P02 Sources Sought 36C26327Q0040.docx

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

NETWORK CONTRACTING OFFICE 23

316 ROBERT STREET N, SUITE 506

SAINT PAUL MN 55101

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer Jeffrey Brown Jeffrey.Brown8@va.gov

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

4801 Veterans Drive

St. Cloud Minnesota

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

The St. Cloud VA Healthcare System requires a board-certified hematology/oncology physician and a registered nurse services on site in accordance with the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) below.

This is a sources sought looking for vendors to perform the services per the PWS for market research purposes. No awards of a contract will be made from this announcement.

If you are a vendor that can complete the work described in the PWS with competitive pricing, please send your contact and organization information with a descriptive proof of capability to: Jeffrey.Brown8@va.gov on or before October 14th, 2026. Only emailed responses will be considered.

Additionally, please provide answers as appropriate to the following questions in the table below with your response to this sources sought. Failure to respond to the following questions may affect the acquisition strategy.

*If applicable, VAAR 852.219-75 VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting—Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction, will apply to the potential solicitation if set-aside for Veteran Owned Small-Businesses or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small-Businesses.* *If applicable, FAR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting, will apply to the potential solicitation if set-aside for Small-Businesses.*

DRAFT PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

1. GENERAL:

1.1. Services Provided: The Contractor shall provide Board Certified Hematology/Oncology Physician and a Registered Nurse on site in accordance with the specifications contained herein to beneficiaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the SCVAHCS on a scheduled basis.

1.2. Place of Performance: Contractor shall furnish services at the SCVAHCS, 4801 Veterans Drive, St Cloud, MN 56303.

1.3. Authority: Title 38 USC § 8153, Health Care Resources (HCR) sharing Authority and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Parts 12 and 15, and Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Part 873.

1.4. Policy/Handbooks: The Contractor shall be subject to the following policies, (including any subsequent updates) during the period of performance. The policies listed below can be accessed electronically at the following:

VA Publications and VHA Publications

1.4.1. VA Directive 1663: Health Care Resources Contracting - Buying

1.4.2. VHA Directive 1053: Chronic Kidney Disease Prevention, Early Recognition, and Management

1.4.3. VHA Directive 1100.16 Accreditation of Medical Facility and Ambulatory Programs

1.4.4. VHA Handbook 1100.17: National Practitioner Data Bank Reports

1.4.5. VHA Directive 1100.18: Reporting and Responding to State Licensing Boards

1.4.6. VHA Directive 1100.20 Credentialing of Health Care Providers

1.4.7. VHA Directive 1100.21(1) Privileging

1.4.8. VHA Directive 1003.04: VHA Patient Advocacy

1.4.9. VHA Directive 1065: Productivity and Staffing Guidance for Specialty Registered Nurse Group Practice

1.4.10. VHA Directive 1088: Communicating Test Results to Providers and Patients

1.4.11. VHA Directive 1192.01: Seasonal Influenza Prevention Program

1.4.12. VHA Directive 1220(1): Facility Procedure Complexity Designation Requirements to Perform Invasive Procedures in Any Clinical Setting

1.4.13. VHA Directive 1400.01 Supervision of Physician, Dental, Optometry, Chiropractic and Podiatry Residents

1.4.14. VHA Handbook 1400.04: Supervision of Associated Health Trainees

1.4.15. VHA Directive 1083 Notification of Medical Malpractice (Tort) Claims to Involve Staff and Notice of Employment Status to Office of General Counsel

1.4.16. VHA Directive 1605.01 Privacy and Release of Information

1.4.17. VHA Directive 1660.03 Conflict of Interest for Sharing of Health Care Resource (HCR)

1.4.18. VHA Directive 1907.01(1): VHA Health Information Management and Health Records

1.4.19. Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) as amended

1.4.20. VHA Handbook 1065 Productivity and Staffing Guidance for Specialty Provider Group Practice

1.4.21. VA Forms

1.4.22. Joint Commission: http://www.jointcommission.org/standards/

1.4.23. HHS OIG Website: http://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/index.asp

1.4.24. American Journal for Infection Control - AJIC 1998; 26:289-354: http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/InfectControl98.pdf

1.5. Definitions/Acronyms- Terms used in this contract shall be interpreted as follows unless the context expressly requires a different construction and/or interpretation. In case of a conflict in language between the Definitions and other sections of this contract, the language in this section shall govern.

