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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
MEDICAL SERVICE SUPPORT IRAQ
INDUSTRY TELECONFERENCE
MARCH 15, 2011
| P R O C E E D I N G S | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: My name is Colleen Griffith-Regal. I work for XL Associates, I’m contractor support. My role today is administrative. I will be answering some questions, but they are written responses I have on behalf of others. | ||
| The rules are very simple. No questions. We are not trying to be difficult. We couldn't figure out, logistically, how to do a teleconference with umpteen people on board, all talking at the same time. | ||
| Although it won’t be possible to take input, we will be providing a transcript, and I will be posting that to FedBizOpps within the next few days. | ||
| We will be taking a 10-minute break at 11:30. We are going for a three-hour maximum, but I do suspect we will be done before then. | ||
| Okay. Pete, whats your last name, please? | ||
| THE REPORTER: My last name is Shonerd, spelled S-h-o-n-e-r-d. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Thank you. Okay. Let me begin with the federal introduction. I am sure, as you understand, due to Japan, we have some non-attendees. With me here today is Paul Desilets, D-e-s-i-l-e-t-s. He is a contracting officer. And with us is Dr. Brooks Taylor. Dr. Taylor is the Deputy Medical Director, Office of Medical Services. | ||
| Okay, the rest of the feds. Would you please introduce yourselves? Why don’t we begin with Colonel Haddad. Please give me your name, spell it for the folks on board and for the court reporter, and also your function. | ||
| LTC HADDAD: Absolutely. My name is Lieutenant Colonel Sam Haddad – that’s H-a-d-d-a-d. I am the medical logistics planning officer for U.S. Central Command. With me I have Major Christine Murphy and Major Tom Jones. And I will go ahead and let them talk about their positions. Go ahead Christine. | ||
| MAJ MURPHY: Good day. This is Major Christine Murphy, and I am the blood program officer for U.S. Central Command. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Tom, would you please turn up your volume a bit? | ||
| MAJ JONES: This is Major Thomas Jones. Can you hear me now? | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Yes, much better. Thank you. | ||
| MAJ JONES: Major Thomas Jones, I’m with the health services at U.S. Central Command. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Okay. Who else do we have, please? Major Clark? | ||
| MAJ CLARK: Yes, ma’am, Major Charles David Clark, C-l-a-r-k. I am the medical logistics planner for United States Forces Iraq. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Major Nash, are you on? | ||
| MAJ NASH: I am. This is Major Woodrow Nash, N-a-s-h, from the medical logistics office of the joint staff. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Okay. Does that take care of the Army? | ||
| MAJ FLANNERY: My name is Major Flannery. We have with us Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Sybinski. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Would you please turn up your volume? | ||
| PARTICIPANT: We cannot hear you clearly, sir. | ||
| MAJ FLANNERY: My name is Major Flannery, and I will spell that: F-l-a-n-n-e-r-y. I’m the ARSET medical logistics planner. And my boss is on the line, Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Sybinski. His name is spelled S-y-b-I-s-k-I. He is the chief of medical logistics here at U.S. ARSET. Over. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Thank you. Okay. Embassy Baghdad? Dr. Cohen? | ||
| MR. COHEN: This is Mark Cohen, C-o-h-e-n. I am the Medical Officer at Embassy Baghdad. With me is Dr. Kim Ottwell, O-t-t-w-e-l-l, and Dr. Ottwell is the Regional Medical Manager for NEA SEA. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: And is Harold Price online? | ||
| (No response.) | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: No. Okay. I am going to do an industry roll call. We need this for our records. And I could only think of one way to do it, and that is to go alphabetically. When I get to the letter with your company, would you please give us your name, and please spell it, and then give us the name of your company. And I will go through the alphabet slowly. | ||
| A, B | ||
| MR. SMIGELSKI: This is A. This is Dan Smigelski. I am the executive vice president with American Hospital Management Company. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Dan, would you please spell your last name for the reporter? | ||
| MR. SMIGELSKI: Yes. It’s S, as in Sam, m-i-g-e-l-s-k-i. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Thank you. B, C | ||
| PARTICIPANT: C, this is | ||
| MR. HARAR: Hello, this is Paul Harar, H-a-r-a-r, and I represent myself as an independent consultant. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Okay. | ||
| MR. PALMER: Also on the line is Comprehensive Health Services. My name is Gary Palmer, president of Government Services. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Thank you. Any more C’s? | ||
| MR. HANSON: C, this is Greg Hanson, H-a-n-s-o-n, Criterion Systems, Inc. I’m the chief operating officer. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Okay. D, E | ||
