P01 - SOW.docx

Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 23 – Midwest VA Healthcare Network 2805 Dodd Road, Suite 250 Eagan, MN 55121

STATEMENT OF WORK

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Title of Project: EDUCATION FULL LICENSE(S) FOR PT, OT, SP and BR STAFF

2. Scope of Work: The procurement of 350-400 one-year licenses (subscriptions) is limited to the VISN 23 Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech Pathology (SP), and Blind Rehabilitation (BR) facility staff. These licenses shall be utilized by PT, OT, SP, and BR staff, residents, and fellows to provide high quality home exercise programs to Veterans and meet accreditation requirements for ongoing monitoring of competency advancement in specialized areas (geriatrics, neurologic, orthopedics, assistive technology, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation) at a price that is advantageous to the government through online resources when compared to the costs for offsite education and travel for the same number of staff. This contract will be awarded for a base year plus four (4) option years.

3. Background: Currently VISN 23 lacks a standardized approach to ensuring high quality handouts for home exercise programs (HEP) are provided to our Veterans and inconsistent support is provided to rehabilitation therapy staff for maintaining competency.

The lack of a standardized electronic home exercise program system is particularly problematic with the expansion of telehealth where an electronic medium is required to provide the routines to Veterans. Provision of a detailed HEP is known to improve compliance and outcomes in rehabilitation therapy services. Historically large boxes of 4x6 cards were used to at a copy machine to print out home exercise programs (HEPs) to provide to Veterans. This system has become obsolete as the products have moved online. While most of our VAs did move to an electronic system many years ago, that system has now also become obsolete and is no longer support by IT departments. This has left our rehabilitation therapists to find free online options to use or self-purchase higher quality systems. This equates to a wide variability in the quality of materials provided to our Veterans across VISN 23 in the current state.

Inclusion of high-quality continuing education component into the system will provide an equivalent resource across all VISN 23 rehabilitation therapy departments to help ensure high quality care is provided by therapists who remain competent and current in their knowledge. This supports therapist licensure requirements and opportunities for remaining current with evidence-based practice as well as increased competency. This is a highly sought-after option for therapists and will also serve as a recruitment and retention incentive within our highly rural VISN.

The cost of this program decreases with volume therefore we are proposing the VISN purchase a system to be used across all of our medical centers and CBOCs. The product includes a platform for Veterans to input/monitor their own progress, video demonstration of the activity, and a smart-phone app that can send reminders to the Veteran to complete the program. All of these are proven methods to improve compliance and ultimately the outcome for the Veteran.

4. Performance Period: N/A

5. Type of Contract: One base year plus four option years

B. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING

Not required.

C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

VISN 23 Rehabilitation and Extended care requires a reliable platform to both develop home exercise programs to be provided electronically to Veterans as well as a system to provide continuing education and support ongoing evidence-based practice and advancing therapist competence across the VISN. To reduce cost and time associated with training, a single product is desired. The product must offer tracking features to ensure use and compliance with expectations and meet accreditation standards. It must include supportive materials on all key clinical tests and outcome measures as well as preparatory supports for clinical specialization to support us in implementing standardized outcome measure use and advancing specialty offerings with rehabilitation departments. The product needs to offer patient education videos and electronic home exercise programs that do not violate privacy regulations and does not require connection to the electronic health record to further protect Veteran privacy and information security.

More specifically, all the below are required within the product:

1. System selected offers the option to provide HEPs electronically to meet the need of therapy programs developed via telehealth

2. System selected is accessible by all therapists regardless of work location (i.e. Not limited to a specific computer in a single location where the program is available)

3. A standardized approach across the VISN will support HRO principles and consistent high-quality care

4. System selected will be cloud based to negate need to ongoing IT support

5. System will be free of vendor advertisements to ensure there is no perception of bias or favoritism.

6. System will offer a broad array of exercises in a standardized, consistent format to meet the broad needs of the Veteran population served

7. System will use images of actual people as opposed to cartoon or stick figures to provide a more accurate, repeatable movement demonstration

8. System will offer videos for patient education

9. A consistent program will be used across providers to allow continuity of care between therapists through the ability to see specifically what previous HEP was provided

10. System will not require PHI be entered to ensure Veteran privacy

11. System selected will allow for programs to be saved and templates to be developed to save therapist time and increase efficiency

12. System used will offer programs to be developed in multiple languages

13. System will not require EHR connection

14. System will offer continuing education to meet accreditation requirements

15. Continuing education offerings will support therapists pursing specialty areas of practice

16. Continuing education offerings will include videos on clinical tests and outcome measures to support VISN wide implementation of the use of standardized outcome measures

17. Assigned/Dedicated vendor manager to assist in assigning the license(s) and supporting VISN REC ICC in assignment.

18. System is all-inclusive and provide all the above within one system and not various systems to complete requirements.

The cost of this program decreases with volume therefore we are proposing the VISN purchase a system to be used across all of our medical centers and CBOCs. The product includes a platform for Veterans to track progress, video demonstration of the activity, and a smart-phone app that can send reminders to the Veteran to complete the program. All of these are proven methods to improve compliance and ultimately the outcome for the Veteran.

D. SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES

Task One: Quote

Deliverable One: 350-400 licenses

Task Two: Dedicated Account Manager

Deliverable Two: Assigned licenses through email accounts

Task Three: Training of staff

Deliverable Three: Appropriately trained staff

E. EVALUATED OPTIONAL TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES [If applicable]

N/A

F. SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES

June 30, 2022

G. CHANGES TO STATEMENT OF WORK

Option to increase number of subscriptions in keeping with staffing growth. Additional Subscriptions; Annual True-Up. Customer may purchase additional Subscriptions at any time after initial implementation. Vendor will bill quarterly for these additional Subscriptions. Customer must pay each invoice in full within thirty (30) days of receipt of the invoice (invoices are deemed received on the date vendor emails them to Customer’s designated billing contact). Vendor reserves the right to refuse to grant or to suspend access for any unpaid subscriptions until payment has been received. Subscriptions purchased after initial implementation are granted access to the Subscription Materials for one (1) year from the date of purchase. Each year on the Anniversary Date, the Parties shall perform an annual true-up, wherein Customer is provided a pro-rata credit to align all Subscriptions with the billing cycle.

H. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The contractor will provide an updated quote as requested within timeframe requested that will include name and contact of Vendor Account Manager. The VISN REC ICC point of contact will be provided with contact information.

I. TRAVEL [If applicable]

N/A

J. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES [If applicable]

Provision of government emails to vendor to account assignments

K. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

The contractor has agreed to complete SAM registration and government pricing guidelines.

L. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE

None

M. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS[footnoteRef:1] [1: This language is still in draft form. The OI Service Center is reviewing alternative sources for background investigations. ]

The C&A requirements do not apply and a Security Accreditation Package is not required as there is no interface with this equipment and CPRS.

Attachment A to the Statement of Work

Schedule of Deliverables

Deliverable No.

One Item

Quote/350 licenses

Quantity

Delivery Date

June 30, 2022

June 30, 2022

Provided within 60 days delivery of devices