1.5.1. ABIM: American Board of Internal Medicine - Hematology

1.5.2. ACEN: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing

1.5.3. ACGME: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education

1.5.4. ACP: American College of Physicians, Internal Medicine

1.5.5. AOD: Admitting Officer of the Day

1.5.6. ASH: American Society of Hematology/Oncology: ASH Clinical Practice Guidelines - Hematology.org

1.5.7. BAA: Business Associate Agreement

1.5.8. BLS: Basic Life Support

1.5.9. CCNE: The American Association of Colleges of Nursing

1.5.10. CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1.5.11. CDR: Contract Discrepancy Report

1.5.12. CEU: Certified Education Unit

1.5.13. Clinical Privileging: Clinical Privileging is the process by which a practitioner, licensed for independent practice; e.g., without supervision, direction, required sponsor, preceptor, mandatory collaboration, etc.; is permitted by law and the facility to practice independently, to provide specific medical or other patient care services within the scope of the individual’s license, based upon the individual’s clinical competence as determined by peer references, professional experience, health status, education, training and licensure. Clinical privileges must be facility-specific and provider-specific, and within available resources

1.5.14. CME: Continuing Medical Education

1.5.15. CMS: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

1.5.16. CO: Contracting Officer: The person executing this contract on behalf of the Government with the authority to enter into and administer contracts and make related determinations and findings.

1.5.17. COR: Contracting Officer’s Representative: A person appointed by the CO to take necessary action to ensure the Contractor performs in accordance with and adheres to the specifications contained in the contract and to protect the interest of the Government. The COR shall report to the CO promptly any indication of non-compliance in order that appropriate action can be taken.

1.5.18. COS: Chief of Staff

1.5.19. CPARS: Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System

1.5.20. CPRS: Computerized Patient Recordkeeping System- electronic health record system used by the VA.

1.5.21. Credentialing: Credentialing is the systematic process of screening and evaluating qualification and other credentials, including licensure, required education, relevant training and experience and current competence and health status.

1.5.22. DEA: Drug Enforcement Agency

1.5.23. ED: Emergency Department

1.5.24. EHR: Electronic Health Record – electronic health record system used by the VA.

1.5.25. EMR: Electronic Medical Record

1.5.26. ePAS: Electronic Permission Access System

1.5.27. FOIA: Freedom of Information Act

1.5.28. FSMB: Federation of State Medical Boards

1.5.29. FTE: Full Time Equivalent. VA’s definition for full time- working the equivalent of 80 hours every two weeks, 2080 hours per year. In calculating FTE, any hours not worked on national holidays shall not be included.

1.5.30. HHS: Department of Health and Human Services

1.5.31. HICPAC: Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee– a federal advisory committee made up of 14 external infection control experts who provide advice and guidance to the CDC and the Secretary of HHS regarding the practice of health care infection control, strategies for surveillance and prevention and control of health care associated infections in United States health care facilities.

1.5.32. HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

1.5.33. HR: Human Resources

1.5.34. ISO: Information Security Officer

1.5.35. Key Personnel: The individuals specified in this contract are essential to the work performance.

1.5.36. Medical Emergency - a sudden onset of a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably result in: Permanently placing a patient's health in jeopardy, causing other serious medical consequences, causing impairments to body functions, or causing serious or permanent dysfunction of any body-organ or part.

1.5.37. MOD: Medical Officer of the Day

1.5.38. NARA: National Archives and Records Administration

1.5.39. NPI: National Provider Identifier: NPI is a standard, unique 10-digit numeric identifier required by HIPAA. The Veterans Health Administration must use NPIs in all HIPAA-standard electronic transactions for individual (health care practitioners) and organizational entities (medical centers).

1.5.40. Non-Contract Provider - any person, organization, agency, or entity that is not directly or indirectly employed by the Contractor or any of its subcontractors.

1.5.41. NP: Nurse Practitioner

1.5.42. NPPES: National Plan and Provider Enumeration System

1.5.43. NWIHCS: Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System

1.5.44. PA: Physician Assistant

1.5.45. PIV: Personal Identify Verification

1.5.46. POP: Period of Performance

1.5.47. PPD: Purified Protein Derivative

1.5.48. PWS: Performance Work Statement

1.5.49. Privileging (Clinical Privileging): Privileging is the process by which a practitioner, licensed for independent practice; e.g., without supervision, direction, required sponsor, preceptor, mandatory collaboration, etc.; is permitted by law and the facility to practice independently, to provide specific medical or other patient care services within the scope of the individual’s license, based upon the individual’s clinical competence as determined by peer references, professional experience, health status, education, training and licensure. Clinical privileges must be facility-specific and provider-specific.

1.5.50. QA/QI: Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement

1.5.51. QM/PI: Quality Management/Performance Improvement

1.5.52. QASP: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

1.5.53. RFP: Request for Proposal

1.5.54. TJC: The Joint Commission

1.5.55. TMS: Talent Management System

1.5.56. VA: Department of Veterans Affairs

1.5.57. VHA: Veterans Health Administration - The central office for administration of the VA medical centers through throughout the United States. The VHA is located in Washington, D.C.

1.5.58. VISN: Veterans Integrated Services Network- the regional oversight for the VA medical centers. The VISN office for VA HWIHCS is located in Eagan, MN

1.5.59. VISTA (Veterans Integrated Systems Technology Architecture): A PC based system that will capture and store clinical imagery, scanned documents and other non-textual data files and integrates them into patient’s medical record and with the hospital information system.

