Text alerts

· Escalation of alerts to supervisors, primary, secondary, and tertiary alerts

· Request assistance button for a managed response to a code

· Alerts when a 1:1 observation is no longer in the designated proximity

· 1:1 Alerts for the sitter when dozing off, supervisory alerts, if the sitter does not respond

· Checks are timestamped and documented

· On and off unit synchronization of patient transfers

· Users have their individual login, can use active directory

· Permissions for certain fields are role based

· Desktop

· Can reside at the nurse’s station, admissions, or administrator’s office

· Dashboard view of unit’s tablets displayed in real time

· Check-in new patients

· Manage patients

· Create alerts, and select who will receive specific alerts

· Reporting

a. Contractor will provide a powerful suite of reporting and analytic capabilities, to support the needs of clinical, business, risk, and quality teams. Contractor product will work as a standalone system or with full integration functionality.

· Standard Reporting

· Patient and Staff Reporting available on supervisory desktops

· Proactive Digital Reporting

· Real-time unit level performance

· Real-time staff performance

· Ad hoc accessibility

· Patient Observation and Compliance Reports

· Therapeutic Reports

· Automated sleep reports

· Advanced Reporting

· Ability to compare units, shifts, or staff for a specific date or across time to quickly identify patterns or trends.

· Generate real time data that can be analyzed by report:

· Time stamped reports by patients and staff

· Reports will include:

· Routine observation rounding (every 15 minutes)

· Compliance report by staff

· Therapeutic reports

· Automated sleep reports

· Behavior and location reporting over time

· Custom queries

· The dashboard can be accessed from any desktop with permission. It will provide access to reports, set, and receive customizable alerts, check-in and discharge a patient, manage, and edit patient information, manage users, manage active off-unit sessions, manage environmental alert settings, and view your units in real-time.

· Provide specific hardware, software and service:

· Provide an individual patient wearable device that can be worn on the outside of the patient’s wrist or arm, is lightweight and comfortable for the patient to wear, is water resistant where the patient can take showers or baths wearing it, is easy to clean, should have at least a 12-month battery life span, has a band or strap that is adjustable and can be cut off and discarded after use, is anti-microbial, is Bluetooth or wireless capable with computer, laptop and/or tablet hardware/software technologies.

· Contractor shall sync software and hardware to the patient’s wearable device.

· Contractor shall display pictorial identification of the patient wearing the individual device using the software and hardware.

· Contractor shall perform customization for individual patient risk factors indicators that can be color-coded and displayed in real time.

· Software and hardware should prioritize the patient checks and rounding and customize individual time intervals information.

· Software and hardware should allow for a “pre-countdown” for each patient prior to their specific check or rounding as well as provide visual cues, numbers and colors at the one-minute due or pass due intervals.

· Software and hardware should immediately alert medical staff if checks/rounding are passed due or are missed completely and should escalate the notification to supervision or other medical personnel.

· Software and hardware should also allow for escalation of text alerts to primary, secondary, and tertiary personnel as needed.

· Software and hardware should also alert when 1:1 observation is no longer at the designated proximity or location and should notify medical personnel when the patient’s sitter or monitor is dozing off and if the sitter or monitor does not respond.

· Software and hardware should allow for data stamping and time stamping of individual checks and rounding.

· Software and hardware should allow for real-time synchronization of patient transfers.

· Software and hardware should allow for a “dashboard” view of all unit tablets and display data in real time.

· System and hardware should allow for real-time data reporting as needed by the Client.

· Software and hardware should allow for HIPPA compliant, fully secure cloud-based data storage for client’s data.

· Create system documentation in a format compatible with VA software and computer systems as directed.

· Perform all work pursuant to a plan developed.

· Purchase, deliver, assemble, test, and modify computer equipment and software as specified on the completed equipment and software list.

· Furnish and install all necessary conduit, cabling, boxes, conversion, routing and switching equipment, and programming labor required for complete and fully operational systems.

