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2 The Department of Veterans Affairs Philadelphia VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Ave Philadelphia, PA 19104, is conducting a market survey to identify potential sources to provide outpatient Psychai... 2 The Department of Veterans Affairs Philadelphia VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Ave Philadelphia, PA 19104, is conducting a market survey to identify potential sources to provide outpatient Psychaitry (Addictions) Services to its veteran beneficiaries. DISCLAIMER This Sources sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. Submitting information for this announcement is voluntary and VA assumes no responsibility for any costs incurred associated with the preparation of responses submitted as a result of this notice. If a solicitation is issued it will be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this announcement. The purpose of this market research is to identify capable sources that are both experienced and qualified to provide outpatient Psychaitry (Addictions) Services. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is 621112,and the small business size standard is $12 Million for this type of effort. Based on this information, please indicate whether your company would be a large or small business; and provide the average amount of sales for the last three (3) years or whether you have a socio-economic designation. Limitations on Subcontracting and non-manufacturing rule will not apply to the resulting solicitation. Capability Statement and Documentation: Companies are invited to provide their capabilities, experience, and knowledge in providing Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Analytical Services. Sources must provide the following information: Company name, address, telephone number, website, DUNS number, CAGE code, business type, socio-economic status (e.g., SDVOSB, VOSB, Woman-Owned, Disadvantaged Small Business, 8(a), general small business, large, business, etc.), SAM registration expiration date, and person of contact (including telephone number and email address). Indicate and explain your capability of providing this service in accordance with the Draft Statement of Work (SOW) attached. Indicate your company s size under NAICS 621112. Please indicate any government contracts held including government agency, contract number, dollar value, period of performance, and government contact information. In addition to a Capability Statement which includes the above information, submissions can include specifications, brochures, etc. as attachments. Information regarding your company s capabilities to provide such services are to be submitted electronically on or before Monday, 11/21/2022 by 3:00 PM (EST) addressed to Jami Cade, Contract Specialist at jami.cade@va.gov. DESCRIPTION/SPECS/WORK STATEMENT (Outpatient Psychiatrist CMC VAMC) The contractor will provide the services of one (1) Board Certified/Board Eligible Psychiatrist to provide outpatient psychiatry services at the CMC VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Ave Philadelphia PA, 19014. The general assignment will be five (5) days at the CMC VAMC, but may change depending on workload. The normal work schedule will be Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm., with a ½ hour non-paid lunch break. Federal holidays are excluded from normal work schedule hours of operation. Contract provider will generally work (8) hours per day (40) hours per week. The Clinical Director for Mental Health Services, or designee, will provide the work assignments for this psychiatrist and will provide clinical direction. Psychiatrist will provide on-call weekend and holiday psychiatric coverage on a scheduled/rotating basis with other psychiatrists on staff. For weekends psych weekend call would begin at 4:30 pm on Friday and run through 8:00 am the following Monday. This would be about one weekend per month. * Note: No premium payment will be made for working federal holidays * Psychiatrist will provide on-call evening psychiatric coverage on a scheduled/rotating basis with other psychiatrists on staff. This would be from 4:30 pm each evening to 8:00 am the following day during the business work week (Monday-Thursday). This would be about one week per month. A medical officer of the day is on duty 24 hours a day. The psychiatrist scheduled for evening/weekend/holiday call must be available and report on station for any psychiatry admission to the Mental Health inpatient units. The patient must be seen and evaluated within 24 hours of admission. The psychiatrist and must also be available by telephone if the Medical Officer of the Day has issues/concerns about psychiatry patients. Work will commence immediately upon completion of credentialing and privileging, as well as, orientation. Orientation at the CMCVAMC is approximately one week. The psychiatrist will be required to work cooperatively with other psychiatrists, advanced practice nurses, nurse practitioners, psychiatrist assistants, registered nurses, and a variety of allied health professionals to deliver comprehensive health care services to adult patients. Work Environment: CMC VAMC facility has 3 separate patient care buildings, one of which (building 3) houses the Opioid treatment program where the work will be performed. Much of the work occurs within a typical office setting, either individually or in meeting with others, or in meeting rooms. Some time will be spent walking to and from the outpatient units on buildings with a possibility of time spent on inpatient units involved with patients, nursing staff or other staff in activities typical of a mental health care facility. Physical Requirements: The contractor must provide documentation that demonstrates that the contractor employee has a current physical that includes a current TB test and Hepatitis B vaccination. Proof that a two-step tuberculosis skin testing is up-to-date must be received prior to starting employment. If the psychiatrist has had a negative test within the past 12 months, a single step test will be done. In both instances, documentation must be received prior to starting employment. Contractor must also provide documentation that demonstrates that the contractor employee has a history of chicken pox, varicella vaccine, or a positive immune status for Varicella. A. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Perform all duties and responsibilities of a staff psychiatrist. Duties include but are not limited to: admission/discharge, treatment and professional direction of inpatient care, specialized residential unit, outpatient care (including telemental health), psychiatric consultations, rounds, attending treatment teams. Mental Health Services include: Acute Psych inpatient unit - 40 beds Psych-Nursing Home Care inpatient unit (Intermediate type pts) 17 beds Psych-Nursing Home Care inpatient unit (long-term type pts) 40 beds Residential Treatment Program PTSD/Sub Abuse/Dual Diagnosis 40 beds Compensated Work Therapy/Transitional Residence 10 beds Outpatient Mental Health services at CMC VA Medical Center and 5 Community Based Outreach Clinic s Primary work assignment will be: Outpatient Psychiatry CMC VAMC, possibly with some consults to our inpatient Medical (Primary Care) unit and the inpatient Nursing Home Care (Extended Care) units. Must be clinically competent to perform examinations, diagnosis, therapeutic treatment, be effective in handling emergencies, patient management and document in patient records. Must be effective in teaching (patient education and co-workers). Must be effective in planning, and should have sound decision making skills. Individual to provide professional direction and participate in the treatment team (which includes clinical staff psychologists, nurses, nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, social workers, social work associates, physician assistants, dietitians, recreation therapists, rehabilitation technicians, addiction therapists), evaluate, develop and implement treatment plans; dictate admission and discharge reports; prepare examining physician s reports for courts on commitment cases, attend court hearings to provide testimony. A progress note must be completed for each episode of outpatient care. B. MISCELLANEOUS DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Individual will follow and meet all medical center policies, rules and regulations. Individual will participate in organization meetings as requested. Maintains patient confidentiality and security of operations. The medical center utilizes a computerized medical record system. The psychiatrist must be familiar with personal computers, have adequate typing skills to perform data entry (progress notes, psychiatrist orders, and clinical reminders), and be able to navigate through windows based computer programs. Training on the computerized medical record system will be provided by the medical center. Psychiatrists are encouraged to type their own notes into the electronic patient record. However, there may be times when a lengthy note will require the use of the dictation system. The psychiatrist must have good dictation skills and be able to utilize a centralized dictation system. Training on the dictation system will be provided by the medical center. Credentials Requested: Application package provided by the VA Medical Center must be completed by the candidate. This includes: Curriculum vitae, current references, signed release of information from candidate, and statement that candidate does not have any physical or mental health condition that would adversely affect his/her ability to carry out assigned duties, and additional credentialing and privileging forms. Candidate will also be required to make application through the VET-PRO Internet process. Candidate will need to be enrolled in VET-PRO by our Credentialing and Privileging Coordinator at the VA Medical Center, Tammy Oppelt. The website address is: https://fcp.vetpro.org. Our facility ID number is: 642 National Practitioner Identification: Prior to starting work or on the first day of work the contracted individual or contractor must provide the VA with the contracted individual's National Practitioner Identification (NPI) number. If the contracted individual does not have a NPI number he/she must make application and receive the number prior to beginning work at the VA. The website for an on-line application is: https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/Welcome.do.  It may take up to a few weeks to receive the NPI number - so early application is advised. C. QUALIFICATIONS: Personnel assigned by the contractor to perform the services covered by this task order must be a citizen of the United States and have a Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine. Provider must also possess a current, full and unrestricted license in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or the District of Columbia (or be Board Certified/Eligible) to practice medicine or surgery. The psychiatrist is required to be currently certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and to maintain the certification during their work at the medical center. BLS Certification must be obtained through an organization as recognized by the American Heart Association. Personnel assigned by the contractor to perform the services covered by this task order shall be proficient in written and spoken English (38 USC 7402). Contractor s assigned personnel must be computer literate as patient documentation is directly inputted in the patient s electronic medical record. The qualifications of such personnel shall also be subject to review by the VA Chief of Staff and approved by the VA Facility Director. The Contracting Officer will be notified prior to any changes in personnel. VA reserves the right to approve the assignment of individual personnel furnished by the contractor to perform the functions specified in the task order. The personnel assigned by the Contractor must complete VA credentialing process for delineation of clinical privileges in accordance with VHA Handbook 1100.19. The contracted individual will be required to show two proofs of identification on their first day of work. Acceptable proof of identification is listed below: Acceptable PICTURE IDs: State-Issued Drivers License State DMV-Issued ID Card US Passport Military ID/Dependents Card Foreign Passport Permanent Resident Card/Alien Registration Card w/Photo Acceptable NON-PICTURE IDs: Social Security Card Certified Birth Certificate State Voter Registration Card Native American Tribal Document Certificate of US Citizenship Certificate of Birth Abroad Issued by Dept of State D. NATIONAL HOLIDAYS The 10 holidays observed by the Federal Government are: New Year s Day (January 1st), Martin Luther King s Birthday (3rd Monday in January), Presidents Day (3rd Monday in February), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Independence Day (July 4th), Labor Day (1st Monday in September), Columbus Day (2nd Monday in October), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November), Christmas Day (December 25th) and any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday. When one of the above designated legal holidays falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as a legal holiday. When a legal holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed as a holiday by U.S. Government agencies. E. SERVICES: 1. The services specified may be changed by written modification to this task order. The VA contracting officer will prepare the modification. 