1.5.60. VetPro: a federal web-based credentialing program for healthcare providers.

1.5.61. VAMC: Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Unless identified with the name of a different VA medical Center, for purposes of this contract, this term shall mean the Omaha VA Medical Center.

1.5.62. VHA: Veterans Health Administration

2. QUALIFICATIONS:

2.1. Staff/Facility

2.1.1. License – The Contractor’s physician(s) (MD/DO) and Registered Nurse (RN) proposed by the Contractor and accepted by the Government to perform these services covered by this contract, shall have a current license to practice medicine in any State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or the District of Columbia) when services are performed onsite on VA property.

All licenses held by the personnel working on this contract shall be full and unrestricted licenses. Contractor’s physician(s) and Registered nurses who have current, full and unrestricted licenses in one or more states, but who have, or ever had, a license restricted, suspended, revoked, voluntarily revoked, voluntarily surrendered pending action or denied upon application shall not be considered for the purposes of this contract. Contractor is responsible for keeping the SCVAHCS COR apprised of any matter that has the potential to adversely affect or otherwise limit the clinical privileges of the Contractor physicians. Note: Failure to keep SCVAHCS fully informed on these matters may result in loss of privileges. Contractor will ensure that SCVAHCS always has a current copy of provider license(s).

2.1.2. Board Certification: All Contractor’s physician(s) shall be Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in Oncology with Hematology being accepted as an additional certification, and be currently certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) by the American Heart Association (AHA). All continuing education courses required for maintaining certification shall be kept up to date at all times. Documentation verifying current certification must be provided by the Contractor to the VA COR on an annual basis for each year of contract performance.

2.1.3. Registered Nurses: Graduation from a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State-accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

2.1.3.1. A current license in at least one (1) state, territory, or commonwealth in the U.S.

2.1.3.2. Current certification in CPR by an American Health Association Vendor

2.1.3.3. Current Basic Life Support certification. If assigned to a specialty clinic, contract nurse/RN shall also have current ACLS certification

2.1.3.4. A current CV which identifies the provider’s education and professional qualifications commensurate with the position or specialty for which they are being offered to perform.

2.1.3.5. A minimum of one (1) year direct patient care experience within the last three (3) years. VA experience is desirable.

2.1.4. Credentialing and Privileging – Credentialing and privileging is to be done in accordance with the provisions of VHA Handbook 1100.21(1) and VHA Directive 1100.20 referenced above. This VHA Handbook provides updated VHA procedures regarding credentialing and privileging, to include incorporating: VHA policy concerning VetPro; the Expedited Medical Staff Appointment Process; credentialing during activation of the facility Disaster Plan; requirements for querying the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB); credentialing and privileging requirements for Telemedicine and remote health care; clarifications for the Summary Suspension of Privileges process in order to ensure both patient safety and practitioner rights; and the credentialing requirements for other required providers.

The Contractor is responsible to ensure that proposed physician(s) and Registered Nurse(s):

(1) possesses the requisite credentials enabling the granting of privileges and

(2) completes credentialing and privileging through the VA’s computerized credentialing system (VetPro) in accordance with the Medical Staff Bylaws.

No services shall be provided by any contract physician(s) or Registered Nurses prior to obtaining approval by the VA Medical Staff Credentials Committee, Executive Committee of the Medical Staff and Director. Contract physician(s) must have a VA PIV badge prior to start of work. Physicians will practice within the scope of practice in accordance with their credentialing and privileging. If the Contractor’s physician(s) or Registered Nurses is/are not credentialed and privileged or has credentials/privileges suspended or revoked, the Contractor shall propose a replacement physician who possesses equal or greater qualifications than the physician being replaced, at a rate to be mutually agreed upon, and without any additional cost to the Government.

If any contract employee resigns or is terminated in less than three (3) consecutive months, the VA will not pay for any time associated with the orientation at the VA for a different contract employee. If a contract employee is dismissed by the VA for reasons due to negligence, inappropriate behavior, tardiness, poor performance, or an inability to complete the required tasks associated with the position during the orientation process, the VA will not pay for that individual’s orientation period. If a contract employee is dismissed by the VA for reasons due to negligence, inappropriate behavior, tardiness, poor performance, or an inability to complete the required tasks associated with the position after the orientation period, the VA reserves the right to negotiate with the Contractor to adjust payment accordingly during the pay period in which the Contractor employee was dismissed.

2.1.4.1. Privileges will require renewal at least every two (2) years in accordance with Medical Center and The Joint Commission (TJC) requirements. Physicians assigned by the contractor to work at the VA Medical Center will be required to report specific patient outcome information, such as complications, to the Service Chief. Quality Improvement data provided by the physicians and/or collected by the Services will be used to analyze individual practice patterns. The Service Chief will utilize the data to formulate recommendations for the Executive Committee of the Medical Staff and Director to consider in the renewal of clinical privileges.