· Mark all cables, regardless of length, with permanent, non-handwritten number of letter cable markers within six inches of both ends. There shall be no unmarked cables at any places in the system. Marking codes used on cables shall correspond to the codes shown on system drawings.

· Warranty the entire system installation for a minimum of one year from the data of system acceptance. Component, system and hardware warranties shall be honored for the term established by the manufacturer, if greater than one year.

· Provide a designated supervisor present and in responsible charge on the project site during all phases of the installation and testing of the project.

· Test the monitoring system and demonstrate to ensure system is operational and functional.

· Provide a project maintenance binder with all manufacturer-specific operation and maintenance instructions manuals for each piece of equipment installed.

Applicable document

1. VA Enterprise Cloud Technical Reference Guide, Version 1.3 July 2018

CONTRACTOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall deliver a Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) that lays out the Contractor’s approach, timeline, and tools to be used in execution of the contract. The CPMP should take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the schedule, milestones, risks, and resource support. The CPMP shall also include how the Contractor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and ad hoc data collection reporting requests as identified within the PD. The initial baseline CPMP shall be concurred upon and updated in accordance with Section B of the contract. The Contractor shall update and maintain the VA PM approved CPMP throughout the PoP.

Deliverable:

A. Contractor Project Management Plan

KICKOFF MEETING

The contractor shall facilitate a technical kickoff meeting 10 days after award. The technical kickoff meeting shall be virtual. The Contractor shall coordinate the date, time, and location with the Contracting Officer (CO), as the Post-Award Conference Chairperson, the VA PM (Co-Chairperson), the Contract Specialist (CS), the COR, and Chief Nurse MH, Chief MH&BSS, Chief Nurse Acute Care, Assistant Chief Nurse MH, Inpatient MH leadership. The Contractor shall provide a draft agenda to the CO, the COR and the VA PM at least five calendar days prior to the meeting. Upon Government approval of a final agenda, the Contractor shall distribute the final version to all meeting attendees. During the kickoff meeting, the Contractor shall present, for review and approval by the Government, the details of the intended approach, work plan and operation, potential issues and project schedule for each effort via a Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Contractor shall update the presentation with a final slide entitled “Summary Report” which shall include notes on any major issues, agreements, or disagreements discussed during the kickoff meeting. The Contractor shall coordinate with the CS, prepare and distribute the Technical Kickoff Meeting minutes to the CO, COR, and all attendees within three calendar days after the meeting. The Contractor shall obtain concurrence from the CS on the content of the meeting minutes prior to distribution of the document.

Deliverables:

A. Presentation Slides and Summary Report B. Approved Kickoff Meeting Minutes

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide:

1. Weekly Status Reports in electronic form in Microsoft Word and Project formats. This will be a concise summary of what has been accomplished during the past week, what tasks are currently in progress, and what is planned for the upcoming week. This includes an updated visual representation (like a Gantt chart) showing completed tasks, ongoing activities, and upcoming milestones against the project timeline.

2. Meeting Minutes: Shall include the following: notes from any project-related meetings held during the week, capturing key discussions, decisions, and actionable items after each meeting. They shall also include any risk factors that are relevant or anticipated and action plans to address these.

Deliverables:

B. Weekly Status Report C. Meeting Minutes Required tasks The contractor shall install a patient safety and monitoring system (both hardware and software devices) in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) to document and record patient safety and rounding checks. The system will record safety checks and rounding using the Contractor software and hardware systems.

The contractor shall also perform the following tasks:

1. Conduct a mandatory on-site walkthrough. The site is located at 10,000 Bay Pines Boulevard, Bay Pines, FL 33744. The Walkthrough report should include infrastructure needs Wi-Fi network, and documentation that the following tasks are completed.