| MS. ZEITVOGEL: Jeanine Zeitvogel, DynCorp International, Z-e-i-t-v-o-g-e-l. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Thank you. Any more D’s? E, F, G | ||
| MS. HENDERSON: GlobalMed, Annette Henderson. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Spell your last name, Annette. | ||
| MS. HENDERSON: H-e-n-d-e-r-s-o-n. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Thank you. H, I, J, K | ||
| PARTICIPANT: J. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: J? | ||
| MR. BUMONTI: K, this is Richard Bumonti, Business Development Manager with KBR. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Did I hear somebody say J? | ||
| (No response.) | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Any more K’s? L. | ||
| MR. BYFORD: Yes, this is David Byford, Business Development Manager for Logenix International. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: At Jennings (sic) International? And how do you spell your last name, sir? | ||
| MR. BYFORD: B-y-f-o-r-d, Byford. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Thank you. | ||
| MR. BYFORD: Thank you, ma’am. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: L, M | ||
| MR. CINTRON: M, this is Hank Cintron, CEO, President, MSGI Corporation. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: MSCI, sir? | ||
| MR. CINTRON: MSGI Corp. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Thank you. | ||
| MR. CINTRON: All right. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Did I hear another M? | ||
| (No response.) | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: O | ||
| MR. JOHNSON: O, OnSite OHS, Kyle Johnson, president and CEO. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: I missed N. Are there any N’s? | ||
| (No response.) | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: P, Q, R, S | ||
| MR. TANSOR: Sterling Medical, James Tansor, T-a-n-s-o-r, Director of Mental Health Services. | ||
| MS. CONNER: Also -- Michelle Conner, Proposal Manager. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: C-o-n-n-e-r? | ||
| MS. CONNER: Yes, E-R. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Okay. T, U, V | ||
| MR. LEE: This is Jeff Lee with Vighter Medical Group -- that’s V-i-g-h-t-e-r. Last name is Lee, L-e-e. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Thank you. W, X, Y, and Z. | ||
| Okay, let’s get started. What I am going to be doing is reading the questions. I have encouraged the federal folks here to exchange ideas freely among themselves. Again, industry cannot join the conversation, purely because of logistics -- we are not trying to be superior or exclusive here -- but I do want the government people to freely exchange information with each other. There is no assumption that State and Defense are going to be seeing things from the same viewpoint. | ||
| INDUSTRY: First question. What are DoD Army top priorities and concerns with the transition of the health care facilities to a contractor? Army, please take it. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: This is Major Jones from U.S. Central Command. Essentially, our primary concern is timing and getting the resources into place in time in order to not -- withdrawal of forces from Iraq. | ||
| USFI, do you have anything to add to that? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: This is Major Clark. Yes, just getting the contractor in here in time for, you know, just to ensure a clean hand-off, you know, kind of let them know what we know, what to expect, kind of the things that we have dealt with. Hopefully they won’t be dealing with things to that extent, but you know, just kind of the lay of the land, and you know, the things that have been going on. That is what our primary concern is. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. Anything further? Okay, question number two. This is a long one. | ||
| Subject, labor hours for pricing table five, section and page number attachment M, price proposal instructions, table five, price worksheet. Everybody’s favorite. | ||
| In the introduction to the price proposal spreadsheet at L.10.1.2.1, the government requests that the offerer shall proposal six price labor categories, with the number of proposed personnel for each of the 11 health care facilities for the base year of the contract and each of the option years in the format provided in attachment A. | ||
| “The offer will also provide a cumulative five-year contract cost summarizing the cost by facility, to include total contract cost.” | ||
| Since this is within the instructions for the price proposal spreadsheet, can the government clarify if table 5 is for this purpose, and that the offerer should copy that table for each of the 11 facilities, and roll those up into a summary table 5, for the purposes of submission? | ||
| Additionally, the attachment A appears to be redundant -- four and five, as the instructions for entering data -- category by rates by year appear to be the same formula provided in table five for each contract period. Should offerers still submit both forms? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Answer I have from pricing is, “We recommend that, for award of the” -- | ||
| (Interruption to recording.) | ||
| GOVERNMENT: “recommend that, for award of a basic contract, our instructions in attachment M and our pricing tables one through five be used exclusively.” | ||
