Response to amendment 3 quetions.pdf

The following are questions raised to the combined Solicitation Number NIHCL2010076 Specialized Housekeeping Services and the respective Government Responses.

Question Number 1 – Are there any “Clean Room” environments in either the labs or pharmacies?

Governments Response – The Clinical Center does not define specific areas as clean rooms, the five risk levels of cleaning are the only recognized cleaning requirements. All areas of the Clinical Center fall under one of these five risk levels and are to be cleaned according to the standards specified in Attachment One of the Solicitation – Performance Work Statement, Section 5, Tasks.

Question Number 2 – In order to accurately calculate the allotment of sick and vacation time (holidays are spelled out in the solicitation) we would need to know the current allotment. To obtain this we will need a copy of the CBA and the dates of hire and hours scheduled per week if the CBA has different levels of vacation allotment based on hours worked?

Government’s Response – Please refer to Attachment Number Two, Wage Determination, of the solicitation. Page 14 through 20 details the minimum benefits employees covered by the Wage Determination must be provided with.

Question Number 3 – Assuming a December start, has the current vendor given notice to the employees assuming this falls under the WARN Act?

Government's Response – The Governments current contract is not subject to The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (WARN Act).

Question Number 4 – How many Past Performance Questionnaires would you like filled out by current clients of ours?

Governments Response – Past Performance questionnaires are used as an instrument for the evaluation team to evaluate the Offerors experience with similar requirements as well as their performance rating from a specific institution or organization. Please refer to Section L, Article L2.10, page 102 of the solicitation for Past Performance Information.

Question Number 5 – Can we receive an extension, since the Union #572 has not sent any of the employee information we need to bid.

Government Response – The due date has for proposal submission has been extended to November 2, 2010 at 12:00 Noon. Deadline for question submittal will be October 22, 2010 at 3:00PM.

Question Number 6 – Please provide a schedule of incentive bonuses awarded to the current contractor in the past 12 months?

Government Response – This information can be obtained through a request under The Freedom of information Act (FOIA). Please send all requests to the FOIA Coordinator:

Deshawn Riddick Office of Communications, Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center 10 Cloister Court, Building 61 Bethesda, MD 20892

Question Number 7 – In response to Amendment #2, wage determination; why is there no Housekeeping Aide #2 listed?

Government Response – The wage and determination (WD) statements are developed based on certain criteria and based on the information presented, the Government recognizes the following categories for our requirement and they are:

Housekeeping Aide

We have provided the WD as a basis for the minimum wages that can be paid for these job categories. It is solely up to the Offerors how they wish to classify their employees, the only requirement is the must pay at least the minimum amount referenced in the WD.

Question Number 8 – Why is the Contractor paying $11.55 for housekeeping Aide #1, when your document calls for $11.83?

Government Response - The current wages paid by the current contractor to their employees is covered under the Collective bargaining Agreement they have with the Union.

Question Number 9 – What mopping systems are currently being used?

Government Response – Currently the Clinical Center is using a Micro Fiber Mopping system. The mops are prepared daily by placing them in a special container with the prescribed cleaning solution;

this ensures that the mops have the proper moisture content for cleaning.

Question Number 10 – What area of the hospital are open on holidays?

Government Response – Please refer to the Solicitation Attachment Number 1 – Performance work Statement, page 113, section 1.4 Scope second paragraph. It states that the contractor shall have employees on duty 24 hours per day 365 days per year to service all areas of the contract. Please refer to Section F, Article F7.1

Question Number 11 - On holidays do you require any work other than routine work to be performed?

Government Response –It is solely up the individual contractor how they schedule their time and resources to achieve the required work.

Question Number 12 – Are there Health assessments at NIH? If so what is the cost?

Government Response – Health assessments are required for all employees working for the contractor. Please refer to the Solicitation Section F, Article F6 Page 67, Compliance Reports and Article F7, page 68, Deliverables for the specific requirements. In addition in Attachment Number 1

– Performance Work statement Exhibit B covers all the assessments that are required as well as the frequency of the assessments.

The costs of these assessments are the responsibility of the contractor.

Question Number 13 – Is there an automatic dollar increase to the contractor through the fair labor standards Act?

Government Response – There is no automatic dollar increase for the anticipated contract.

FAR 52.222-43 Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act –Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts) (SEPT 2009) has been included by reference in Section I, Article I.1, page 83.

Each year if the Government determines it is their best interest to exercise an option period of the contract a new Wage and determination report will be published which will have the prevailing rates that must be paid for the categories that pertain to this requirement. This price adjustment is covered by Service Contract Act previously reference in the solicitation in Section I, Article I.1, page 83.