2.1.5. Technical Proficiency – Contractor’s physician(s) shall be technically proficient in the skills necessary to fulfill the government’s requirements, including the ability to speak, understand, read and write English fluently. Contractor shall provide documents upon request of the CO/COR to verify current and ongoing competency, skills, certification and/or licensure related to the provision of care, treatment and/or services performed. Contractor shall provide verifiable evidence of all educational and training experiences including any gaps in educational history for all Contractor’s physician(s) and the contractor’s physician(s) shall be responsible for abiding by the Facility's Medical Staff By-Laws, rules, and regulations (referenced herein) that govern medical staff behavior.

2.1.6. Continuing Medical Education (CME)/ Certified Education Unit (CEU) Requirements: Contractor shall provide the COR copies of current CMEs as required by the SCVAHCS. Contractor’s physician(s) registered or certified by national/medical associations shall continue to meet the minimum standards for CME to remain current. Contractor shall report CME hours to the credential’s office for tracking. These documents are required for both privileging and re-privileging. Failure to provide shall result in loss of privileges for Contractor’s physician(s).

2.1.7. Training (BLS, CPRS and VA MANDATORY: Contractor shall meet all VA educational requirements and mandatory course requirements defined herein in time to maintain patient care; all training shall be completed by the contractor’s physician(s) as required by the VA. Other training may become required. VA will communicate any changes to the training requirement to the contractor. (Training requirements are referenced below).

Mandatory Training for Transient Clinical Staff

- Active Threat Training

- Military Sexual Trauma (MST) for Medical Providers

- Government Ethics

- Prevention of Workplace Harassment/No Fear Act

- VHA MRI Safety Training Level 1 Training (all who enter MRI suites)

- VA Core Values Training (I CARE Recommitment)

- VHA Privacy and HIPAA Focused Training

- Patient Safety

- Patient Rights

- Patient Abuse

- Prevention/Management of Disruptive Behavior/Violence Prevention Level 1

- Suicide Prevention: Suicide Risk Management Training for Clinicians

- SUX Infection Control and Blood Borne Pathogens

Annual - TMS Item #20152

(All training denoted to the left is covered under this TMS Listing)

2 hours

VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior

EHR (Electronic Health Records CPRS)

CBI (VA Compliance Business and Integrity)

2.1.7.1. American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) Requirements: BLS is required for all providers. These certifications shall be kept up to date (required every two years) or provider’s privileges will be suspended until the training has been completed and proof has been provider to the Service Chief. Contractor shall provide a back-up provider(s) who is credentialed and privileged through the VA and current on all required training.

2.1.7.2. BLS: For providers that will not be utilizing moderate sedation, the following identifies the training requirements:

· Evidence of current American Heart Association BLS training. Must remain current to maintain privileges.

Notes:

1. Contract providers are responsible for their own cost of BLS. There are a few options for completing the BLS requirement through the American Heart Association:

· Take the American Heart Association blended learning which requires the purchase of the AHA online Heart code key at www.onlineaha.org for Part 1. There will be no cost to the contractor to complete parts 2 and 3 by contacting the NWI BLS VA program director.

· Contractor can purchase at their own expense a BLS course in the community.

· If there is space available in a face-to-face class, there will be no cost to the Contractor. Contractors will register for Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS) via the VA’s Talent Management System.

2. A copy of the front and back of an American Heart Association BLS course card shall be provided to the clinical service’s point of contact.

2.1.7.3. In performance of official duties, Contractor’s staff have regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive data (CPRS), which must be protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), and other applicable laws, Federal Regulations, Veterans Affairs statutes, policies, and regulations. Contractor’s staff are responsible for: (1) protecting that data from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion and (2) following all applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc., asset out in a computer access agreement which contract provider(s) signs.

2.1.7.4. Prior to having access to the VA computer system, the contractor’s staff shall complete required security training via the VA’s Talent Management System (TMS) (https://www.tms.va.gov/SecureAuth35/). Contractor’s staff members having access to VA Information Systems are required to complete the Rules of Behavior statement annually which outlines rules of behavior related to VA Automated Information Systems. (Usually done in TMS [Item #10176] and signed electronically in TMS). If there is an emergent situation, the Contractor will complete the training and manually sign a VA Computer Access Agreement/Rules of Behavior Statement.

2.1.7.5. In addition, if providing medical services, contractor’s staff will attend CPRS training prior to providing any patient care services. Contractor’s staff shall document patient care in CPRS to comply with all VA and equivalent Joint Commission standards (reference VHA Handbook 1907.01, “Health Information Management and Health Records”.

2.1.7.6. VA Compliance Business and Integrity (CBI) Training: Contractor shall provide documented proof (Attachment D.12) to the contracting officer or COR that all contractor’s staff and sub-contractors have received their annual CBI Training. The COR will arrange for training from the respective facility compliance officer.