| INDUSTRY: Question number three. We understand that the State Department and Army will transition equipment according to L.10.3.1.4.5. The contractor will need to know what government equipment supplies are available. Will this include pharmaceuticals? | ||
| L.10.3.1.4.5, for those who aren't -- haven’t memorized the contract, reads, “The Government acknowledges that the contractor will need to know what government-furnished equipment and supplies are available. However, that information will not be available until after award of the basic contract. Offerers are, therefore, asked for the initial task orders only, what equipment and supplies will be needed for their service delivery model. A proposed ODC list will demonstrate author’s understanding of the technical requirements.” | ||
| And there is a parenthetical comment that says, “See L.10.1.2.2. Other Direct Costs for pricing requirements.) | ||
| We will get back to this later, but it is clear to understand that there is a difference between ODC list, as a technical requirement, and the ODC cost. | ||
| So, a basic question is: Will this include pharmaceuticals? | ||
| Could someone from the government answer, please? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: No, I don’t think so. This is Dr. Taylor. My understanding is it will not include pharmaceuticals. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: This is Major Nash -- understanding. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. So no pharmaceuticals. | ||
| Question number four. A question on strategic time line and deadline of 30 March. Can it be extended? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Due to the Army’s impending withdrawal from Iraq, we must maintain the aggressive schedule. We have no choice. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Question number five -- oh, I’m sorry, there was a second half to this. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: The 90-day transition period aside, planning time needs to be allotted and incorporated for establishment of logical command, control, and management consideration, first and foremost. | Transition is just that, it’s transition. And there is every expectation that task order one will be awarded within days -- the basic program -- the basic contract, rather. Program management will begin immediately. | |
| INDUSTRY: Question number five. The RFP states the award date of May 20th. Will the awarded contractor’s transition team be permitted to conduct site visits immediately upon award or shortly thereafter? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Dr. Taylor again. Yes, shortly thereafter we would definitely permit that to happen, and expect it would be a good idea. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Question number six. How many medical providers -- physicians' assistance, nurse practitioners, medical doctors, medics, and corpsmen -- does the Department of Defense currently have at each site? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Maybe Dr. Cohen could chime in on this one. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Yes. Each of those sites, at this moment in time, serves a different purpose, and will not be analogous to our population at risk and the size of our missions. | ||
| There is not a way to answer that. There are some sites that have a troop medical clinic with one mid-level provider, and there are, of course, hospitals that, of course, have full staff. So there is not really an answer that is suitable for this question. It just can’t be compared to what we will have standing up. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. Question number seven. What is the Army’s most current transition-out schedule for DHS’s and HU’s? How long will the Army like to have the contractor on site before they transition out? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Well -- this is Dr. Taylor again -- my understanding is that transition-out schedule is classified at the present time. So we really can’t give you that information specifically for each site. | ||
| But I think that the Army -- I don’t mean to speak for the Army -- would like to have the contractor on site as long as possible. But at least for two or three weeks of overlap, so they can work side by side until the hand-off. | ||
| Somebody from the Army can speak to that, as well. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Army? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Yes. I’m Major Clark. Yes, I agree with Dr. Taylor. Two to three weeks would be fine, if possible. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Question number eight is another pricing question, pricing ODC’s other than equipment and IDIQ. Table five, price spreadsheet and attached price proposal instructions. | ||
| The price proposal instructions (items 20-24), found in attachment M, indicate that the offerer should use the predetermined notional estimate of $6 million for evaluation, “medical equipment.” | ||
| Furthermore, in item 25, it indicates the travel total, cell S33, shall be included in the proposed grand total, cell S38. Cell S33 appears to be the cumulative total of medical equipment, 30 million. | ||