2. This is a non-personnel services contract. There is no employer-employee relationship between the VA and the contractor or the contractor s employee(s). 3. The services to be performed by the contractor will be performed in accordance with VA policies and procedures and the regulations of the medical staff bylaws of the VA facility. 4. Other necessary personnel for the operation for the operation of the services contracted for at the VA will be provided by the VA at levels mutually agreed upon which are compatible with the safety of the patient and personnel and with quality medical care programming. 5. Contractor is required to maintain medical liability insurance for the duration of this task order. Contractor must indemnify the Government for any liability producing act or omission by the contractor, its employees and agents occurring during contract performance. 6. The Government may evaluate the quality of professional and administrative services provided, but retains no control over the medical, professional aspects of services rendered. F. TERM OF THE TASK ORDER This task order is effective from the date of award through September 30, 2023 and any Government options, if exercised. The Contractor shall perform no service after September 30th, each year until the contracting office authorizes such services in writing. G. JOINT COMMISSION (JC) STANDARDS: Where the task order does not require JC accreditation or other regulatory requirements regarding work competency, the Contractor must perform the required work in accordance with JC standards. The contractor is required to develop and maintain the following documents for each contractor employee working on the task order; credentials and qualifications for the job; a current competence assessment checklist (an assessment of knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors to perform a job correctly and skillfully; includes knowledge and skills required to provide care for certain patient populations, as appropriate); a current performance evaluation supporting ability of the contractor employee to successfully perform the work required in this solicitation and the listing of relevant continuing education for the last two years. The contractor will provide current copies of these records at the time of task order award and annually on the anniversary date of task order award to the VA COR, or upon request, for each Contractor employee working on the task order. H. HHS/OIG To ensure that the individuals providing services under the task order have not engaged in fraud or abuse regarding Sections 1128 and 1128A of the Social Security Act regarding federal health care programs, the contractor is required to check the Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (HHS/OIG), List of Excluded Individuals/Entities on the OIG Website (www.hhs.gov/oig) for each person providing services under this task order. Further the Contractor is required to certify in its proposal that all persons listed in the contractor s proposal have been compared against the OIG list and are NOT listed. During the performance of this task order the Contractor is prohibited from using any individual or business listed on the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities. I. HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996 (HIPAA) Contractor must adhere to the provisions of Public Law 104-191, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the National Standards to Protect the Privacy and Security of Protected Health Information (PHI). As required by HIPAA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has promulgated rules governing the security and use and disclosure of protected health information by covered entities, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In accordance with HIPAA, the Contractor may be required to enter into a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with VA. VA has recognized Locum Providers as entities that do not require a BAA with their contractors as long as they are conducting health care on VA s behalf Psychiatrist qualifies as a medical service therefore, no BAA is required. J. CONFIDENTIALITY OF PATIENT RECORDS a. The Contractor, as a VA provider, will assist in the provision of health care to patients seeking such care from or through VA. As such, the Contractor is considered as being part of the Department health care activity. Contractor is considered to be a VA provider for purposes of the Privacy Act, Title 5 U.S.C. 552a. Further, for the purpose of VA records access and patient confidentiality, Contractor is considered to be a VA contractor for the following provisions: Title 38 U.S.C. 5701, 5705, and 7362. Therefore, Contractor may have access, as would other appropriate components of VA, to patient medical records including patient treatment records pertaining to drug and alcohol abuse, HIV, and sickle cell anemia, to the extent necessary to perform its contractual responsibilities. However, like other components of the Department, and not withstanding any other provisions of the task order, the Contractor is restricted from making disclosures of VA records, or information contained in such records, to which it may have access, except to the extent that explicit disclosure authority from VA has been received. The Contractor is subject to the same penalties and liabilities for unauthorized disclosures of such records as VA. b. The records referred to above shall be and remain the property of VA and shall not be removed or transferred from VA except in accordance with U.S.C.551a (Privacy Act), 38 U.S.C. 5701 (Confidentiality of claimants records), 5 U.S.C. 552 (FOIA), 38 U.S.C. 5705 (Confidentiality of Medical Quality Assurance Records) 38 U.S.C. 7332 (Confidentiality of certain medical records) and federal laws, rules and regulations. Subject to applicable federal confidentiality or privacy laws, the Contractor, or their designated representatives, and designated representatives of federal regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over Contractor, may have access to VA s records, at VA s place of business on request during normal business hours, to inspect and review and make copies of such records. K. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: (required if order exceeds 180 days) All contractor employees who require access to the Department of Veterans Affairs' computer systems shall be the subject of a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication from the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement prior to task order performance. This requirement is applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. If the investigation is not completed prior to the start of the task order, the contractor will be responsible for the actions of those individuals they provide to perform work for VA. 1. Position Sensitivity - The position sensitivity has been designated as low risk. 2. Background Investigation - The level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access is National Agency Check with Written Inquiries. 3. Contractor Responsibilities a. The contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations. If the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) conducts the investigation, the contractor shall reimburse VA within 30 days. If timely payment is not made within 30 days from date of bill for collection, then VA shall deduct the cost incurred from the contractors 1st month s invoice(s) for services rendered. b. The contractor shall submit or have their employees submit the following required forms to the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement within 30 days of receipt: (i) Standard Form 85P, Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions (ii) Standard Form 85P-S, Supplemental Questionnaire for Selected Positions (iii) FD 258, U.S. Department of Justice Fingerprint Applicant Chart (iv) VA Form 0710, Authority for Release of Information Form (v) Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment (vi) Optional Form 612, Optional Application for Federal Employment c. The Contractor shall inform the contract employee that when filling out Standard Form 85P, that there should be no gaps in employment history. Any gaps in employment history on Standard Form 85P may result in OPM rejecting the documentation for investigation. d. The contractor, when notified of an unfavorable determination by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration from working under the task order. e. Failure to comply with the contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the task order for default. f. The contractor awarded the task order will provide after task order award notification and prior to contract performance a listing of contractor personnel that will be performing services under the task order that will require access to VA computer systems to the Contracting Officer within two business days. This list will include names, social security numbers, and home addresses of contractor s personnel. g. The contractor may utilize a private investigating agency if such agency possesses an OPM and Defense Security Service certification. A Cage Code number must be provided to the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement. VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement will verify the information and advise the contracting officer whether contractor s access to the computer systems can be authorized. h. The contractor shall be responsible to provide evidence to the Contracting Officer that investigations have been completed or in the process of being requested within 30 calendar days from receipt of award. i. All contractor employees and subcontractors requiring access to VA computer network are required to complete VA s Security Awareness Training course annually either on-line or hard copy. j. The contractor will notify the COR immediately when their employee(s) no longer require access to VA computer systems. 4. Government Responsibilities a. The contracting officer will forward the names, social security numbers, and addresses of the contractor s employees to the Office of Security and Law Enforcement. b. The Office of Security and Law Enforcement will provide the necessary investigative forms to the contractor or to the contractor's employees, coordinate the background investigations, and notify the contracting officer and contractor of the results of the investigations. c. The VA facility will pay for requested investigations in advance. A bill for collection will be sent to the contractor to reimburse the VA facility. The contractor will reimburse the VA facility within 30 days. If timely payment is not made within 30 days from date of bill for collection, then VA shall deduct the cost incurred from the contractors 1st month s invoice(s) for services rendered. d. The current fees associated with background investigations are $225.00 each for low level investigation, $900.00 each for medium level investigation, and $2,950 each for high level investigation. See paragraph one (1) above for the position sensitivity that has been assigned to this task order. L. SECURITY TRAINING: Contractor employee is required to complete security training and sign a VA Computer Access Agreement prior to having access to VA computer system. In addition, if providing medical services, Contractor employee will attend Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) training prior to providing any patient care services, including on-call/emergency coverage at VA. The contractor employee will document patient care in CPRS to comply with all VA and JCAHO standards. As VA routinely reviews and updates policies and procedures covering contractor computer access, security