A15._RFP_Questions_and_Answers_(4.29.16)_Final.pdf

FA8053-16-R-0013 Health Coaching Question and Answers

1. Question:

PWS 2.0 SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS paragraph (a)(2) has a requirement for training health coaches. What does that mean in terms of scale and scope?

Answer:

Contractor should have established training platform for health coaches. The requirements are stated in the PWS: 10 years of experience, at least 40K beneficiaries.

2. Question:

What is the overall goal of USAF’s health coaching demonstration program?

Answer:

Promote a healthy and high performing population.

3. Question:

What metrics will be used in place to measure and evaluate the program?

Answer:

Refer to PWS 2.0 b) Evaluation examples of evaluation metrics in 2.1.1 c). Combination of business metrics (# patients seen; patient satisfaction) and outcome (% smoking cessation, % weight loss). The contractor will help determine metrics.

4. Question:

Will there be any interaction with the benefit(s) carrier (insurance providers)?

No

5. Question:

Are there any current condition management programs being utilized?

Answer:

There are condition management programs at Air Force Bases at Air Force MTFs but they vary base to base. The health coaches will not be overseeing any condition management programs.

6. Question:

Will condition management programs be offered to airmen during the period of the contract? If yes, what is the delivery model?

Health coaching will provide in-person and telephone-based services.

7. Question:

How will it be determined when a health coach is engaged? Will the USAF have inducements/triggers in place to initiate health coach engagement? If so, are they punitive or voluntary?

Health coaching will be engaged by provider referral, which will initiate health coaching outreach to the patient. Patients participate voluntarily.

8. Question:

Who will be responsible for determining if the contract will be extended to years two and three? What criteria will be used?

The customer has the say so if the contract will be extended for more than one year.

Criteria will be whether health coaching program is adding value to clinical services, and whether training provided is leading to consistent, high quality coaching.

9. Question:

Who will be eligible to receive the Health Coaching services?

MHS beneficiaries (i.e. active duty, reservists, dependents, etc.)

10. Question:

How many beneficiaries from the two locations will be included in the demonstration?

Expectation is that about 100-150 beneficiaries can be handled per health coach at any given time.

11. Question:

What is included within the Electronic Health Record (EHR)?

Answer: The Electronic Health Record contains the patients’ medical history. It allows providers to see previous diagnosis'/conditions/evaluations that the patient has had as they move from base to base throughout their (or their sponsor’s) military career. All health coaching encounters will be recorded in the Electronic Health Record.

12. Question:

Please describe the patient workflow of the EHR. Is each location the same in regards to patient workflow and EHR access?

Each location has standard patient workflow and EHR access.

13. Question:

How will the contractor access the patient workflow data and electronic health record?

Answer:The health coaches will access to EHR via direct network access or MHS

Genesis which enables access remotely. At Fairchild, the health coach will have access onsite. At DHHQ, the coach will utilize MHS Genesis.

14. Question:

As “Wellness Members” will USAF personnel have access to all stated resources on the

Contractor’s member portal, including their personal page? Is the intent that the contractor’s library be available on the USAF EHR? If so, who covers integration costs?

AF beneficiaries in health coaching should have access to Contractor portal to access library of resources. Part of the Program Manager’s role is to facilitate / coordinate efforts to integrate health coaching into the EHR. It is not the intent to integrate the contractors’ library into the EHR.

15. Question:

Is there an internal Project Manager candidate in mind due to the military experience required? Is USAF willing to negotiate the level of military experience required of the project manager?

No internal candidate in mind. Without strong foundation in military healthcare organization, workflow, and culture, it will be very difficult to optimally manage the project.

16. Question:

Please identify the variety of resources to determine the benefits of locating a coach centrally versus on-site.

The PWS calls for having two health coaches: one at Fairchild, and one at DHHQ. The evaluation will examine the tradeoff between having an on-site coach who can interact with providers and patients (“boots on ground”) vs. a remote coach, who can service multiple MTFs simultaneously.

17. Question:

Will the two health coaches be required to work more than 40 hours per week?

No

18. Question:

Will it be the sole responsibility of the contractor to demonstrate the effectiveness of the program?

Program effectiveness is government responsibility, but will need contractor support.

19. Question:

Will the contractor have input in how the program is evaluated?

Contractor will have input in evaluation.

20. Question:

Please identify the variety of sources that will assist in information evaluation.

As part of evaluation, contractor should collect business and clinical metrics. Qualitative evaluation of patients, MTF staff will also be considered as part of evaluation.

21. Question:

Please describe the in-person training.

Answer: The contractor will provide in-person training to the two health coaches using the contractor’s established training program.

22. Question:

Due to the NCCHWC, will the health coaches be required to obtain the NCCHWC certification?

No. NCCHWC accreditation is for the employer (contractor), and not specifically required for each health coach.

23. Question:

How many participants will be trained per Health Coach training? Are these current Air

Force personnel or other? If other, please detail. How will these trainees be deployed?

How will they be monitored? Will we be required to repeat the live training more than once?

Answer:

The two health coaches on the contract will be trained per Health Coach training. One will be deployed to on-site (Fairchild AFB) and the other at DHHQ. They will be monitored by the quality program established by the contractor and described in the PWS

2.0, b) Evaluation. Additional training requirements will be determined by the contractor based on the quality assurance and evaluation program.

24. Question:

What role do the 2 FTE health coaches play? Will they function primarily as Master

Coaches, providing support to the “new coaches” from the training outlined above, or are these individual functioning primarily as coaches to AF personnel who are requesting or required to be coached?

The two health coaches will provide the health coaching to the MHS beneficiaries referred for health coaching. MHS beneficiaries are individuals served by the Department of Defense health care enterprise, which provides care to active duty and retired U.S.

Military personnel and their dependents. This contract will not provide for training additional health coaches.

25. Question:

Does the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation under solicitation number FA805216R0013 contain requirements similar to a current contract? If possible, please provide the current contract number. Or, is this a new requirement for the government?

No, this is a new requirement for the government.

26. Question:

Can you tell me if there is a current contract for this Solicitation Number: FA8052-16-R-

0013? If so who is currently performing the contract?

There is not a current contract for this solicitation, it is a new requirement.

27. Question:

The RFP states that the contractor needs to have a "a comprehensive health coaching training program transitionally or fully accredited by the National Consortium for

Credentialing Health & Wellness Coaches (NCCHWC)…” Our research from the

NCCHWC website (http://www.ncchwc.org/organizations/) shows that only Universities and large corporations have a fully accredited program. This would force small businesses to team with large companies. Is it possible for the Government to provide the contractor with the fully accredited course and while we provide qualified staff to implement the course?

There are small business vendors that hold the NCCHWC accreditation already. The

Government will not provide the contractor with the course because the government does not hold the accreditation. In addition, the Government will not pay for the contractor to receive the accreditation.

28. Question:

There is a Combined RFP/Solicitation dated March 30, 2016 and then Solicitation 1 dated

March 31, 2016. What is the difference? Also, the tabs on the left indicate that the

Original Synopsis was changed on March 31, 2016, but there is no change document associated with March 31, 2016. The only document dated March 31, 2016 is the

Synopsis 1 with that date.

Solicitation 1 dated March 31, 2016, was the latest amendment to the first solicitation.

The contractor originally only needed to submit a proposal to the solicitation amendment dated March 31, 2016. However, Solicitation 2 dated 20 April 2016, is now the latest amendment to the original solicitation. Therefore, the contractor only needs to submit a proposal to the solicitation amendment dated 20 April 2016 and no other amendments at this time.