Question Number 14 – Do you provide any motor vehicles, and are there any motor vehicles required for this contract?

Government Response – The Government does not believe an automobile is needed for this requirement.

Question Number 15 – How many federal employees do we train?

Government Response – Please refer to Attachment Number 1 of the Performance Work Statement Section 5.2 Contractor Requirements, specifically 5.2.1 the third sentence has been revised to read “The contractor shall supply a full time training coordinator to train both Federal and contract employees, currently there are thirty eight (38) federal employees”.

Question Number 16 – Does the contractor handle patient discharge? When patients are discharged is it the contractor’s responsibility to clean the room only?

Government response – The actual movement of patients for discharge is handled through the Patient Transport department. The contractor is responsible for cleaning discharge rooms on the patient units. Please refer to Attachment One of the solicitation – Performance Work Statement, section 5 – Tasks pages 128 and 130.

Question Number 17 – Is there a definition of Administrative Cost? These are noted in the pricing forms but the definitions in the RFP are not clear. I thought it means Payroll, HR, training support and legal fees?

Government Response – Please refer to CLIN006 of all the pricing tables, this is the specific pricing sheet for the Administrative Cost. Each cost the Government has determined to be an administrative cost is listed on this spread sheet.

Question Number 18 – Is it possible to get a complete listing of the contractors who attended the Bidders Conference?

Government Response – This information can be obtained through a FOIA request, please refer to question number 6 for procedures for filing a FOIA request.

Question Number 19 - Earlier the Government response was that if the primary contractor was a small business then it did not need to complete the Sub-Contracting Plan. When the primary Contractor is a Small Business, is it still required to submit a list of targeted work for SDB?

Government Response – The original response is correct a small business concern who is the primary contractor and that company performs more than fifty percent of the contracted work they are exempt from filing the Small Business Plan. However, this does not preclude any Offeror from submitting a plan that details participation of Small Disadvantaged Business’ (SDB).

Question Number 20 – What are the hours of operation for the clinics, day hospitals and other outpatient areas?

Government Response – The normal hours of operation are as follows:

1. Outpatient Clinics – 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

2. Clinics - 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

3. Day Hospitals – 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Please refer to the Performance Work Statement Attachment No 1 of the solicitation, revised Section 5 Tasks, Risk levels IV for the hours of operation and number of days per week areas are to be cleaned.

Although the times provided are the scheduled times for the referenced areas, this does not preclude them from operating shorter, longer hours and even off hours as the Clinical Center needs require.

Question Number 21 – Does any of the Lab space require “clean room” or “sterile Room cleaning” procedures?

Government Response – Please refer to Question Number One for the appropriate response.

Question Number 22 – What is the average daily OR case load?

Government Response – Currently the average daily case load of the Operating rooms is nine.

Please refer to the Performance Work Statement Attachment No 1 of the solicitation, revised Section 5 Tasks, Risk levels V for specifics.

Question Number 23 – Average daily Cath Lab case load?

Government Response – Currently the average daily rate is three cases per day. Please refer to question number 22 for additional information on this response.

Please refer to the Performance Work Statement Attachment No 1 of the solicitation, revised Section 5 Tasks, Risk levels V for specifics.

Question number 24 – Average daily discharge\transfer cleanings?

Government Response – Currently the average daily discharge\transfer cleaning is approximately 50 rooms. All rooms are private rooms.

Question Number 25 – Does Bed Tracking exist or an alternative?

Government Response – The Clinical Center does not utilize a computerized Bed Tracking System, nor are we requesting it to be added as an option to this contract.

Question Number 26 – How is the medical waste disposed of? Sharps? Is there an autoclave?

Government Response

Medical waste disposal – Medical waste is placed in designated medical waste boxes, these boxes are picked up each day by The National Institutes of Health (NIH) for processing at a separate building on campus.

Sharps – The sharps containers are placed in the medical waste boxes and follow the procedures stated above for routine medical waste.

Is there an Autoclave – The clinical Center does not have an autoclave for medical waste or sharps processing. All medical waste goes through an incineration process.

Question Number 27 – Linen Distribution? Is there an in house laundry or is there a linen service and do they do the distribution?

Government Response – The clinical Center does not process linen in house. There is an in-house linen service that distributes the clean linens.

Question Number 28 – According to the RFP, page 113 “background” the contract service company (Crothall) cleans the patient care areas and the Government cleans the CRC areas. Please verify if this is correct. If so is it still being cleaned as outlined or has Crothall or a subcontractor cleaning these areas?