2.1.7.7. Other Mandatory VA training as required. Contractors will be briefed on all required training by the COR upon reporting to SCVAHCS, Omaha Division.

2.1.7.8. Contractor may invoice for time required to complete mandatory VA training (non-clinical hours).

2.1.7.9. All contracted staff shall complete a formal SCVAHCS orientation.

2.1.8. Standard Infection Control Measures (PPD, Immunizations, etc.): Contractor shall provide proof of the following tests for physicians within five (5) calendar days after contract award and prior to the first duty shift to the COR and Contracting Officer. Tests shall be current within the past year.

2.1.8.1. TUBERCULOSIS TESTING: Contractor shall provide proof of a negative Tuberculosis Skin Test (TST) or interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) for all Contractor’s physician(s) upon hire in accordance with CDC guidance. (This is applicable to all health care workers). A negative chest radiographic report for active tuberculosis shall be provided in cases of positive TST or IGRA results.

2.1.8.2. MEASLES, MUMPS, & RUBELLA TESTING: Contractor shall provide proof of immunization for all contractor’s physician(s) for measles, mumps, rubella, or a rubella titer of 1.8 or greater. If the titer is less than 1.8, a rubella immunization shall be administered with follow-up documentation to the COR. (This is applicable to all health care workers).

2.1.8.3. VARICELLA: Contractors shall provide proof of immunity for all Contractor physicians (This is applicable to all health care workers).

2.1.8.4. ACELLULAR PERTUSSIS: Contractors shall provide proof of 1 dose of Tdap vaccination for all Contractor physicians (This is applicable to all health care workers).

2.1.8.5. INFLUENZA: Contractors shall provide proof that all Contractor physicians have received the annual Influenza vaccine unless it is contraindicated. If the Contractor physician has a medical contraindication to the vaccine, they shall be required to wear a mask during the Influenza season. (This is applicable to all health care workers).

2.1.8.6. OSHA REGULATION CONCERNING OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS: Contractor shall provide evidence of completing and passing generic self-study blood-borne pathogen training for all Contractor’s physician(s) {This is applicable to all health care workers}; provide their own Hepatitis B vaccination series and hepatitis B surface antigen test results following the hepatitis B vaccination series; maintain an exposure determination and control plan; maintain required records; and ensure that proper follow-up evaluation is provided following an exposure incident.

2.1.8.7. The SCVAHCS shall notify the Contractor of any significant communicable disease exposures as appropriate. Contractor shall adhere to current CDC/HICPAC Guideline for Infection Control in health care personnel (as published in American Journal for Infection Control- AJIC 1998; 26:289-354) for disease control. Contractor shall provide follow up documentation of clearance to return to the workplace prior to their return.

2.1.9. National Provider Identifier (NPI): NPI is a standard, unique 10-digit numeric identifier required by HIPAA. The Veterans Health Administration must use NPIs in all HIPAA-standard electronic transactions for individual (health care practitioners) and organizational entities (medical centers). The Contractor shall have or obtain appropriate NPI and if pertinent the Taxonomy Code confirmation notice issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) be provided to the Contracting Officer with the proposal.

2.1.10. DEA: Contractor shall provide copy of current DEA certificate of registration for the state in which the contractor will be providing services.

2.1.11. Conflict of Interest: The Contractor and all Contractor’s physician(s) are responsible for identifying and communicating to the CO and COR conflicts of interest at the time of proposal and during the entirety of contract performance. At the time of proposal, the Contractor shall provide a statement which describes, in a concise manner, all relevant facts concerning any past, present, or currently planned interest (financial, contractual, organizational, or otherwise) or actual or potential organizational conflicts of interest relating to the services to be provided. The Contractor shall also provide statements containing the same information for any identified consultants or subcontractors who shall provide services. The Contractor must also provide relevant facts that show how it’s organizational and/or management system or other actions would avoid or mitigate any actual or potential organizational conflicts of interest. These statements shall be in response to the VAAR provision 852.209-70 Organizational Conflicts of Interest and fully outlined in response to the subject attachment in Section D (Attachment D.2) of the solicitation document.

2.1.12. Citizenship related Requirements:

2.1.12.1. The Contractor certifies that the Contractor shall comply with any and all legal provisions contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, (Attachment D.3), as amended; its related laws and regulations that are enforced by Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S Department of Labor as these may relate to non-immigrant foreign nationals working under contract or subcontract for the Contractor while providing services to Department of Veterans Affairs patient referrals.

2.1.12.2. While performing services for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Contractor shall not knowingly employ, contract or subcontract with an illegal alien; foreign national non-immigrant who is in violation of their status, as a result of their failure to maintain or comply with the terms and conditions of their admission into the United States. Additionally, the Contractor is required to comply with all “E-Verify” requirements consistent with “Executive Order 12989” and any related pertinent Amendments, as well as applicable Federal Acquisition Regulations.