| There does not appear to be any instructions for entering other ODC’s, such as medical supplies and DBA. If the offer is to provide an estimate for travel, medical supplies, and DBA in the IDIQ table 5, should it be a best estimate for the annual and cumulative cost for each of all 11 facilities, and not be part of the notional estimate provided by the government? | ||
| Also, should the Offeror create the additional lines in the spreadsheet model to accommodate these estimates? | ||
| PARTICIPANT: Right now | ||
| PARTICIPANT: Can’t hear. | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: I’m sorry, who is that talking? | ||
| (No response.) | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Excuse me, who is talking, please? | ||
| (No response.) | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Thank you. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Okay. The offerer shall not create additional lines in pricing table 5 to accommodate estimates for other ODC’s. Pricing table 5 is being used for price evaluation purposes only, for award of the basic contract. Task order specific cost elements and cost shall be proposed at the task order level. We will be back to this in the third pricing question. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Question number nine. Will there either be Army/State Department personnel that will keep the facilities and equipment secured until the contractor can sign for same? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: This is Clark. Yes, we will do that. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. What is the liaison plan for USF-I/medical military elements in country with a PM post-contract award? | ||
| (No response.) | ||
| INDUSTRY: I think what the question is asking here, I believe -- and I may be wrong; we were discussing it earlier -- is establishing communications between the contractor and the Army. | ||
| PARTICIPANT: Can you let him into the meeting? | ||
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: Excuse me. Who is talking, please? Could you please put your unit on mute? | ||
| INDUSTRY: Army, can you answer this at all? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Yes, this is Major Clark again. I haven’t really defined a plan. I mean, you know, USF-I, we are here through 31 December. But aside from the transition teams that we will leave at each location, USF-I’s office and task force leadership will be available to answer any questions through 31 December. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay, good. Question 11, does the awarded contractor have the right of refusal on all items left behind by the Department of Defense? For example, medical equipment. | ||
| (No response.) | ||
| INDUSTRY: Major Clark, can you answer this one? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Well, I can try. I mean | ||
| GOVERNMENT: This is Major Nash. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: I’m sorry, go ahead. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: This is Major Nash from the joint staff. The way the question reads, I am not sure if -- we are not in a position to make that call in the Department of Defense, in terms of the right of refusal. Our role is offering up the equipment to the State Department. | ||
| So I would actually pose that question to Dr. Taylor, in terms of whether or not a contractor has the right to refuse the equipment. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Right. Yes -- Dr. Taylor -- I think it would be the contractor’s call, whether to accept the equipment or not. And if not, then the contractor would have to provide replacement equipment that we would have to agree to. So | ||
| GOVERNMENT: And this is Dr. Cohen in Baghdad. I would agree. There should be a compelling reason that the contractor would decline the use of equipment offered under this arrangement, and incur further expense to the U.S. Government. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. Question number 12. What kind of support will DoD provide during the transition and full operating status of the following: A, equipment, i.e. size, weight, and transportation issues; B, blood, critical resupply time, governing body for access, space to acquire blood supplies, transportation to Qatar; C, pharmaceuticals and vaccines, ministry of health regulations at each country; D, medical gases, hazmat issues, anesthesia and transportation? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: This is Major Clark. For A, USF-I will -- we will go ahead and set up each of the locations’ equipment -- medical supplies, minus pharmaceuticals. And basically, we will set up each location ready for them to come in and go to work. And that is portion A. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: This is Major Murphy | ||
| GOVERNMENT: The Department of Defense is only obligated to the equipment that is there on the ground. I just want to make that known. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Correct, yes. Any other expendable supplies or durables will come from existing sources. We won’t bring anything else in. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. Major Murphy, on the blood? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: All right, Major Murphy on blood. I know blood will be supplied through the Armed Services Blood Program System, and this will be done via coordination through the blood program officer forward, and the blood transshipment center at Qatar. | ||