Deliverable:

A. On-Site Walkthrough Report

TRAINING

The contractor shall also perform the following tasks:

· Contractor shall provide an experienced psychiatric nurse & tech on-site during the first week of implementation and training. Subsequent training twice a year for 2.5 days

· Onsite training Monday-Friday of identified facility on how to use the Licensed Software, Hardware, and Services

· Support of administrative staff after the go-live date to measure compliance improvements and provide additional training as needed

· Training of all mutually agreed upon staff for training including train-the-trainers

· Provide operation, maintenance and training sessions on complete systems, hardware and software components

· Provide the following training and support:

· 24 x 7 (365-days) troubleshooting, workflow support or process problem solving, and compliance analytics as needed.

· Training Program Design Document: A comprehensive document that describes the structure and content of the training program, including objectives, curriculum, learning outcomes, and methodologies.

· Training Schedule and Agenda: A detailed schedule of training sessions, including dates, times, and locations, as well as an agenda for each training session.

· Training Materials: Set of training materials including presentations, handouts, workbooks, manuals, and reference guides.

· Post-Training Assessment: Tools for evaluating participants' knowledge and skills after the training to measure learning outcomes and improvement.

· Training Program Report: A comprehensive report summarizing the training program, including attendance, participant feedback, assessment results, and recommendations for future training.

Deliverables:

A. Training Program Design Document B. Training Schedule and Agenda C. Training Materials D. Post-Training Assessment E. Training Program Report

DEPLOYMENT PHASE

PRIOR TO GO-LIVE

The Contractor shall conduct Prior Go-Live activities tailored to VA site requirements. Contractor shall identify and mitigate the individual site’s risks and issues requiring resolution prior to go live. After identification of the risks, the Contractor shall address the issues until resolution. The Contractor shall create a Cut-Over Checklist identifying all tasks, responsibilities and timeframes for go-live. Contractor Project Management Plan will be provided and approved by VA. The Contractor shall provide an Onsite Contractor Support staffing plan for the go-live period and identify VA support required to support go-live activities. The Contractor’s Onsite Contractor support staffing plan shall indicate real-time, in-person assistance provided directly at the user’s location using a pre-determined ratio (e.g., 1 vendor resource: 3 VA provider resources) to be mutually agreed by VA and vendor.

This dedicated resourcing is of particular importance during go live, which will minimize impact to the end user’s workflow Prior Go-Live activities shall include items specific to include:

· Contractor shall provide an experienced psychiatric nurse & tech on-site during the first week of implementation and training. Subsequent training twice a year for 2.5 days.

· Kick-off webinar or site meeting. A kick-off meeting will be held as a webinar or site visit. During the kick-off staff are briefed on how the system works, implementation and training plans, workflow issues, and what to expect post-implementation.

· Provide a help desk number for 24/7 for software issues.

Deliverables:

A. Cut-Over Checklist with 100% completion

INTEGRATION

The Contractor shall conduct Integration activities tailored to VA site requirements. Integration activities shall include specific items:

· Contractor shall conduct weekly meetings to stay on track and to test the feeds.

· Testing Admissions, Discharges and Transfers (ADT) feeds at simplest level of integration.

· Testing Order Entry Messages (ORMs i.e., orders like 1:1’s) and or Observation Result (ORUs i.e., safety checks), depending on their needs.

· ORMs physicians’ orders such as intervals, 1:1s, risk flags, precautions. ORU’s results back to the patient’s record in the Electronic Health Record (EHR). observations, location, and behavior. Can be sent real-time to the flowsheet or agreed upon cadence.

· Nonintegrated results can be sent to a printer via SFTP as a PDF and scanned in to the EHR-to patient’s medical record nightly. Or the reports can be pulled via desktop reporting, printed as a PDF, and scanned into the EHR-to the patients record.

· User Authentication (login in and passwords) options

· Non-integrated option: We offer to use a user’s name list and load a password for each user.

· LDAP uses their AD Active Directory this uses existing logins and passwords.

· SAML which is a single sign on or 2 factor authentication for sign on

· Integration Design Document: Comprehensive design document outlining the integration architecture, data flow diagrams, message formats, and interface specifications between Observe and VistA CPRS.

· Interface specifications and requirements document: Technical specifications for the interfaces, including communication protocols, message formats (HL7 v2.x specifications), and data security measures.