2.1.12.3. If the Contractor fails to comply with any requirements outlined in the preceding paragraphs or its Agency regulations, the Department of Veterans Affairs may, at its sole discretion, require that the foreign national who failed to maintain their legal status in the United States or otherwise failed to comply with the requirements of the laws administered by Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S Department of Labor, shall be prohibited from working at the Contractor’s place of business that services Department of Veterans Affairs patient referrals; or other place where the Contractor provides services to veterans who have been referred by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and shall form the basis for termination of this contract for breach.

2.1.12.4. The Immigration and Nationality Act certification, as referenced in 2.1.11.1, concerns a matter within the jurisdiction of an agency of the United States and the making of a false, fictitious, or fraudulent certification may render the certifier (individual authorized to bind the contractor to subject to prosecution under 18 U.S.C. 1001).

2.1.12.5. The Contractor agrees to obtain a similar certification from its subcontractors. The certification shall be made as part of the offerors response to the RFP using the subject (Attachment D.3) in Section D of the solicitation document.

2.1.13. Annual Office of Inspector General (OIG) Statement: In accordance with HIPAA and the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1977, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has established a list of parties and entities excluded from Federal health care programs. Specifically, the listed parties and entities may not receive Federal Health Care program payments due to fraud and/or abuse of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

2.1.13.1. Therefore, Contractor shall review the HHS OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities on the HHS OIG web site at http://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/index.asp to ensure that the proposed Contractor’s physician(s) are not listed. Contractor should note that any excluded individual or entity that submits a claim for reimbursement to a Federal health care program, or causes such a claim to be submitted, may be subject to a Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) for each item or service furnished during a period that the person was excluded and may also be subject to treble damages for the amount claimed for each item or service. CMP’s may also be imposed against the Contractor that employ or enter into contracts with excluded individuals to provide items or services to Federal program beneficiaries.

2.1.13.2. By submitting their proposal, the Contractor certifies that the HHS OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities has been reviewed and that the Contractors or firm is/are not listed as of the date the offer/bid was submitted to the government for consideration.

2.2. Clinical/Professional Performance: The qualifications of Contractor personnel are subject to review by VA Medical Center COS or his/her clinical designee and approval by the Medical Center Director as provided in VHA Handbook 1100.21(1) and VHA Directive 1100.20. Clinical/Professional performance monitoring and review of all clinical personnel covered by this contract for quality purposes will be provided by the SCVAHCS COS and/or the Chief of the Service or his designee. A clinical COR may be appointed, however, only the CO is authorized to consider any contract modification request and/or make changes to the contract during the administration of the resultant contract.

2.3. Non-Personal Healthcare Services: The parties agree that the Contractor and all Contractor’s physician(s) shall not be considered VA employees for any purpose.

2.4. Indemnification: The Contractor shall be liable for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Government against, all actions or claims for loss of or damage to property or the injury or death of persons, arising out of or resulting from the fault, negligence, or act or omission of the Contractor, its agents, or employees.

2.5. Prohibition against Self-Referral: Contractor’s physicians are prohibited from referring VA patients to contractor’s or their own practice(s).

2.6. Inherent Government Functions: Contractor and Contractor’s physician(s) shall not perform inherently governmental functions. This includes, but is not limited to, determination of agency policy, determination of Federal program priorities for budget requests, direction and control of government employees (outside a clinical context), selection or non-selection of individuals for Federal Government employment including the interviewing of individuals for employment, approval of position descriptions and performance standards for Federal employees, approving any contractual documents, approval of Federal licensing actions and inspections, and/or determination of budget policy, guidance, and strategy.

2.7. No Employee status: The Contractor shall be responsible for protecting Contractor’s physician(s) furnishing services. To carry out this responsibility, the Contractor shall provide or certify that the following is provided for all their staff providing services under the resultant contract.

3.6.3. Health examinations

3.6.4. Income tax withholding, and

3.6.5. Social security payments

2.8 Tort Liability: The Federal Tort Claims Act does not cover Contractor or Contractor’s physician(s). When a Contractor or Contractor’s physician has been identified as a provider in a tort claim, the Contractor shall be responsible for notifying their legal counsel and/or insurance carrier. Any settlement or judgment arising from a Contractor’s, (or Contractor’s physician(s)) action or non-action shall be the responsibility of the Contractor and/or insurance carrier.

2.9 Key Personnel:

2.9.1 The VA Full Time Equivalency (FTE): FTE is defined by VA as a minimum of 80 hours every two weeks and does not include holidays. The minimum of Board Certified Hematology/Oncology physicians required to be on site daily is one (1) as defined in paragraph Hours of Operation in this section.

2.9.2 Qualified personnel are available, have full access to Electronic Medical Record (EMR) with an active Electronic Permission Access System (ePAS) account and PIV/non-PIV card (as applicable) and shall be on location as required to properly perform tasks in accordance with this PWS.

2.9.3 Adding New Key Personnel to the schedule.

2.9.3.1 Provide all necessary data to support hourly salary rate (e.g., salary/payroll documentation, benefits documentation, paid time off calculation, incentive pay data, etc.).

