Inactive

SUBJECT: Furnish 24-hour day, 365 days a year ambulance service and wheelchair van transportation for the beneficiaries of the Martinsburg VAMC and clinics. DISCLAIMER: This Sources Sought is issued s... SUBJECT: Furnish 24-hour day, 365 days a year ambulance service and wheelchair van transportation for the beneficiaries of the Martinsburg VAMC and clinics. DISCLAIMER: This Sources Sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Neither unsolicited proposals nor any other kind of offers will be considered in response to this Sources Sought. Responses to this notice are not offers and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to the Sources Sought will not be returned. At this time, questions concerning the composition and requirements for a future Request for Quote will not be entertained. SUBJECT: The Department of Veterans Affairs is conducting market research in order to provide ambulance and wheelchair van transportation for the beneficiaries of the Martinsburg VAMC. The government anticipates awarding a Firm Fixed Price multiple award contract that will provide the transportation services listed within the below attachment. OBJECTIVE: See attachment. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Name and Address of Company Any small business designation as certified by the Small Business Administration A through description of experience in managing requirements of this nature. CONTACT INFORMATION: Any questions related to this Sources Sought shall be directed to Deborah Reardon at deborah.reardon@va.gov . All information regarding Capabilities Statements or any other proprietary information relative to this Sources Sought shall be submitted via email to deborah.reardon@va.gov no later than 2:00 pm EST on 07 May 2020. DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS Administrative Officer of the Day (AOD) - VA employee who acts as the administrator during non-normal work hours. Such as evenings, weekends and holidays. Base rate - Base rate is defined as the rate paid for one-way transportation from a designated pick-up point to a designated delivery point. This rate will be paid for all authorized one-way trips ordered under the contract action, with employees receiving at minimum of the Department of Labor Service Contract Act wage rates (included herein), during all phases of the trip made on behalf of the Government. Contracting Officer (CO) VA official with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) Individual or individuals designated by the Contracting Officer to place orders, furnish technical guidance, advice, certify invoices, and provides general supervision of the work performed under the executed contract. Department of Veterans Affairs - (VA) Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MVAMC) Mileage Rates Mileage rates for medical transportation services is the rate paid for each mile traveled beyond the specified Mileage Threshold. This rate applies to loaded, one-way transportation. VA uses Bing Maps (www.bing.com/maps) to compute reasonable mileage and is based on quickest route computations. Mileage Threshold The mileage threshold is defined as a 10-mile radius of the VAMC, Martinsburg WV. Cancellations A cancellation rate is applicable when a driver is dispatched to pick up a patient and for various possible reasons, the run is not completed, at no fault of the driver. (ex: VA calls to cancel, patient not at pick up location). When VAMC provides reasonable notification a cancellation charge will not apply. Reasonable notification is defined as when contractor is notified of cancellation within 30 minutes of the pickup time for trips within 10-mile radius and prior to driver departure for trips beyond 10-mile radius. Waiting/Waiting Grace Period Waiting as used in this contract is defined as the time required and verified by authorized medical facility personnel, for the contractor to wait at designated pickup and/or delivery pointes in performing contact services. Waiting will be charged in 30-minute increments. Waiting Grace Period The waiting grace period is defined as 30 minutes prior to the time waiting charges commence. The base rate for medical transportation services shall include a fifteen (15) minute waiting grace period at origin and destination. A. INTENT: Furnish 24-hour day, 365 days a year ambulance service for the beneficiaries of the Martinsburg VAMC and Clinics in strict accordance with all specifications, terms, conditions, provisions, and schedules of this solicitation and any resulting contract document. Such services shall include all labor, supervision, equipment, uniforms, and other items or services necessary for performance of the work. Also includes all National Holidays, from and to the front doors of apartments or houses and other areas (i.e. clinics, ward locations) designated by the MVAMC Transportation Office or AOD B. QUALIFICATIONS: Offers will be considered only from bidders who are regularly established in the business called for and who are financially responsible and have the necessary equipment and personnel to furnish service in the volume required for all the items under this contract. Successful bidders shall meet all requirements of Federal, State, or City codes regarding operations of this type of service. Each bidder must submit, along with a bid, a letter fully describing the make, model & year of vehicles, which bidder agrees to furnish under this proposal, including the location and telephone numbers of his establishment where calls are received, and vehicles are immediately available for dispatch. The Contracting Officer shall be notified in writing of any ambulance equipment added after award of the contract. C. SCHEDULING OF WORK: The Transportation and AOD office are the only ones authorized to place requests for contract services with the Contractor s dispatch office. The request for services shall specify the originating point and destination. Only such travel is authorized, and any cost incurred for unauthorized travel, stops, wait times, etc., will be the responsibility of the Contractor. The Contractor is cautioned that performance of a trip or substitution of type of vehicle at the request of others, without approval of appropriate authorized personnel, may be deemed as unauthorized travel for which the Contractor may bear the risk of non-reimbursement. D. RESPONSE TIME: In most cases, transportation requests will be made 24 hours in advance, the day prior to the trip; however, the Contractor must be able to accept requests for same day service and to schedule them in a manner that meets the arrival time needs for medical appointments, etc. For an unscheduled transport, the Contractor must dispatch an ambulance and shall arrive with 45 minutes of VA notification. Ambulance shall be required to transport patient's belongings, wheelchairs, or medications with the patient. The Contractor shall furnish, and dispatch required service within 45 minutes immediately after receiving a BLS request. The VA reserves the right to obtain the service from another source, and to charge the Contractor with any excess cost which may result, therefore. The VA will be the sole judge in determining when to order service from another source. Failure to pick-up or to deliver a patient within 30 minutes of the allowed times shall result in a payment deduction of one-fourth of the applicable charges for the trip for each thirty minutes the contractor is late. After the first 30 minutes, for each 15minute portion added to the thirty minutes, the charge will be one-eighth of the applicable charges. The Contractor shall be charged additionally for instances where such failures cause a patient to miss an appointment. The Contracting Officer, Transportation Supervisor and the Chief of Facility Management Service shall make determination of appropriate charges. The assessment of charges, for each occurrence, shall be based upon the cost of the missed appointment to include treatment cost and any indirect administrative charges the VA incurs in rescheduling the appointment. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor's Representative to immediately notify the VA ordering office (Transportation Clerk/AOD) when unable to make a pick-up or delivery by the exact time specified for previously scheduled trips; or unable to dispatch an ambulance to a designated pick up point within the required time frame for unscheduled request for services. The notification shall include the reason for the delay and whether the pick-up or delivery can be made at a later time and if so, at what times. It shall be the sole discretion of the VA ordering office (Transportation Clerk/AOD) to decide: 1) to accept the later pick-up or delivery time, and based upon reason for the delay, present the delay for payment reduction; or 2) refuse the later pick-up or delivery time, order the services from another source, (the applicable order office (Transportation Clerk/AOD) shall be the sole entity for determining when to request the services from another source), and present the reason for delay, to the Contracting Officer, as an occurrence that may be subject to default. Further, based upon the reason for the delay, the Contractor may be charged with excess cost incurred by the VA in ordering the service from another source. For the purpose of this contract, "excess cost" is the difference between prices charged by another source used and the applicable contract prices. During a six (6) month period: 1) one avoidable delay longer than thirty (30) minutes, 2) two (2) consecutive delays regardless of duration; 3) a total of two (2) delays resulting in any patient missing an appointment; 4) two (2) failures to meet the required dispatch times; or 5) any combination of two (2) of the aforementioned incidents, may be subject to the provisions of default. This determination will be made by the Contracting Officer. Failure to meet response times that are caused by the patient, the patient's family, VA personnel, and medical emergency while in route, or other causes beyond the control and without negligence of the dispatcher or the ambulance attendant, will not be held against the Contractor. Should such incidents occur, and if possible, the ambulance attendant shall notify-the VA ordering office (Transportation Clerk/AOD) and shall document the circumstances on the trip ticket. E. WAITING TIME: For time lost in waiting more than 30 minutes at either end or both ends of a trip due to causes beyond his control, the Contractor will be reimbursed for time, after first 30 minutes, he reports to the designated person. If the pick-up is other than at the VA Medical Center (VAMC), the Contractor shall call the Transportation Clerk during regular working hours and the AOD after regular working hours as soon as he anticipates that a delay may develop for which he expects to claim reimbursement. This call is only for the purpose of verifying his arrival time at the pick-up point and is not necessary if the Contractor anticipates no delay for which he will claim reimbursement F. TOLL CHARGES: It is agreed and understood that the prices quoted in the schedule do not include any ferry, bridge, tunnel or road toll charges. Any such legitimate toll charges incurred shall be limited to "ONE WAY ONLY" and shall be listed separately on the Contractor's invoice and substantiated with original receipts G. INSPECTION: The right is reserved to thoroughly inspect and investigate the establishment, facilities, business reputation, and other qualifications of any bidder and to reject any bid, irrespective of price, that shall be administratively determined lacking in any of the essentials necessary to assure acceptable standards of performance. If any ambulance equipment is added after inspection, subsequent to award of contract, it shall be inspected and approved by the Contracting Officer, COR or VA EMS Program Manager before being placed in use under this contract. Inspection of Contractor's Equipment: The Contracting Officer reserves the right to inspect the equipment the bidder proposes to use in the performance of the contract, prior to award of the contract. Upon request, bidders will promptly furnish to the Government a statement of bidder's previous experience, organization (including company officers), technical qualifications, financial resources, and facilities available to perform the work under this contract. H. EVIDENCE OF INSURANCE COVERAGE: Before award of contract, the contractor shall furnish to the Contracting Officer, a certificate of insurance which shall contain an endorsement to the effect that cancellation of, or any material change in, the policies which adversely affect the interests of the Government in such insurance shall not be