· Message validation results report: validation for both ORM (Order Entry) and ORU (Observation Results) messages ensuring correct message format and content.

· Test Execution Report: Report summarizing the results of test execution, including identified defects, resolutions, and verification of successful data exchanges.

· Go-Live Checklist: Checklist of pre-go-live activities ensuring all systems are ready for deployment, including final testing and validation checks.

Deliverables:

A. Integration Design Document B. Interface Specifications and requirements Document C. Message Validation Results Report D. Text Execution Report E. Go-Live Checklist with 100% completion

GO-LIVE

The Contractor shall conduct Go-Live activities tailored to VA site requirements. Go-Live activities shall include specific items to include:

· Training and go-live M-F of the implementation week during all shifts. 100% designated staff get a minimum of one hour of training that is hands-on and geared towards patient monitoring. Estimate 50-80 staff per unit. Additional time will be spent with designated super-users and admin staff. Client may opt to bring up the rest of their units themselves and/or contract with Contractor to assist with bringing up the rest of their site.

· Go-Live Checklist: A comprehensive checklist detailing all steps and activities to be completed before, during, and after the go-live event. (See integration deliverables).

· User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Sign-Off document: Signed approval from VA key stakeholders indicating that the system has met all user acceptance criteria and is ready for operational use.

· User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Sign-Off: Signed approval from VA key stakeholders indicating that the system has met all user acceptance criteria and is ready for operational use.

Deliverables:

A. Go-Live Checklist B. User Acceptance Training (UAT) C. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Sign-Off

POST GO-LIVE

The Contractor shall conduct Post Go-Live activities tailored to VA site requirements. Post Go-Live activities shall include items specific to include:

· Contractor shall assist staff with trouble-shooting workflow or process problems, analyze compliance and provide deep drill-down analyses and make recommendations for corrective actions. During the review of your workflow, Contractor will advise of any potential pitfalls.

· Contractor continues to provide 24/7-365 days of ongoing support, maintenance, and upgrades.

· Project Closure Report: A final project closure report summarizing the implementation of the InvisAlert system, including key achievements, lessons learned, and recommendations for future improvements.

· Ongoing Support and Maintenance Documentation 24/7 Support Access Details document: Documentation detailing how VA staff can access 24/7-365 support, including contact information, procedures, and response times.

Deliverables:

A. Project Closure Report B. Ongoing Support, Maintenance and 24/7 Support Access Details Document

POST IMPLEMENTATION

The Contractor shall conduct Post Implementation activities tailored to VA site requirements. Post Implementation activities shall include items specific shall include:

· Weekly follow-up calls to check in and review observation data until VA is satisfied that the implementation has been successful. It will include summaries of Opportunities to Improve. The contractor will continue to monitor the data for any opportunities to improve and reach out with summaries. Contractor will schedule recurring and ad hoc meetings throughout the year to understand from leadership and unit staff how your facility responds to the technology, how they can be of help and feedback on further enhancements.

Deliverables:

A. Post-Implementation Meeting Minutes Support The Contractor shall provide a 24x7x365 technical support through a toll-free contact number for technical support of all VAMC. The Contractor shall provide a 3-hour response time for trouble tickets entered through the technical support call center.

The Contractor shall provide technical support for all content related to patient monitoring and care management software including any manufacturer-sponsored modification or revision of workflows. The support provided shall consist of correction of errors, provision of manufacturer-sponsored modifications, improvements, and revisions. The Contractor shall furnish Full Documentation for All Manufacture-Sponsored Software Changes/Modifications. The Contractor shall furnish the most current electronic version of Manufacturer-Supplied User Manuals, when available. All efforts performed on this subtask including trouble tickets shall be reported in the Weekly/Semi-Weekly/Quarterly Progress Report.