2.9.3.2 Provide staff qualification information listed in paragraph 2.1. of this PWS and any necessary credentialing documentation.

2.9.3.3 On the occasion that one of more Key Personnel is/are removed from the Contract (for any reason), the Contractor shall provide an equitable replacement to fulfill the balance of the remaining hours not utilized by the removal of the Key Personnel. If the Contractor is not able to provide an equitable replacement, the Contractor agrees to redistribute the remaining hours among the remaining key personnel.

2.9.4 The Contractor shall be responsible for providing coverage to the VA during periods of vacancies of the Contractor’s personnel due to sick leave, personal leave, vacations et cetera. In the event a scheduled physician is unable to complete an assigned shift, the contractor shall provide replacement physician coverage within 2 hours and notify the Contracting Office Representative (COR) at the SCVAHCS immediately of the schedule change.

2.9.5 Personnel Substitutions: During the first ninety (90) calendar days of performance, the Contractor shall make NO substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the CO, in writing, within 15 calendar day(s) after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required below. After 90 days, the Contractor shall submit the information required below to the CO at least 15 calendar days prior to making any permanent substitutions. Note: Contractor will not be reimbursed for any services performed by a contractor not identified on the contract.

2.9.5.1 The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, with complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information required by the CO. Proposed substitutes shall have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The CO will notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on the proposed substitutes. The contract will be modified to reflect any approved changes of key personnel.

2.9.5.2 For temporary substitutions where the key person shall not be reporting to work for three (3) consecutive workdays or more, the Contractor shall provide a qualified replacement for the key person. The substitute shall have comparable qualifications to the key person. Any period exceeding two weeks will require the procedure as stated in 2.9.5 (Personnel Substitutions). When changes are approved, the contract price may be adjusted accordingly to reflect the salary and benefits of the personnel actually providing the services.

2.9.5.3 The Government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of any Contractor personnel at any time after performance begins, if personal or professional conduct jeopardizes patient care or interferes with the regular and ordinary operation of the facility. Breaches of conduct include but are not limited to: intoxication or debilitation resulting from drug use, theft, patient abuse, dereliction, malfeasance or negligence in performing directed tasks, or other conduct resulting in formal complaints by patient or other staff members to designated Government representatives. Standards for conduct shall mirror those prescribed by current federal personnel regulations. Should the VA COS or designee show documented clinical problems or continual unprofessional behavior/actions with any Contractor’s physician(s), s/he may require, without cause, the immediate replacement of said Contractor’s physician(s). The CO and COR shall work with VA NWICHS leadership regarding any issues raised concerning Contractor’s physician(s) conduct. The final arbiter on questions of acceptability is the CO.

2.9.5.4 Contingency Plan: Because continuity of care is an essential part of VAMC’s medical services, the Contractor shall have a contingency plan in place to be utilized if the Contractor’s physician(s) leaves Contractor’s employment or is unable to continue performance in accordance with the terms and conditions of the resulting contract. A copy of this contingency plan shall be submitted with the proposal and updated throughout the period of performance (POP).

3 VA HOURS OF OPERATION/SCHEDULING

3.1 VA Business Hours: The St Cloud VA Health Care System hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. except Federal Holidays.

3.1 Work Schedules: The St Cloud VA Health Care System hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. except Federal Holidays.

3.1.1 Care coverage will be provided at 40 hours per week plus up to Five (5) hours weekly beyond normal tour of duty for approved activity (i.e. training, patient, care activities, and administrative duties).

3.1.2 Patient Care appointments are scheduled, and the average workload is an average of 12 patients a day varying between 30 minutes and 60 minutes appointment times. Assessment of walk-in Hematology/Registered Nurse veterans varies in workload but is required in the Hematology/Registered Nurse Specialty Departments responsibility of duties.

3.2 The contractor Physician(s) and Registered Nurses(s) is to be on-site at the facility in a timely manner in accordance with VA Rules and Regulations on clinic wait times and consult completion. The Contractor shall notify the COR at least monthly about any obstacles to meeting this performance measure.

3.2.1 The Contractor’s Registered Nurse(s) shall be available to be scheduled to work during all hours of operation of the facility or as required by the Facility Chief of Primary Care or designee.

3.2.2 Infusion Clinic: 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

3.2.3 The contractor shall be available for phone consultations with VA residents and physicians during contracted hours.

3.2.4 The Non-Clinical Service: TMS Mandatory Training.

3.2.5 VA Education and Supervision require no additional hours per year for other resident program supervision requirements.

3.2.6 Patients must be seen by a contractor physician(s) on-site at the facility in a timely manner in accordance with VA Rules and Regulations on clinic wait times and consult completion. Contractor shall notify the COR at least monthly about any obstacles to meeting this performance measure.