requirements may change during the term of this contact and new polices and procedures may be implemented unilaterally during the term of this agreement. M. PERSONNEL POLICY: The contractor shall be responsible for protecting the personnel furnishing services under this task order. To carry out this responsibility, the contractor shall provide the following for these personnel: - Workers compensation - Professional liability insurance - Health examinations and evidence including: a. Evidence of a current physical examination (within one year) Evidence of Hepatitis B immunity (hepatitis immune titer, if provider has had the series of shots; if no immunity, evidence that provider has started the Hepatitis B vaccination series.) Evidence of a current TB Skin Test and recent (within the last year) chest X-ray if there is a history of positive TB skin test d. Evidence of history of chicken pox, varicella vaccine, or a positive immume status for Varicella - Income tax withholding, and - Social security payments. The parties agree that such personnel shall not be considered VA employees for any purpose and shall be considered employees of the contractor. N. RECORD KEEPING: The VA shall establish and maintain a record keeping system that will record the hours worked by the contractor's employee(s). Contractor's employee(s) shall report to the Clinical Director for Mental Health Services or designee, upon arrival at the CMC VAMC. The payments for any leave including sick leave, holiday or vacation time are the responsibility of the Contractor. O. VA MONITORING: Contracting Officer's Technical Representative will designate appropriate VA personnel to monitor Contractor employee work hours/services through one or a combination of the following mechanisms: (a) Departments being served will monitor Contractor employee work hours through time and attendance logs similar to VA staff positions, to ensure that services called for in the contract have been received by VA. The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will be responsible for verifying contract compliance. Any incidents of Contractor noncompliance as evidenced by the monitoring procedures will be forwarded immediately to the Contracting Officer. (b) Chief of Staff's office reviews monitoring data. An internal time-keeping form is maintained and reviewed for total number of hours worked per month against monthly average of hours. Part-time personnel's cards are reviewed against their VA tour-of-duty to verify that the services were received. (c) Documentation of services performed will be reviewed prior to certifying payment. The COR will perform periodic spot checks and document with the using service to ensure records monitoring. VA will pay only for services actually performed at VA, and in strict accordance with the schedule of prices/costs shown in the Schedule of Items. Contract monitoring and recordkeeping procedures will be sufficient to ensure proper payment and allow audit verification that services were provided. (d) Monthly invoices are generated to VA Fiscal Service who forwards to Service's Administrative Assistant for review. The Administrative Assistant verifies services were actually performed against the schedule and logs. Only after verification are invoices certified for payment. P. KEY PERSONNEL AND TEMPORARY EMERGENCY SUBSTITUTIONS: The Contractor shall assign to this task order the following key personnel: Board Certified/Board Eligible Psychiatrist. 1. During the first ninety (90) days of performance, the Task orderor shall make NO substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by the individual s illness, death, or termination of employment or if mutually agreed upon by the Task ordering Officer and the task orderor. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer, in writing, within 15 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required by paragraph (2) below. After the initial 90-day period of the task order, the Contractor shall submit the information required by paragraph (2) to the Contracting Officer at least 15 days prior to making any permanent substitutions. 2. The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. Proposed substitutes shall have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on the proposed substitutes. The task order will be modified to reflect any approved changes of key personnel. 3. For temporary substations where the key person will not be reporting to work for three (3) consecutive work days or more, the Contractor will provide a qualified replacement for the key person, unless it is determined that no substitute is necessary. This substitute shall have comparable qualifications to the key person. Any period exceeding two weeks will require the procedure stated in paragraph (2) above. 4. Prior to rendering services, substitutes must obtain medical staff appointment and clinical privileges, in accordance with VA Bylaws, Rules and Regulations. Q. PAYMENT CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: Effective January 1, 1999 all payments by the Government to the contractor will be made in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause 52. 232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer--Other than Central Contractor Registration (31 U.S.C. 3332). Contractor s employee must be present at the VA facility and must be actually performing the required services for the period specified within the contract or the contract cost will be decreased accordingly during each billing cycle. Contractor will be required to furnish itemized invoice listing each contract employee for the period of service covered. Invoices may be submitted as of the last day of each month. All invoices shall reference the appropriate obligation number and be sent to the following address: Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center PO Box 149971 Austin, TX 78714-9975 Toll Free: 1-877-353-9791 Note: If Government Credit Card is accepted, invoices will be paid via that mechanism. Invoices shall then be submitted to the CMC VAMC Fiscal Service. Instructions for where to send invoices will be listed on the award letter. R. DESIGNATION OF CONTRACT REPRESENTATIVE A VA representative of the Contracting Officer will be designated to represent the Contracting Officer in furnishing technical guidance and advice regard...