Questions_-_Answers_PACS.docx

1. What is the maximum number of users that will need to access the DICOM viewer at the same time?

a. As with our individual PACS at the facilities, the intent is to license for ‘unlimited concurrent users’

2. Is the Patch Management Agent software compatible with a Linux Operating System?

a. We currently use SCCM as the patching agent, and it is reported to be compatible with Linux

b. The majority of our medical devices, where we have the OEM authority to do our own patching, is done manually rather than through a patching agent. There are some, however, that if we can automate the patching, we will.

3. Are you looking for a single VNA to act as disaster recovery/redundant storage, or looking to have primary and secondary (Backup) VNAs? Looking for clarification on paragraph F.

a. We are looking for a single VNA to be the disaster recovery/redundant storage for each of the individual PACS.

4. Is Symantec End Point being provided by IHS?

a. Yes, SEP is provided by the IHS

5. If the scope includes joining the systems to the IHS Active Directory Domain, will a user with full rights be given for the purpose of installing and running system tasks? The user will also need to have a non-expiring password for use of tasks.

a. A ‘service’ account can be created for running background tasks and services that is not used as a login account by a human

b. If a ‘user’ (human login) account is required, then it will have to meet the IHS requirements for authentication, strong and rotating passwords

6. What is the desired use of the image viewing software? Is it for all locations, and how will it be accessed, (SSL, VPN, etc.)?

a. The intended use for the image viewing software is twofold:

i. Provide for image viewing by radiology and providers on an ‘emergency’ basis in the event the local PACS is not available

ii. Provide for remote image viewing by providers outside of the IHS for consultation or referral purposes. In this case, the individual providers will be accessing the system through a VPN connection/portal with the IHS

7. For design purposes, we will need to know network connections and speeds. Are the network connections dedicated or shared?

a. The connections are shared. There are different speeds between the primary data center (Sioux Falls, SD) and each of the facilities. And in some cases between the outlying clinics and their main facility (where their PACS resides)

8. For installation design, do you have designated data centers with adequate cooling, electrical, UPS, floor space, and rack space, or should our quote include providing racks and UPS?

a. The primary data center (Sioux Falls, SD) has adequate cooling, electrical, rack-mounted UPS, and floor space.

9. Is there any need to migrate DICOM data from a pre-existing VNA or from the defined PACS systems? Or is the intent to merely be a new destination for the defined PACS to store and query from?

a. There is currently not a VNA in place, therefore no need to migrate data. All images currently in storage on the individual PACS will be sent for storage once the VNA is ‘live’. At that time any auto-route, storage commit, or archive-purge configurations will be made on the local PACS. Any new studies acquired will be give the VNA as an additional destination for storage.

10. Who will manage the system(s)? We offer comprehensive training but will need to know the number of staff requiring training and at which locations. Will there be a need for training staff in the use of the image viewing software?

a. The system will be under the primary management of the Great Plains Area Clinical Engineering staff, with assistance as required from the IHS Tier II and Tier III IT staff.

b. Training for the CE and IT staff, if done on site, will be in one location (most likely in Pierre, SD) for a group of approximately 10 people

c. Training for end users for the image viewing software may be needed, and would be best if done through on-demand computer based training, or on-line webcasts/Skype/Adobe Connect style environments

11. There are references to Dell HW - is the expectation that the awarded vendor will provide the stated HW? If so, more detail on what is required will be needed.

a. There is no requirement to use Dell hardware, but under various government contracts, if Dell hardware is used the warranty can be extended to 7 years, with pro support, and transferred to the IHS

12. Is there a common patient identifier, and what system generates it?

a. Each patient has a medical record number. However, this number may not be entirely unique. The IHS uses a version of the VA’s “CPRS” (AKA VistA) that is called “RPMS” (resource and patient management system) with a home-made GUI that is generically referred to as ‘the EHR’. Each facility/location has their own instance of RPMS. There is not a ‘master patient index’, and with each location issuing medical record numbers, there is an off chance that either a duplicate MRN exists, or one patient has multiple MRNs. It is expected that the VNA will be able to prefix, or otherwise distinguish/separate the studies from each location while still allowing to search for commonalities (i.e. patient name, SSN, etc.) across all stored studies in order to locate all studies for the same patient regardless of originating facility.

13. Item H states PoP is 1 year from date of award. Can you please clarify what this means?

a. The initial period of performance is for the installation, configuration, training, technical support, warranty, etc. of the VNA. The initial POP has the potential of being extended to accommodate the full 1st year warranty period.

b. The initial funding source is only available for the initial performance period.

c. Following the initial performance period, a follow-on service and maintenance agreement (SMA) to cover technical support, licensing, etc. will be initiated for ‘base +4 option years’.

Item 2 in the Price Schedule references Image Migration as a potential Professional Service. We are assuming there is no image migration involved in this project since existing PACS data could typically be pushed from PACS.

Correct, any existing images stored on the local PACS would be set up to be pushed or archived to the VNA by the local PACS administrator. There is not a current VNA to migrate images from.

Can you please confirm:

· is Image Migration of existing data is expected as part of the fixed price quote?

· There is not a current VNA to migrate images from. It is expected that any existing images will be ‘pushed’ from the local PACS to the VNA by the local PACS administrator. The ‘image migration’ shown on the solicitation is to account for unexpected situations.

· IF yes, how much data is expected for migrated - is it the estimated 15 years of priors without tomo images (101,753,100 TB) or some other amount

· There is not a current VNA to migrate images from. It is expected that any existing images will be ‘pushed’ from the local PACS to the VNA by the local PACS administrator. The ‘image migration’ shown on the solicitation is to account for unexpected situations.

· Under Preferences and Desired Features, it references the ability to store non-DICOM images, studies and documents in their native format or utilizing a DICOM wrapper. Is handling non-DICOM images as referenced an actual requirement for consideration or just a desired feature.

· We intend to store ophthalmology studies, as well as cardiology (EKG), and other images/data (.JPG, .GIF, .PNG, etc.) from other modalities. Some of which are available in DICOM format, others not. It is a highly desired feature.