3.2.7 Contractor’s physician(s) shall be available and present in clinic during normal SCVAHCS Hem/Onc clinic hours, which will be established, and may be revised, as deemed appropriate for patient care by the Chief of Staff. Currently, normal clinic hours are Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

3.2.8 Off-hours Coverage: Contractor must make the Contractor’s physician(s) available on-call during all hours when the facility clinic is closed, including evenings, weekends and holidays.

3.2.8.1 On-call contractor’s physician(s) must be available at all times for phone consultations with VA residents and physicians.

3.2.8.2 On-call providers must be available within 15 minutes by phone and on-site, within 60 minutes.

3.3 Federal Holidays: The following holidays are observed by the Department of Veterans Affairs:

· New Year’s Day

· President’s Day

· Martin Luther King’s Birthday

· Memorial Day

· Juneteenth

· Independence Day

· Labor Day

· Columbus Day

· Veterans Day

· Thanksgiving

· Christmas

· Any day specifically declared to be a national holiday.

· When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as a legal holiday

· When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed by US Government agencies

3.2 Cancellation/Rescheduling: Contracted employees are required to give advanced notice, at least 30 days of requested leave. If patients are scheduled within the clinic on requested day, contracted employee must make appropriate arrangements prior to leave to ensure continuity and patient’s care is not compromised prior to leave. This may mean overbooking the Registered Nurse’s clinic to ensure patient is seen within the timeframe specified by the Return to Clinic Order request made by the patient.

3.2.1 Unless a state of emergency has been declared or clinics are otherwise cancelled by the VA SCVAHCS, the contractor shall be responsible for providing services. Note: The Contractor will not be penalized for cancellations due to patient incidents, e.g., no driver, not adequately prepped for procedure, etc.

3.2.2 If clinic cancellation is at least 30 days in advance of the planned absence: The Contractor’s Point of Contact shall communicate, in writing, any planned absence of the Contractor’s Registered Nurse (i.e., personal leave, vacations, etc.) to the COR and VA Chief of Medicine. This shall not occur more than 15% of the time during the contract period.

3.2.3 If clinic cancellation is less than 30 days in advance of the absence: The Contractor’s Point of Contact shall communicate, in writing, any planned absence of the Contractor’s Registered Nurse (i.e., personal leave, vacations, etc.) to the COR and VA Chief of Medicine who, in turn, will forward the request to the Chief of Staff (COS) through the Assistant Chief of Staff/Service Line Manager (ACOS/SLM) for approval. This shall not occur more than 4% of the time during the contract period.

4 CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

4.1. Clinical Personnel Required: The Contractor shall provide one Hematology-Oncology Physician(s) and one Registered Nurse who are competent, qualified per this performance work statement and adequately trained to perform assigned duties.

4.2. Sign-in Process: Contractor will be required to email the vhastcpsmleave@va.gov leave group when arriving and leaving the facility. VHA records time in 15‑minute increments. This means your clock‑in time is rounded to the nearest quarter hour. For example, if you arrive at 5 minutes past the hour, your time will be rounded to the closest 15‑minute mark. The COR will reconcile the Contractor invoices with VA records to ensure this monitoring requirement is being adequately observed. Monthly invoices will reflect actual hours worked; the Contractor will be reimbursed for only those number of hours identified.

4.3. Standards of Care: The contract physician(s)’and Registered Nurse’s care shall cover the full range of Hematology-Oncology services as would be provided in a state-of-the-art civilian medical treatment facility and the standard of care shall be of a quality, meeting or exceeding currently recognized TJC, VA and national standards as established by:

4.3.4. American Society of Hematology: https://www.hematology.org/

4.3.5. American Society of Clinical Oncology: ASCO Hub – American Society of Clinical Oncology

4.3.6. The professional standards of the Joint Commission (TJC): http://www.jointcommission.org/standards_information/standards.aspx

4.3.7. The standards of the American Hospital Association (AHA): http://www.hpoe.org/resources?show=100&type=8

4.3.8. The RN is subject to the professional direction of the VA Nurse Manager or designee during the workweek. On evenings, nights, holidays and weekends, the RN reports through the Charge Nurse to the Nursing Supervisor.

4.3.9. The requirements contained in this PWS.

4.4. REGISTERED NURSE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (MEDICAL & ADMINISTRATIVE)

4.4.4. The Contractor’s Registered Nurse (RN) shall utilize broad-based clinical knowledge to assess patient health status, implement health promotion and disease‑prevention interventions, manage acute and chronic conditions, evaluate patient responses to actual or potential health problems, and provide supportive measures for end‑of‑life care. Nursing care shall be performed in accordance with the American Nurses Association Standards of Care and Professional Performance and within the individual nurse’s licensed scope of practice. Clinical Pertinence will be monitored by the assigned clinical supervisor.

4.4.5. The RN shall maintain patient confidentiality and ensure a safe care environment, demonstrate proficiency in medication administration, patient and family education, discharge processes, hazardous waste handling, and other safety requirements as…