Implementation in the VAEC The brand name InvisAlert software solution shall be implemented with the VAEC. The solution shall meet and maintain regulatory compliance with current Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) MDS standards and regulations. The Contractor shall coordinate with the Government POCs identified in individual task orders to accomplish this task. The contractor shall provide support for all phases of the system/software lifecycle. The support shall include project management, product customization, security compliance, system integration/implementation, training, help desk support, system management and maintenance, Operations & Maintenance (O&M) and phase-out transition support.

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

A. Develop and maintain the solution architecture aligned with the VAEC Technical Reference Architecture as well as the One-VA Enterprise Architecture.

B. Design VAEC hosted solution and address VA identified cloud-readiness gaps.

Deliverables:

A. Solution Architecture B. Solution Design

PLANNING

A. Develop, maintain, and execute the VAEC Implementation Plan that defines the implementation approach, processes and activities (prior to, during, and after), test strategy, setup and configuration procedure, inventory of IT assets, implementation checklist, risk assessment, key dependencies, and schedule. In the event that a VAEC CSP has not yet been selected by VA, the Contractor shall recommend a CSP.

B. Develop and execute the VAEC Transition Plan, as part of the Implementation Plan, that defines the approach and action plans to prepare VA stakeholders to receive and operate the solution. This includes improving stakeholder engagement, outreach, and communications.

C. Develop and update project’s VIP Deployment and Installation, Back-out, and Rollback Plan that describes the installation, back-out, and rollback approach, processes and activities, dependencies, and schedule. The plan shall also include the provisioning and installation procedures for VAEC resources.

D. Determine cloud capacity and workload requirements. VA shall review and approve cloud capacity requirements and provide the VAEC cloud capacity for the solution as GFE.

Deliverables A. VAEC Implementation Plan

BUILD AND DEVELOPMENT

A. Support setup, configuration, and provisioning of the solution in the VAEC environments.

B. Work with VA to provide inputs for establishing VAEC capacity, accounts and privileges. This includes monitoring and tracking the creation, update, and deletion of application user (e.g., developer, systems administrator) accounts, and ensuring cloud capacity requirements are satisfied.

C. Develop necessary artifacts to obtain a VA authority to operate (ATO) for the solution and complete VA Assessment and Authorization (A&A) process. After ATO is achieved, the Contractor shall update and maintain the A&A documentation as required to ensure continued compliance. The Contractor shall monitor, track, and respond to Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM). The Contractor shall provide input to update the VAEC ATO, as needed.

D. Provide information and documentation to support operational and production readiness reviews and go-no-go decisions. The Contractor shall execute corrective actions to address gaps and provide all required data and prepare supporting documents/artifacts for the reviews.

IMPLEMENTATION

A. Implement the solution in the VAEC as defined in VIP Deployment and Installation, Back-out, and Rollback Plan as well as the VAEC Implementation Plan.

B. Provide input and documentation for the Post-Implementation Review, within 5 days of implementation completion, to review lessons learned and identify improvement opportunities.

C. Provide an Implementation Summary Report that describes implementation results, lessons learned, open issues, corrective action, and improvement opportunities.

Deliverables:

A. Implementation Summary Report

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

A. Operate and maintain the solution hosted in the VAEC in accordance with the application and VAEC service level agreements (SLAs), and operate the solution in its current environment in parallel as applicable B. Utilize VAEC General Support Services (GSS) when available and applicable in order to minimize cloud services costs and optimize operations. The contractor shall use native tools and capabilities of the VAEC environment.

C. Provide for the backup and recovery of information stored by the solution to meet the application and VAEC SLA using native tools and capabilities of the VAEC environment.

D. The Contractor shall recommend best practices for requirements analysis, planning, design, deployment, and ongoing operations management and technical support. The Contractor shall also maintain a current and up-to-date library of all operational documentation, logs of operational events, maintenance of operational monitoring and management tools, operational scripts, and operational procedures, all to be made available in real time to VA personnel.

