Operative Neurophysiological Monitoring Services

STATEMENT OF REQUIREMENT

Purpose: The purpose of this request is to provide the service of Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM) at the Kansas City VA Medical Center(KCVAMC).

Background: IONM is a critical adjunct used during surgeries that pose a risk to the nervous system. It involves continuous assessment of the functional integrity of neural structures, such as the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves. It is currently used for Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology, and Vascular Surgery procedures. 

IONM is currently used at the KCVAMC to ensure patient safety and optimize surgical outcomes during procedures that put neurological structures at risk. It provides real-time continuous feedback and ensures immediate identification and response to any adverse neural events during surgery. If any changes in the nervous systems are detected, the surgical team can take immediate action to prevent irreversible injury. By identifying changes in neural function during surgery, IONM can help reduce the risk of post operative deficits and complications, leading to better overall outcomes for patients.

General Scope of Work:

Selected vender will receive request from facility with location, date, time, and procedure being performed, and upon finalization of scheduling, agrees to provide the above indicated service. Vendor will provide for each procedure, one certified neurophysiological monitoring technician, to provide requested monitoring and equipment/supplies during an operative procedure.  The certified technician will bring all required monitoring equipment and all required disposables needed for the monitoring and will run all equipment provided by vendor. The monitoring technician will set up equipment and will attach any equipment and supplies to the patient needed for monitoring, technician will then monitor the patient during the entire surgical procedure. At the end of procedure technician will remove from the patient any attached equipment/supplies and then will remove their equipment from the operating room. Vendor will communicate any results or changes to the operating surgeon during procedure and at the end of the procedure.

Requirement: The vendor is required to provide the equipment and technician for standard services Monday thru Friday from 0700-1600 and Emergent services for Holiday’s, Nights, and Weekends. They must also stay up to date with the latest technology and certifications.  The technician must be able to continuously monitor neural function using modalities such as somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs), motor evoked potentials (MEPs), electroencephalogram (EEG), and electromyography (EMG) as applicable. They will also need to provide a list of compatible disposables, which the facility will select and stock locally for use in the procedures.  All technicians must maintain current certification relevant to IONM and pass through our local qualification process prior to provision of services.  Last, all onsite contract personnel are required to qualify through background checks for provision of an “Active Directory Account”.  These are used to establish VA.Gov email addresses, access CPRS for charting and for their PIV cards used for identification and access to the facility.