Sources Sought Notice: Acute Care Nursing - RNs/LPNs services @ Pine Ridge Comprehensive Health Care Facility, Pine Ridge, SD 57770

Sources Sought: Non-Personal Services – Registered Nurse/License Practical Nurse Services for the Indian Health Service (IHS) Great Plains Area (GPA) Pine Ridge Comprehensive Health Care Facility – Acute Care Nursing, Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

Sources Sought Notice Number: IHS1505110

This Sources Sought Notice is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation or commitment by the Indian Health Service.

This notice is intended strictly for market research to determine the availability of Indian Small Businesses Economic Enterprise (ISBEE), and Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE)

Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. The anticipated applicable NAICS code for this acquisition is 561320, Temporary Help Services.

1. BACKGROUND

The Indian Health Service (IHS), Great Plains Area (GPA), Pine Ridge Comprehensive Health Care Facility plans to identify potential sources providing Non-Personal Service Contract Registered Nurse/License Practical Nurse (LPN) healthcare providers to the Acute Care Nursing (Inpatient).  

2.0       OBJECTIVE

The objective of the Pine Ridge Service Unit (PRSU), Indian Health Service is to raise the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level. To meet this mission, the Pine Ridge Service Unit requires contractor support to assist the Nursing department during the times of service to the Outpatient clinics. The Pine Ridge Reservation is located in the southwestern corner of South Dakota, approximately 100 miles from Rapid City, South Dakota. Surrounded by the rolling prairie, Badlands and Black Hills, the Pine Ridge Reservation is home to the Oglala Lakota Nation.

1. SCOPE

Location

Pine Ridge Comprehensive Health Care Facility

P.O. Box 1201

East Highway 18

Pine Ridge, South Dakota 57770

The contractor shall furnish Acute Care Nursing services. These services will be compatible with the facility’s operating capacity and equipment. The contractor shall report to the Chief Nurse Executive, Deputy Chief Nurse Executive or CEO Designee at PRSU. Contract services shall cover the range of Acute Care Nursing services typically provided in rural civilian practice, including the following: pediatric and adult medical-surgical in-patient care, end-of-life care, cardiac telemetry, and a wide-range of acute and chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, RSV/COVID/Influenza, hepatic encephalopathy, alcohol withdrawal, failure to thrive, etc.

1. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS/ AND PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS: Refer to the Performance Work Statement.

1. TYPE OF ORDER

This is a sources sought notice. Information received shall determine the best contract type forthcoming.

1. ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Period of Performance:

Base Award:                 12/01/2025 – 11/30/2026

1st Option Year              12/01/2026 – 11/30/2027

2nd Option Year             12/01/2027 – 11/30/2028

3rd Option Year             12/01/2028 – 11/30/2029

4th Option Year             12/01/2029 – 11/30/2030

1. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Pine Ridge Comprehensive Health Care Facility

P.O. Box 1201

East Highway 18

Pine Ridge, South Dakota 57770

1. Tour of Duty:

The contract Acute Care Nursing hours may vary due to changing needs of PRSU, varying complexity of medical needs and/or patient volume. The Acute Care Nursing Supervisor, Deputy Chief Nurse Executive, and/or Chief Nurse Executive at of PRSU IHS will address these changes to the contract company. The contract company must make all contractor staff aware of the Acute Care Nursing Department hours.

Acute Care (In Patient) hours:  Shifts will be 7 (seven) 12 hour shifts and within a two-week period.  Shift rotation is required and will be based off of staffing and patient load.  Potential shifts are Day 0700 – 1930 and Nights 1900 -0730 with a 30-minute unpaid meal break.  The schedule will be maintained and monitored by the Nursing Supervisor and/or Acute Care Nurse Supervisor.  Regular work schedule will be on an 84 in a two-week period basis.  Overtime hours may be worked but will be paid as regular hours of work.

A thirty (30) minute lunch break is required, is not billable and is not to adversely affect patient care. If work is performed over the 12:00 pm (Noon or midnight) lunch period, a 30-minute lunch may be taken at a more convenient time.