| Inventory levels will be communicated via an Excel spreadsheet, and this is going to be submitted daily to the blood transshipment center, just with general inventory numbers for the blood products, so that the BTC can generate the orders required to fill the inventory levels. | ||
| There should be a centralized person from the civilian locations that will consolidate the Department of State blood inventory information from the multiple facilities, and then this will be submitted in the report. This individual will work directly with the blood program officer forward, and the transshipment center office or staff, for ordering the inventory to include the critical resupply need. | ||
| The blood transshipment center keeps the red cell products and the frozen products on hand for re-order and any re-supply that is needed. | ||
| As far as critical resupply times, this is going to vary. From experience, this is usually dependent on the transportation available. And for those, it’s my understanding that there will not be military transportation, that this will have to be a civilian-provided transport. | ||
| From our experience, you know, we can usually get blood products out to theater within a day. If there is transport delays or storms or anything, it could get up to 48 to 72 hours. | ||
| Let’s see. Once the actual transportation method has been chosen and coordinated, I recommend working directly with the transshipment center officer and staff for any final coordination details. | ||
| Pick-up, if it should occur directly from the BTC location, that civilian transportation will need to gain access to the base. I have communicated with our transshipment center officer, and she has the initial contact information for the POC at Qatar who would arrange any base access, be it via flight or ground transport to get there. It’s just recommended that documentation for access to the base has to be started as soon as possible, due to the time of processing. Over. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Dr. Taylor. I will just add that once the contractor got the blood or blood products to either Oman or Kuwait, then the embassy can assist and get the in country, into Baghdad. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. Pharmaceuticals and vaccines. | ||
| GOVERNMENT: This is Lieutenant Colonel Haddad, U.S. CENTCOM. The contractor will be obligated to develop their own formulary and their own sources for pharmaceuticals and vaccines, as well as determining sources for medical gases. Over. | ||
| INDUSTRY: And the ministry of health regulations, the contractor is responsible for finding out what they are? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: That is correct. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. Medical gases, hazmat issues, anesthesia transportation. | ||
| PARTICIPANT: He just answered | ||
| INDUSTRY: Same heading as pharmaceuticals and vaccines, right? | ||
| PARTICIPANT: Yes. He just answered that, yes. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Yes? Okay. Question number 13. What actions can the contractor do that would help the Army during this transition? | ||
| GOVERNMENT: Yes, this is Major Clark. There is really, you know -- again, the focus here is to help the Department of State and the employees that they will have on the ground here. So that is really the focus. | ||
| Going back to the timing issue, the sooner they get here, the better. Some of the things they can do in the meantime, between contract award and actual arrival, is establishing those supply chains that they are going to need. You know, supplies, pharmaceuticals, medical gases, and stuff like that, the more they can do along those lines before they arrive, the better off they will be, once they hit the ground. | ||
| INDUSTRY: Okay. Question 14 is the last pricing question. In the RFP instructions L.10.1.1.2.b, the government asks the offerer to identify estimated costs per month of consumable supplies, based on the estimated population at risk provided for each facility type. | ||
| Is this in addition to the ODC estimate included in the sample task orders? If so, are they to be treated as addendums or supporting data to the IDIQ proposal -- to the comprehensive list of equipment and materiel required for set-up for L.10.1.2.2.c? | ||
| For those listening, L.10.1.2.2, other direct costs, reads, “L.10.1.2.2. Other Direct Costs – This is a reimbursable CLIN. |
a. Offeror will propose a mark-up rate (G&A, overhead, handling charges, and/or other indirect costs pools, as specified in the contractor’s accounting system.) to be applied to the costs of items procured under Other Direct Costs (ODCs). For purposes of this proposal, no profit/fee is to be proposed.
b. The Offeror shall identify an estimated cost per month of consumable supplies, based on the estimated population at risk provided for each facility type (HU, Small DSH, and DSH).
c. Based on the comprehensive list of equipment and materials cited in paragraph L.10.3.1.4.5., provide estimated ODC costs for set-up and estimated ODC costs other than set-up for each facility type (HU, Small DSH, and DSH).