E. The Contractor is responsible to perform and deliver all software maintenance through the life cycle. Software maintenance shall include all adaptive, perfective, and defect maintenance. Adaptive maintenance activities are those required to adapt software and systems to support changing externally initiated changes in requirements. Examples include regulatory changes, CMS changes or updates, congressional actions, VA mandates, and changes required to maintain interoperability with key systems (internal or external to VA). Perfective maintenance activities are those required to increase deployed software and systems efficiency to improve performance and/or lower cost of operation. Defect maintenance includes those activities required to identify and repair defective coding or systems postproduction deployment.

F. The Contractor shall provide for the backup and recovery of information stored by the solution to meet the application and VAEC SLA using native tools and capabilities of the VAEC environment.

MONITORING PERFORMANCE AND REPORTING

A. Provide a Quarterly Solution Performance Report that summarizes solution availability, usage, events and incidents, improvement opportunities, risks and issues, status, action plans, and planned and actual resolution timelines.

B. Review all usage of cloud computing services provided by VAEC. The Contractor shall submit and implement Quarterly Resource Utilization Optimization Plans on how to best optimize the environment to reduce the costs associated with resource utilization.

C. Provide a breakdown of all costs by solution, environment, and utilization. The Contractor shall report on utilization of each class of resource as a percentage of provisioned capacity in a Monthly Utilization Report. The Contractor shall, as part of its Monthly Utilization Report, include the total infrastructure expenditure and total number of request services for Cloud Resource Optimization.

Deliverables:

A. Quarterly Solution Performance Report B. Quarterly Resource Utilization Optimization Plan C. Monthly Utilization Report

NOTICE OF THE FEDERAL ACCESSIBILITY LAW AFFECTING ALL INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) PROCUREMENTS (SECTION 508) On January 18, 2017, the Access Board issued a final rule that updated accessibility requirements covered by Section 508 and refreshed guidelines for telecommunications equipment subject to Section 255 of the Communications Act. The final rule went into effect on January 18, 2018. The revisions and updates to the Section 508-based standards and Section 255-based guidelines are intended to ensure that information and communication technology (ICT) covered by the respective statutes is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

SECTION 508 – INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) STANDARDS

The Section 508 standards established by the Access Board are incorporated into, and made part of all VA orders, solicitations and purchase orders developed to procure ICT. These standards are found in their entirety at: Revised 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines (access-board.gov). A single PDF file version of the Revised Section 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines will be supplied upon request, or can be obtained from the Access Board website. Federal agencies must comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

The Contractor shall comply with “508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements” for all electronic ICT and content delivered under this contract. Specifically, as appropriate for the technology and its functionality, the Contractor shall comply with the technical standards marked here:

COMPATABILITY WITH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

The standards do not require installation of specific accessibility-related software or attachment of an assistive technology device. Section 508 requires that ICT be compatible with such software and devices so that ICT can be accessible to and usable by individuals using assistive technology, including but not limited to screen readers, screen magnifiers, and speech recognition software.

ACCEPTANCE AND ACCEPTANCE TESTING

Deliverables resulting from this solicitation will be accepted based in part on satisfaction of the Section 508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements standards identified above.

The Government reserves the right to test for Section 508 Compliance before delivery. The Contractor shall be able to demonstrate Section 508 Compliance upon delivery.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY USING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

The Contractor shall comply with Sections 524 and Sections 525 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007; Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005; Executive Order 13221, “Energy-Efficient Standby Power Devices,” dated August 2, 2001; and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to provide ENERGY STAR®, Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) designated, and products and services that meet EPA Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels in effect as of October 2023 (e.g. Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registered products) in providing information technology products and/or services. The Green Procurement Compilation (GPC) website available at Green Procurement Compilation - GSA Sustainable Facilities Tool (sftool.gov) provides a comprehensive list of sustainable products and services and sustainable acquisition guidance.

The Contractor shall provide products that meet the definition of sustainable products and services if the products are delivered to the Government; furnished by the Contractor for use by the Government, incorporated into the construction of a public building or public work, or acquired by the Contractor for use in performing services under a Government contract where the cost of the products is a direct cost to a Government contract (versus costs which are normally applied to a contractor's general and administrative expenses or indirect costs).