The Contractor shall ensure the contractually required support level is maintained at all times. This contract is for specified skill types/levels - not for specific individuals. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor Personnel are present for all hours of the workday. If for any reason the specified staffing levels are not maintained, due to vacation, leave, appointments, etc. and replacement Personnel will not be provided, the Contractor shall obtain the written approval of the Supervisor/ designee or the COR II prior to the Contractor Personnel's absence. Otherwise, the Contractor shall provide a fully qualified replacement so there is no gap in service.

The Contractor Personnel shall be available for work in the work area per work direction schedule. The contract Registered Nurses and LPNs can be scheduled to work in any area determined by service unit need. (Out Patient, Acute Care and any of the specialty clinics, Pediatrics, Midwife Clinic, Orthopedics, Podiatry, or Mobile unit)

The Contractor shall ensure Contractor Personnel provide professional effort and conform to Government policies regarding daily lunch breaks and other breaks. The Contractor shall ensure Contractor Personnel communicate to the Supervisor for reporting to work as it relates to inclement weather (late due to travel conditions etc.).

Contractor Personnel shall obtain approval of the Contractor prior to any absence from work. The Contractor shall then coordinate with the COR II to determine if backfill is necessary. The Contractor shall request approval from the COR II at least 30 calendar days in advance of any planned absence. The exception is verifiable emergencies.

If a Contractor Personnel is absent due to illness for three or more consecutive days, the Contractor shall provide to the Nursing Supervisor/ designee or the COR II written documentation from a qualified health care provider that Contractor Personnel is free from communicable disease and state the cause of the Contractor Personnel's illness. Statement that Contractor Personnel is fit for service may be requested if deemed necessary.

If services are not provided by Contractor Personnel the PRSU reserves the right to procure such services from another source and deduct these costs and all administrative costs from payments due the Contractor.

1. PAYMENT

Payments shall be made within the IPP.GOV

1. Capability Statement/Information:

Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm’s own risk. The following information shall be included in the capability statement:

1. Company name, address, email address, website address, telephone number, and business size (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, veteran owned, etc.)  and type of ownership for the organization.
2. Company Point of Contact’s Name, telephone number, and e-mail address.  Company POC shall have the authority and knowledge to clarify responses.
3. System for Award Management (SAM) Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, expiration, and registration status. All respondents must register on the SAM located at http://www.sam.gov .
4. Applicable company GSA Schedule number or other available procurement vehicle.
5. Capability Statement: Detailed capability statement addressing the company’s qualifications and ability to provide the requirements listed in the Performance Work Statement, with appropriate and specific documentation supporting claims of recent organizational and staff capability to support this requirement.  If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements.
6. Experience: Provide a list of 3-5 private industry or Government contracts for the same services that you have performed within the last 3 years. For each contract, include the company’s Point of Contact’s name, email address, telephone number, dollar value of contract, and description of the services provided on the contract.  The Government may contact these entities to conduct past performance checks. Reference letters accepted.
7. Staffing Levels: Provide evidence your company has adequate levels of qualified healthcare provider staff to meet the Qualifications and Requirements listed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).
8. Staffing Capability: Provide the last time you successfully placed a provider in a contract position. Provide detailed information such as name, email address, telephone number, dollar value of contract, and description of the services provided on the contract.
9. Technical Capability: Provide a response to how the company will respond to staff shortages / absenteeism / replacement in providing services.
10. If American Indian/Native American owned small business, then complete attached IEE Representation form.

11.0   Closing Statement

Point of Contact: Ashleigh Yazzie, Contract Specialist, Email: ashleigh.yazzie@ihs.gov   

Submission Instructions:

Interested parties shall submit capability via email to ashleigh.yazzie@ihs.gov, Administrative Contracting Officer. Must include Sources Sought Number IHS1505110 in the Subject line. The due date for receipt of statements is October 22, 2025, 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time.

All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered.

This notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of IHS.

IHS does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. As a result of this notice, IHS may issue a Request for Quote (RFQ).

THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against IHS shall arise as a result of a response to this notice or IHS’s use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement.

Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response.