effective unless 30-day written notice of cancellation or change is furnished to the Contracting Officer. I. VEHICLE: Each vehicle used must be equipped at all times during performance as required by Federal, State, and local laws, ordinances, codes, rules or regulations. The ambulance under the terms of this contract shall be licensed and must meet the minimum vehicle requirements as mandated by the West Virginia Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. All vehicles must meet or exceed the minimal specifications. The basic emergency care vehicle contracted for shall be the Type 1, Type II, or Type III ambulance. Failure by the Contractor to maintain compliance with any of the provisions specified in this section for vehicles used in performance may be considered grounds for default of the contract. All vehicles shall be equipped with properly functioning heater and /or air conditioning, with adequate capacity to maintain the comfort level of the patient during transport. Contractor shall not place a vehicle into service under this contract that does not protect the patient from outside temperatures that are not suitable for the patient s wellbeing. All vehicles shall be well maintained in a clean and orderly condition. Vehicles must be free from physical damage, odor and debris. All vehicles shall be smoke free and provide the proper ventilation for the patient. J. AMBULANCE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT: Each emergency medical care vehicle will have patient compartment facilities, oxygen and suction systems and equipment, environmental climatic equipment, communications and additional systems equipment accessories and supplies as required by the State of Maryland at no additional charge. Each emergency medical care vehicle will be properly equipped to provide IV pump therapy, as patient needs requires. ALS Ambulances shall have a 3-lead Cardiac Monitor and a Pulse Oximeter capable of monitoring oxygen saturations that correlates within 2-3% of measured oxygen saturations. The device must be capable of being monitored in real time. For transporting of stable patients requiring assisted ventilation, a mechanical ventilator capable of control, assist-control, and Synchronized Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation (SIMV) mode must be available. Ambulance staffs who transport these patients must have documented competencies in the use of this ventilator. K. MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES, SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT: The vehicle(s), to include supplies and equipment, shall be maintained in a manner so as to assure safe quality medical transportation and, if needed, emergency medical care. Standards for maintenance, safe transportation, and emergency medical care shall be based upon those dictated by the vehicle manufacturers recommended maintenance procedures, the industry safety standards, and those procedures and directives defined in the Contractor's Medical Treatment Protocol. At a minimum, the VA requires a daily, monthly, semi-annual and annual vehicle maintenance and inventory inspection. Daily the vehicle shall be checked for its operational condition, i.e., tire pressure, functional lights, oil level, etc. and inventoried for proper equipment and supply levels. Monthly, semi-annual, and annually, the vehicle shall be checked using the manufacturer's recommended preventive maintenance inspection procedures. Supplies shall be checked for sterility, level compliance and to ensure, as applicable, that instrument, fluids, medications, etc., are not outdated. Documentation of inspections and inventories, to include comments of any action taken to correct discrepancies, shall be retained for a period of no less than thirty (30) days. Should it be requested, the inspection and inventory data shall be available for review by the Contracting Officer and/or COR. L. GOVERNMENT OWNED EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES: Any and all equipment, machinery, lines, etc. taken with patients must be returned. The Contractor must provide his own linens and must not be exchanged with VA linens. M. PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY: Contractor shall insure the confidentially and security of all patient information and shall be held liable in the event of breach of confidentiality. The contractor shall comply with the provisions of the Privacy Act (5 USC 522a), Confidentiality of Drug Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Sickle Cell Anemia, and HIV/AIDS Treatment Records (38 USC 7332 and 38 USC 4132) and Confidentiality of Medical Quality Assurance Records (38 USC 5705 and 38 USC 3305). The contractor shall comply with all pertaining to confidentiality and security statutes. The contractor shall be Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant. Failure to comply with statues regarding confidentiality and security of patient health information/individually identifiable information may result in financial sanctions. In addition, all patient charts and records transported with the patient are confidential and limited to a "need to know" basis for the Contractor's personnel. Appropriate administrative and medical information will be provided to the Contractor for patient transport. If the medical record is transported with the patient, it may be used as a source of information if the situation warrants. In all other instances, all documents will remain intact and secured. N. HIPAA COMPLIANCE: HIPAA compliance is required. The 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. VACO has recognized ambulance service as an entity that does not require a BAA with their contractors as long as they are conducting health care on behalf of the VA ground ambulance program qualified as a medical service therefore, no BAA is required. O. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL: Contractor personnel assigned to perform services under this contract shall meet or exceed all current City, County, State, or Federal licensures, certifications, and training relative to the function they are to perform under this contract. Minimally, included, would be re-certification(s), continuing education and/or refresher courses. These requirements shall be maintained current throughout the life of this contract. Personnel's certifications and documentations shall be presented to the CO upon request. Contractor personnel shall wear a company uniform with the employee's name readily visible on the outside of the uniform, while performing services under the contract. This can be a legend on a uniform or uniform jacket or by means of a name badge or a combination of both. Uniforms shall be clean and maintained, in good repair to present a professional image. Drivers must maintain accepted standards of cleanliness and grooming and demonstrate courtesy of the patients being transported. The Government reserves the right to refuse/dismiss any personnel from providing services under this contract. The parties agree that such personnel shall not be considered VA employees for any purpose and shall be considered employees of the Contractor. Contractor drivers shall not use handheld devices to text or make calls while operating motor vehicle. Use of wireless/hands-free options are permitted. P. EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN: When required, EMTs providing emergency services on ambulances serving VAMCs and clinics must have the following qualifications: Have completed training in accordance with the standards published by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) with a minimum curriculum of 81 hours or "equivalent", including an in- hospital training period. Such training program must also be acceptable under the regulating requirements for local EMS systems supported by DHHS under PL 93-154, 39 Red. Reg 24.304 (1974). Evidence of the "equivalent" training program successfully completed by the EMT must be submitted to the Contracting Officer. The EMT must be certified, licensed or otherwise officially recognized by the local, state, or regional government or public entity where the emergency ambulance service is operated or by which it is governed. The EMT must be enrolled periodically in "refresher" continuing education, or advanced training programs as required by the local or state government entity in which the service is rendered to veterans but in no instance shall this be less frequently than every two years. Such "refresher" training must be equivalent to that developed by the Department of Transportation, National Safety Administration. Evidence of successful completion for refresher training must be submitted to the Contracting Officer. Q. NON-EMERGENCY ATTENDANT-DRIVER(S): Prices include non-emergency medical technicians and/or drivers as appropriate. Technicians and drivers must be capable to administer oxygen and have successfully completed the Standard and Advanced First Aid Courses of the American Red Cross of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, or equivalent. Proof in the form of a current certificate that such first aid training has been successfully completed must be available upon request. An authorized official of the Department of Veterans Affairs may, in the best interest of the beneficiary, allow a relative to accompany him/her. R. CONTRACTOR OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: All ambulances used in conjunction with this contract shall meet or exceed all current City, County, State, and Federal regulations as they pertain to the requested services under this contract. Ambulances shall be well maintained and in a constant state of readiness throughout the life of this contract. Maintenance records, Certifying Agency or Agencies inspections and other pertinent records shall be presented to the CO upon request. Ambulances shall be clearly marked (identifiable) for the purpose they are to perform. The exterior shall be kept neat and professional in appearance. Interior shall be kept orderly, clean, and professional in appearance and in an organized manner. All ambulances while performing services under this contract shall meet or exceed all current City, County, State, and Federal regulations as they pertain to the qualifications and staffing levels of the personnel aboard. The Government reserves the right to refuse/dismiss any vehicle from providing services under this contract. S. CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION: Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) require that federal contractors register in the System for Award Management (SAM) database at www.sam.gov and enter all mandatory information into the system. Award may not be made until the contractor has successfully registered. Offerors are encouraged to ensure that they are registered prior to submitting their offer. T. INVOICE SUBMISSION: Invoices are to be submitted in a timely manner for review. Any invoices not submitted in a timely manner may be denied for payment. U. OPTION YEARS: The Contractor is notified that Option Years are not automatically renewed. The Contracting Officer may renew option years in accordance with FAR Clause 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract. The Contracting Officer will evaluate the contractor's performance annually. The report shall be assigned in CPARS to the contractor's designated representative for comment. The contractor representative will have 30 days to submit any comments and re-assign the report to the Contracting officer. Failure to register and respond within the thirty days will result in the Government's evaluation being placed on file in the database with a statement that the contractor failed to respond. V. INCIDENT-ACCIDENT REPORTS: In the event that the Contractor is involved in any incident or accident while transporting a VA patient, regardless of how minor the incident/accident appears to be, verbal notification with all the facts as they relate to the incident/accident shall be reported to the COR, AOD, or CO. This notification shall take place once the medical necessity or crisis has ended. A written report shall be submitted to the CO within forty-eight (48) hours of the incident/accident with a list of the contractor staff names (drivers/attendants), patient name(s), any pertinent information and witnesses. W. NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: Ambulance services shall be available upon request 24 hours a day, 365 days a year including all National Holidays. National Holidays are: New Year's Day Martin Luther King's Birthday President's Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day Note: Also included would be any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a National Holiday.