Government Response – The information provided on page 113 of the Performance Work Statement is background information, and is in no way meant to identify the services currently being provided.

The areas to be cleaned are defined in Attachment One of the solicitation – Performance Work Statement in Section 5 Task pages 122 through 131.

Question Number 29 – Is Environmental Services expected to conduct between case cleaning in the following areas, or in other similar locations?

Various Clinics, Imaging Areas (Radiology, MRI, CT, Ultrasound, etc.), Nuclear Medicine, Cardiopulmonary Procedures, Radiation Oncology, Phlebotomy\Heart Medicine.

Government Response

Various Clinics – The only between case cleaning performed here is if there is a case that is determined to be of an infectious nature that requires specialized housekeeping services. Currently this has averaged approximately 5 a month.

Imaging Areas (Radiology, MRI, CT, Ultrasound, etc.) – There is in between case cleaning in CT and Special Procedures, and this is by request for isolation cases.

Nuclear Medicine – Same as the other outpatient areas, only if there is an isolation case that requires specialized housekeeping services.

Radiation Oncology – Same as above

Cardiopulmonary Procedures – Yes the same as all outpatient areas.

Phlebotomy\Heart Medicine – Contractor will not have to perform any in between case cleaning in these areas.

Please refer to the Performance Work Statement Attachment No 1 of the solicitation, revised Section 5 Tasks, Risk levels IV and V for specifics.

Question 30 – Has Crothall been able to meet existing quality scores? Are they in penalty? What are the NRC Picker scores now?

Government Response – This information is available through an FOIA request, please refer to question number 6 on procedures for requesting information under FOIA.

Question Number 31 – What is the current wage rate for Crothall associates?

Government Response – This information is available through an FOIA request, please refer to question number 6 on procedures for requesting information under FOIA.

Question Number 32- Can we obtain a breakdown of the length of service for vacation accruals?

Government Response – This information is available through an FOIA request, please refer to question number 6 on procedures for requesting information under FOIA.

Question Number 33 – Are we assuming vacation accrual banks?

Government Response – This will be based on agreement between the contractor awarded the contractor and the current contractor.

Question Number 34 – RFP states that the stat room cleaning must performed in 15 minutes and 20 minutes in critical care areas. Is this statement read to be true?

Government Response – The requirement for cleaning a stat room is 20 minutes from time of notification that the room is needed. Please refer to pages 128 and 130 of the Performance Work Statement, Attachment Number One of the solicitation.

Question Number 35 – In comparing specs with the current specs it seems you have added two areas previously done by the Federal Employees. These are the Cafeteria and the labs on the first and second floor. Is this accurate?

Government Response – The solicitation list all areas that may or may not be cleaned either now or in the future, the actual areas that are to be cleaned currently are listed in Task order number One.

Question Number 36 – Reference Article H.7 “Task orders” Section H.7.1, page 73. Could you please clarify this entire section? Specifically the statement, “The contractor shall provide an estimate of the hardware, software and estimated labor hours”. Article H.6 and H.7 seem to suggest that after award task orders must still be estimated. It this correct?

Government Response – The sentence at H.7.1 has been revised to read “The Contractor shall review each proposed task order and shall provide an estimate of the specified tasks (including delineation of labor categories and time required to perform the effort) specified therein on a firm-fixed price basis.”

Task orders will be issued for any work required under this contract. Before any task order is issued for review and signature a proposal will be requested from the contractor for the specific task order.

Question Number 37 – Reference section I.4.5 “Statement of equivalent rate for Federal hires” While we realize this data is only for informational purposes can you clarify why those particular employee classes were selected? It would seem that the federal employee classes of Housekeeping Aide or Janitor (or equivalent) would have been more appropriate.

Government Response – Section I.4.5 table has been revised to read as follows:

This Statement is for Information Only:

It is not a Wage Determination

Employee Class Monetary Wage—Fringe

Benefits

Housekeeping Aide

11.83

Question Number 38 – Reference section L.4 “Business proposal Instructions” What pricing sheets are to be returned in this section? Do you want all five risk level cleaning sheets in all option periods, the administrative sheets, the summary sheets and Task order number One?

Government Response – All pricing sheets are to be returned with your proposal. We have provided formatted Excel Spread Sheets to assist in your preparation of pricing.

Question Number 39 – Was the Bar coding system initially a Government system? If so can you provide the name of the system?

Government response – The bar codes installed were done by the Government, they were done as part of a room inventory system and can be used for a proposed Quality Assurance Program.