Specifically, the Contractor shall provide sustainable products under this contract in accordance with FAR 52.223-23. The applicable products with their associated certification, designation, and/or ecolabel (e.g. Energy Star, FEMP, and/or EPEAT) are identified within the product specifications in this PD. The Contractor shall ensure proposed products meet the certification(s) / designation(s) / ecolabel(s) specified at the time of submission of proposals and at the time of award.

SHIPMENT OF HARDWARE OR EQUIPMENT

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination Free on Board (FOB): Destination

Ship To and Mark For:

Primary

Alternate

Attn: Mental Health Nursing 10000 Bay Pines Blvd, Bay Pines, FL 33774

Attn: ADPCS 10000 Bay Pines Blvd, Bay Pines, FL 33774

SPECIAL SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS

Prior to shipping, Contractor shall notify Site POCs, by phone followed by email, of all incoming deliveries including line-by-line details for review of requirements. The Contractor shall not make any changes to the delivery schedule at the request of Site POC.

Contractors shall coordinate deliveries with Site POCs before shipment of <hardware> hardware to ensure sites have adequate storage space.

All shipments, either single or multiple container deliveries, shall bear the VA IFCAP Purchase Order number (if applicable) on external shipping labels and associated manifests or packing lists. In the case of multiple container deliveries, a statement readable near the VA IFCAP PO or Contract number shall indicate total number of containers for the complete shipment (e.g. “Package 1 of 2”), clearly readable on manifests and external shipping labels.

Packing Slips/Labels and Lists shall also include the following:

IFCAP PO # or Contract No.: __TBD___ (e.g., 166-E11234 (the IFCAP PO number is located in block #20 of the SF 1449)) Project Description: (e.g. Tier I Lifecycle Refresh)

Total number of Containers: Package ___ of ___. (e.g., Package 1 of 3)

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

VA TECHNICAL REFERENCE MODEL

The Contractor shall comply with the VA OIT Technical Reference Model (VA TRM). Compliance with the VA TRM is achieved by using only technologies and standards that are listed as approved for use in the VA TRM. The Contractor shall provide all necessary information requested by VA to ensure TRM approval is obtained prior to use on VA’s network.

ZERO TRUST – VA CRITICAL SECURITY CONTROLS

VA has established minimum mandatory security requirements and requires that any network connected software system or service must meet the VA Critical Security Controls as outlined in the VA Memorandum, “VA Security Controls”, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=5010. VA Critical Security Controls identify the minimum mandatory requirements that must be implemented across all VA enterprise infrastructure, cloud computing environments, information systems, networks, and specialized devices (medical devices/systems, special-purpose systems, and research scientific computing devices) that process, store, and/or transmit VA data. Effective July 1, 2025, the Contractor shall implement these VA Critical Security Controls, within any network connected software system or service prior to being authorized for use in the VA. This functional requirement is not negotiable, and Plan of Action & Milestones (POAM) will not be accepted in the event these controls cannot be implemented for new systems. Critical Security Controls are intended to increase VA’s security posture and provide security and privacy risk visibility into the VA network and is not a new requirement. The Contractor’s failure to maintain these VA Critical Controls after implementation will result in VA discontinuing the use of the system.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) REDUCTION

The Contractor solution shall support the Social Security Number (SSN) Fraud Prevention Act (FPA) of 2017 which prohibits the inclusion of SSNs on any document sent by mail. The Contractor support shall also be performed in accordance with Section 240 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2018, enacted March 23, 2018, which mandates VA to discontinue using SSNs to identify individuals in all VA information systems as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor shall ensure that any new IT solution discontinues the use of SSN as the Primary Identifier to replace the SSN with the Integrated Control Number (ICN) in all VA information systems for all individuals. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor delivered applications and systems integrate with the VA Master Person Index (MPI) for identity traits to include the use of the ICN as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor solution may only use a Social Security Number to identify an individual in an information system if and only if the use of such number is required to obtain information VA requires from an information system that is not under the jurisdiction of VA.

INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 6 (IPV6)

The Contractor solution shall support IPv6-Only based upon the memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on November 19, 2020 (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/M-21-07.pdf). Which defines IPv6-only as the state of an operational system or service when IPv4 protocol functions (addressing, packet forwarding) are not in use. The NIST USGv6 profile defines technical requirements for a product to be capable of operating in IPv6-Only environments. IPv6-Only technology, in accordance with the USGv6 Program (https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/usgv6-program/usgv6-revision-1), NIST Special Publication (SP) 500-267B Revision 1 “USGv6 Profile” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-267Br1), and NIST SP 800-119 “Guidelines for the Secure Deployment of IPv6” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-119), compliance shall be included in all IT infrastructures, application designs, application development, operational systems and sub-systems, and their integration. In addition to the above requirements, all devices, applications, and systems shall support all applicable functionality on native IPv6-Only as well as dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) connectivity without additional memory or other resources being provided by the Government, so that they can function in a mixed environment. All public/external facing servers and services (e.g., web, email, DNS, ISP services, etc.) shall support native IPv6-Only and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) users and all internal infrastructure and applications shall support using native IPv6-Only and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) for all functionality and operations.

SOFTWARE AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall be responsible for the provision of all software licenses and any associated licensing maintenance required for any development, delivery, integration, operation, and/or maintenance associated with its proposed application(s), software products, software solution, and/or system including, but not limited to, any and all application(s), software and/or software products that comprise, are a part of, or integrate with the Contractor’s proposed application(s), software products, software solution, and/or system for the life of any resulting contract.

TRUSTED INTERNET CONNECTION (TIC)

The Contractor solution shall meet the requirements outlined in Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-19-26, “Update to the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Initiative“ (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/M-19-26.pdf), VA Directive 6513 “Secure External Connections”, and shall comply with the TIC 3.0 Core Guidance Documents, including all Volumes and TIC Use Cases, found at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) (https://www.cisa.gov/publication/tic-30-core-guidance-documents.)

0. POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S)

In accordance with VA Handbook 0710, Personnel Security and Suitability Program, the position sensitivity and the level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access for the following tasks within the PWS are:

Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation Requirements by Service Task/Item Number

Service Task / Item Number

The Tasks identified above and the resulting Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation requirements identify, in effect, the Background Investigation requirements for Contractor individuals, based upon the tasks the particular Contractor individual will be working. The submitted Contractor Staff Roster must indicate the required Background Investigation Level for each Contractor individual based upon the tasks the Contractor individual will be working, in accordance with their submitted proposal.

ADDENDUM B – VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/ PRIVACY LANGUAGE

NOTE: In the event of a conflict, VAAR Security Clauses take precedence over the language in this Addendum B.

APPLICABLE SECTIONS FROM: VA NOTICE 24-12, APRIL 22, 2024, UPDATE TO VA HANDBOOK 6500.6, CONTRACT SECURITY, APPENDIX C VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY LANGUAGE, FOR INCLUSION INTO CONTRACTS, AS APPROPRIATE

B1. GENERAL

This entire section applies to all acquisitions requiring any Information Security and Privacy language. Contractors, contractor personnel, Subcontractors and subcontractor personnel will be subject to the same federal laws, regulations, standards, VA directives and handbooks, as VA personnel regarding information and information system security and privacy.

B2. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE

a. The Government shall receive unlimited rights to data/intellectual property first produced and delivered in the performance of this contract or order (hereinafter “contract”) unless expressly stated otherwise in this contract. This includes all rights to source code and all documentation created in support thereof. The primary clause used to define Government and Contractor data rights is FAR 52.227-14 Rights in Data – General. The primary clause used to define computer software license (not data/intellectual property first produced under this Contractor or order) is FAR 52.227-19, Commercial Computer Software License.

b. Information made available to the Contractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract will be used only for the purposes specified in the service agreement, SOW, PWS, PD, and/or contract. The Contractor shall not use VA information in any other manner without prior written approval from a VA Contracting Officer (CO).