In supporting narrative, Offeror shall fully explain estimating methodology for classes of ODCs or materials (equipment, medical supplies, etc.)”
| GOVERNMENT: I am answering this one for pricing. The government provided a notional estimate for medical equipment, which they used for price evaluation purposes only. In fact, all of pricing 5 is being used for price evaluation purposes only, for award of the basic contract. Task-ordered specific cost elements and costs shall be proposed at the task order level. |
| I would add to that Offerers have to propose ODC’s for each initial task order. But for the technical discussion, we want a list of anticipated materials for each type of facility: HU, DSH, and large DHS. |
| Frankly, we saw no reason to ask the contractors to anticipate ODC’s for eight health units. |
| Three points. A, the list of materiel without the cost data is for the technical proposal. B, the cost estimates for ODC’s are part of the cost proposal. C, yes, the ODC list for Erbil health unit should look very much like the sample health unit materials list and, within the cost data, the estimated cost for a health unit. |
| We were trying to keep you offerers from having to propose costs for all 11 units, when we only had three types of units. And we felt that, with the cost data from the task order proposal, we would get a good grip of what you were proposing. |
| INDUSTRY: Question 15. The changes in the solicitation |
| (Interruption to proceeding.) |
| INDUSTRY: Excuse me, we are having a drill. |
| (Pause.) |
| INDUSTRY: Okay. The changes in the solicitation that came two days ago presented new requirements and challenges that will make the 30 March deadline difficult to meet. Will there be consideration for extending the submission deadline? |
| GOVERNMENT: Due to the Army’s impending withdrawal from Iraq, we must maintain this aggressive schedule. |
| INDUSTRY: Question 16, will the transition period allow for proper credentialing, security vetting, redeployment training, and administrative processing? |
| GOVERNMENT: Dr. Cohen, do you want to take that? |
| GOVERNMENT: Yes, I can. The short answer is we are really uncertain at this point in time of the time frame that is going to be required for credentialing, security vetting, predeployment training, and the administrative processing. |
| The contractor, however, will not be penalized for delays due to the Department of State processes. |
| INDUSTRY: Seventeen, will the Department of Defense be leaving IT equipment behind, i.e. computers, servers, cabling, printers, routers, et cetera? |
| GOVERNMENT: No. I mean the answer to that is no. Dr. Taylor here. |
| INDUSTRY: No? No. Eighteen. What is the in-patient and out-patient daily census for military, civilian, foreign national, and local nationals medi-vac in-country and out of country, and the acuity level at each of the 11 sites? Will patient administration, PAD, at military treatment facilities provide statistics for each site and theater-wide? |
| GOVERNMENT: This is Dr. Cohen in Baghdad. Again, the in-patient and out-patient daily census for each of these facilities most likely is not going to be relevant. We will have different -- a different population at risk, we will have a different mission, and there is really not anything that will be directly comparable to what’s at those locations at this point in time. |
| I am sure that that information can be available, but I do not think that it will be utile at all. |
| INDUSTRY: Okay. Question 19. What key information does the Army want the contractor to know regarding transition? |
| GOVERNMENT: This is Major Clark again. What I said earlier about establishing their supply chains, just making sure they make coordinations with the contractors that will stay here, providing live support to Department of State locations, you know, in regards to housekeeping, laundry, waste removal, and things like that. |
| Right now we are having our RMW handled by the existing medical waste -- or the general waste removal contract, which -- I believe KBR is providing that right now. And I think they are going to continue that. So just -- again, it goes back to the timing issue. The sooner they can get here and make coordination with the people providing those life support-type services, the better. |
| INDUSTRY: Thank you. Question 20. Will the Department of State consider requests for an extension of the deadline for responding to this RFP? |
| GOVERNMENT: Due to the Army’s impending withdrawal from Iraq, we must maintain this aggressive schedule. |
| INDUSTRY: Question 21, what is the turnaround for blood supply from when the contractor makes the request for resupply, and how will DoD facilitate acquiring blood from Qatar, military base access, and overall military blood supply chain? |
| GOVERNMENT: This is Major Murphy. Basically, what I had discussed on the previous question, since they’re fairly similar. |
| Additionally, I will say the transshipment center receives new blood inventory a couple times a week, so they do keep additional inventory on hand for any emergency needs. |
| The blood program officer forward and the transshipment center officer and staff are on call 24/7 for emergency needs. They can provide the contact information when appropriate. |
| Normally, military transport from Qatar to theater is within 24 hours, if not sooner, for emergency resupply. Of course this is depending on flight availability. And since it will actually be a civilian transport, this should be similar, depending on the availability and when they can gain access. |
| Additional supply coordination can be worked with the transshipment center officer and staff to include information for base access, once we get to that point. Over. |
| INDUSTRY: Thank you. In the Army’s mind, what are the biggest risks that the contractor will face during transition? |
| GOVERNMENT: Lieutenant Colonel Haddad, CENTCOM. I think one of the biggest risks are the transition to a contractor-led and run medical supply chain. With that, I think they need to do a comprehensive study or analysis, if you will, of the transportation piece, and we will have to -- and issues, and things like that that are involved with that. |
| Other than that, USF-I |
| GOVERNMENT: Yes, along with that, you know, just the safety and wellness of your people, as far as, you know, any food and water-borne diseases that might be floating around out there, protecting against that, along with, you know, just, you know, being in a country such as this, the precautions which you have to take to protect yourself and your people. |
| INDUSTRY: Dr. Cohen? |
| GOVERNMENT: No. |
| INDUSTRY: I’m sorry, who was that who just spoke? |
| GOVERNMENT: I’m sorry, it was Major Clark. |
| INDUSTRY: Thank you. Okay. Anybody else from the Army? |
| (No response.) |
| INDUSTRY: Okay. Question 23. Per section C.5 of the amended RFP, in reference to requirement concerning connecting to OpenNet secure unclassified network. Is the awarded contractor required to connect IT services to OpenNet, or can -- network services be used for electronic health record systems if encryption is employed? |
| GOVERNMENT: This is Dr. Taylor. There is no requirement -- in fact, it probably would be impossible to connect contractors’ IT services to the OpenNet. If the embassy deems that OpenNet is required, it would be just to communicate within the embassy, or to the embassy in Baghdad from the sites outside of Baghdad. |
| And the second part of the question, can commercial network services be used, like off the record systems, I believe the RFP states that the contractor will be responsible for working out that solution. And, yes, commercial network services could be used, if they want to. |
| INDUSTRY: Okay. Question 24, what military support facilities, such as hospitals and other assets, will stay in Iraq after DoD transitions the services to DoS? |
| GOVERNMENT: Lieutenant Colonel Haddad, CENTCOM. After the 31 December, that’s it. There will not be any medical facilities remaining in Iraq that are DoD-controlled. |
| INDUSTRY: Okay, question 25. Are there any potential conflicts of interest between DoD and DoS? Can Reservists -- doctors, for example -- be hired to work on this contract? |
| GOVERNMENT: Yes. Dr. Taylor here. We have no problem with Reservists for DoD positions being hired to work on this contract, as long as they haven’t been involved in formulating and writing the RFP, or implementing it and awarding the contract. There is no problem at all with that. |
| INDUSTRY: And the final question, how will security be provided? |
| GOVERNMENT: The short answer is the government will provide security for the contractor working in country while performing services under the contractor. |
| The contractor is required to take care of themselves when entering and leaving the country, unless they are doing so at Government’s direction. |
| INDUSTRY: Are there any other comments that government personnel would like to make? |
| (No response.) |
| MS. GRIFFITH-REGAL: If not, I want to thank the Army very much for participating in this. We really, truly appreciate it. |
| And to industry, I know the deadline is horrible. Believe me, the schedule is rough on us, too. Unfortunately, it cannot be moved. The Army is leaving. |
| Good luck to everybody, and thank you. |
| PARTICIPANT: Thank you. |
| (Whereupon, at 10:49 a.m., the teleconference was adjourned.) |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .