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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) North Indiana Healthcare System (VANIHCS) located at 2121 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN. 46805 is seeking Board Certified Hematology/Oncology provider Services on... The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) North Indiana Healthcare System (VANIHCS) located at 2121 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN. 46805 is seeking Board Certified Hematology/Oncology provider Services on site and shall be credentialed and privileged by the VANIHCS in accordance with Medical Center Bylaws, rules, and regulations to beneficiaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the VANIHCS. Instruction to Offerors Guidance: This Sources Sought notice is not a Request for Quote (RFQ)/Request for Proposal (RFP) and no solicitation is being issued at this time. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or to ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the government to a specific acquisition approach. Any information provided to the Government as a result of this sources sought notice is strictly voluntary. Responses will not be returned. No entitlement to payment or direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses or the Government’s use of such information. This Sources Sought Notice is for planning purposes only and is intended to identify eligible contractors in any socioeconomic category who can support this requirement. An eligible contractor is a contractor who possesses the qualifications, capability, and relevant experience to meet/exceed the Government’s requirements. Instructions for Submission: Interested contractors shall respond by e-mail only to Brandi Holland, Contract Specialist at Brandi.Holland2@va.gov. Responses are due no later than Tuesday, October 27, 2020 by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), Columbus, OH. Respondents shall include as part of their submission: Indicate if you can meet/exceed the government’s requirements and provide Board Certified Hematology/Oncology provider Services on site. Name of your business, Point of contact name, phone number, email address of point of contact, DUNS Number, Socioeconomic Group (large business, small business, veteran-owned business, etc.) A brief summary of relevant experience, relevant past contracts, and applicable qualifications/capabilities (as it pertains to this requirement) must be included. (It is the government’s expectation that the contractor would be able to provide a detailed, innovative plan and a cost-effective pathway/solution to meet/exceed the objectives that are contained in the document entitled “Performance Work Statement (PWS). See subsequent pages to follow. Performance Work Statement (PWS) 1. GENERAL: 1.1. Services Provided: The Contractor shall provide Board Certified Hematology/Oncology provider Services on site and shall be credentialed and privileged by the VANIHCS in accordance with Medical Center Bylaws, rules, and regulations to beneficiaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the VANIHCS. 1.1.1. Evaluate and treat patients during a general Hematology Oncology outpatient clinic at the VA. Clinic shall be scheduled for eight (8) hours per day, three (3) days per week, one (1) day seven (7) hours per week plus one (1) hour Tumor Board, and eight hours (8), one day a week for on-call services during operating hours; 52 weeks per year. On-call service requires the contract physician to be available to provide phone consultation for staff or patients. This does not include holidays. Contract Physicians shall be paid 25% of the contracted hourly rate for the entire day for on-call services. This equates to 100 percent patient care duties 1.1.2. Attend and participate at the VA Tumor Board. Meeting shall be held once per week for one (1) hour, every Tuesday from 1?2pm EST at VANIHCS. This equates to four (2) percent administrative duties. 1.1.3. Become acquainted with and knowledgeable about existing relations with local community oncology/hematology partners for transitional care. 1.2. On-Site Clinics: 1.2.1. On?Site Clinics shall be conducted at least four (4) days per week. Daily clinic operational management activities shall be under the professional direction of the Chief, Medicine Service. 1.2.2. The contracted physician(s) shall be prepared to perform on a long?term basis (minimum of one (1) year) to eliminate turnover and learning curve issues that arise with the familiarization of new physicians to the VANIHCS policies, procedures and processes. 1.2.3. The Contractor shall follow the VANIHCS guidelines for clinic processes, emergency notification or clinic unavailability, changes to clinic schedules, sick or late phone notifications, patient scheduling and referrals, and time and attendance requirements. Contractor shall fully participate in all applicable patient survey activities and data collection initiatives. 1.2.4. The contractor shall coordinate the Hematology/ Oncology portion of the interdisciplinary education plan for the patient. Education provided by the contractor shall be interactive with the patient, and shall be aimed at disease management and prevention and quality of life. All education given shall be documented in accordance with VA policies and procedures. Discharge instructions shall be provided to and coordinated with the patient, caregiver, and home or community care provider https://vaww.visn10.portal.va.gov/sites/NorthernIndiana/nihcspolicies 1.2.5. The contractor shall involve the patient in care decisions by keeping him/her fully informed about the diagnosis, plan of care, treatment goals, risks, benefits of proposed treatments and prognosis shared decision making shall be pursued. Care provided shall respect and integrate the patient’s beliefs, values, cultural influences and special needs. The patient population treated at the VANIHCS consists of veterans with varying physician, psychiatric and psychological needs. Their conditions are, in many ways, directly related to the individual’s service to this county. Contract personnel shall provide compassionate care with respect for the special needs of the veteran population serviced. Care shall reflect the VA Medical Center’s mission, vision and values. In addition, the patient’s Advanced Directives shall be reviewed and honored as stated in, “Care delivered will reflect the VAMC’s mission, vision and values” under the General Quality Management Section https://vaww.visn10.portal.va.gov/sites/Northern?Indiana/Facilities . 1.2.6. VANIHCS is accredited by the Joint Commission (TJC). The contractor shall ensure that medical record documentation that documentation of all patient care is in accordance with TJC hospital standards, HCFA guidelines, and VA Medical Center policies https://vaww.visn10.portal.va.gov/sites/Northern?Indiana/nihcspolicies . 1.2.7. If Contractor is re?surveyed by TJC or re?accredited by their professional accreditation agency, during the contract term, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer of survey dates and the outcome of the survey. 1.2.8. If a Professional Accreditation agency other than TJC is used, contractor shall provide a copy of the appropriate standards and scoring guidelines in their proposal. 1.2.9. The VA shall inform the contractor of all applicable Sentinel Events or other Patient Safety Alerts by the VAMC. A Sentinel Event is defined by the Joint Commission (TJC) as any unanticipated event in a healthcare setting resulting in death or serious physical or psychological injury to a patient or patients, not related to the natural course of the patient's illness. Sentinel events specifically include loss of a limb or gross motor function, and any event for which a recurrence would carry a risk of a serious adverse outcome. Sentinel events are identified under TJC accreditation policies to help aid in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and to assist in development of preventative measures. The TJC tracks events in a database to ensure events are adequately analyzed and undesirable trends or decreases in performance are caught early and mitigated. 1.2.10. Any action plans that result from a Root Cause Analysis that pertain to contractor’s service shall be implemented with dissemination to other staff and residents. Every effort shall be made by the contractor to prevent medication errors, falls, and patient injury caused by acts of commission or omission in the delivery of care. https://vaww.visn10.portal.va.gov/sites/Northern?Indiana/nihcspolicies/NIHCS Policies/00Q?07.docx. All events related to patient injury, medication errors, and other breeches of patient safety shall be reported to the COR and the Chief, Medicine Service and the Risk Manager via the VA Incident Report. http://vaww4.va.gov/vaforms/ 1.2.11. All new contract employees, prior to providing services, shall complete a formal orientation at the VANIHCS during normal duty hours and will be paid at the agreeable contract hourly rate for up to eight (8) hours. New employee orientation will be conducted at VANIHCS staff members. Minimum orientation requirements shall include the following: VAMC Mission/Vision/Values, all applicable VAMC policies and procedures, Patient Rights, suspected patient abuse reporting, Patient compliment/Complaint process, Safety, Patient Safety, Infection Prevention, Equipment Safety, Confidentiality, Emergency Preparedness, incident and emergency reporting, electronic medical record training, Operative/ Invasive and Noninvasive procedure process, Peer Review process, TORT claim process, and clinic procedures and processes. 1.2.12. A staffing plan, to include back?up coverage, position descriptions, and competency assessment tools shall be approved by the VANIHCS prior to commencement of patient care activities. The plan shall ensure that non-privileged contracted physician(s) shall demonstrate initial and on?going continuous qualifications and assessment of competencies, and will be evaluated within VANIHCS timeframes. 1.2.13. The resulting contract shall be a non?personal services contract under which the personnel rendering services are not subject, either by the contract terms or manner of contract administration, to the supervision and control usually prevailing in relationships between the Government and its employees. 1.3. Place of Performance – VANIHCS 2121 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, In. 46805 1.4. Authority: Title 38 USC 8153, Health Care Resources (HCR) sharing Authority. 1.5. Policy/Handbooks: 1.5.1. - VA Directive 1663: Health Care Resources Contracting - Buying http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=347 1.5.2. VHA Directive 2006-041 “Veterans’ Health Care Service Standards” (expired but still in effect pending revision) https://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1443 1.5.3. - VHA Handbook 1100.17: National Practitioner Data Bank Reports - http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=2135 1.5.4. - VHA Handbook 1100.18 Reporting And Responding To State Licensing Boards - http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1364 1.5.5. - VHA Handbook 1100.19 Credentialing and Privileging - http://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=2910 1.5.6. VHA Handbook 1907.01 Health Information Management and Health Records: http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=2791 1.5.7. - Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) as amended http://www.justice.gov/oip/foia_updates/Vol_XVII_4/page2.htm 1.6. Definitions/Acronyms- Terms used in this contract shall be interpreted as follows unless the context expressly requires a different construction and/or interpretation. In case of a conflict in language between the Definitions and other sections of this contract, the language in this section shall govern. 1.6.1. ASN: American Society of Oncology http://www.asn-online.org/education/training/fellows/educational-resources.aspx#Guidelines 1.6.2. ASH: American Society of Hematology/Oncology 1.6.3. ACGME: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education 1.6.4. ACLS: Advanced Cardiac Life Support 1.6.5. AOD: Admitting Officer of the Day 1.6.6. BLS: Basic Life Support 1.6.7. CCNE: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education: www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation 1.6.8. CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1.6.9. CDR: Contract Discrepancy Report 1.6.10. CEU: Certified Education Unit 1.6.11. CME: Continuing Medical Education 1.6.12. CMS: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 1.6.13. Contracting Officer (CO) – The person executing this contract on behalf of the Government with the authority to enter into and administer contracts and make related determinations and findings. 1.6.14. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) – A person appointed by the CO to take necessary action to ensure the Contractor performs in accordance with and adheres to the specifications contained in the contract and to protect the interest of the Government. The COR shall report to the CO promptly any indication of non-compliance in order that appropriate action can be taken. 1.6.15. COS: Chief of Staff 1.6.16. CPARS: Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System 1.6.17. CPRS: Computerized Patient Recordkeeping System- electronic health record system used by the VA. 1.6.18. Credentialing: Credentialing is the systematic process of screening and evaluating qualification and other credentials, including licensure, required education, relevant training and experience and current competence and health status. 1.6.19. DEA: Drug Enforcement Agency 1.6.20. ED: Emergency Department 1.6.21. FSMB: Federation of State Medical Boards 1.6.22. Full Time Equivalent (FTE): VA’s definition for full time- working the equivalent of 80 hours every two weeks, 2080 hours per year. In calculating FTE, any hours not worked on national holidays shall not be included. 1.6.23. HHS: Department of Health and Human Services 1.6.24. HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 1.6.25. HR: Human Resources 1.6.26. ISO: Information Security Officer 1.6.27. Medical Emergency - a sudden onset of a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably result in: Permanently placing a patient's health in jeopardy, causing other serious medical consequences, causing impairments to body functions, or causing serious or permanent dysfunction of any body-organ or part. 1.6.28. MCM: Medical Center Memorandum 1.6.29. MOD: Medical Officer of the Day 1.6.30. M&M: Morbidity and Mortality Conferences 1.6.31. National Provider Identifier (NPI): NPI is a standard, unique 10-digit numeric identifier required by HIPAA. The Veterans Health Administration must use NPIs in all HIPAA-standard electronic transactions for individual (health care practitioners) and organizational entities (medical centers). 1.6.32. NLNAC: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. www.nlnac.org 1.6.33. Non-Contract Provider - any person, organization, agency, or entity that is not directly or indirectly employed by the Contractor or any of its subcontractors 1.6.34. NP: Nurse Practitioner 1.6.35. NPPES: National Plan and Provider Enumeration System 1.6.36. PA: Physician Assistant 1.6.37. PALS: Pediatric Advanced Life Support 1.6.38. POP: Period of Performance 1.6.39. PPD: Purified Protein Derivative 1.6.40. PWS: Performance Work Statement 1.6.41. Privileging (Clinical Privileging): Privileging is the process by which a practitioner, licensed for 8independent practice; e.g., without supervision, direction, required sponsor, preceptor, mandatory collaboration, etc.; is permitted by law and the facility to practice independently, to provide specific medical or other patient care services within the scope of the individual’s license, based upon the individual’s clinical competence as determined by peer references, professional experience, health status, education, training and licensure. Clinical privileges must be facility-specific and provider-specific. 1.6.42. QA/QI: Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement 1.6.43. QM/PI: Quality Management/Performance Improvement 1.6.44. QASP: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan 1.6.45. RCA: Root Cause Analysis 1.6.46. TJC: The Joint Commission 1.6.47. VANIHCS: Veterans Affairs Northern Indiana Health Care System 1.6.48. Veterans Health Administration (VHA): The central office for administration of the VA medical centers through throughout the United States. The VHA is located in Washington, D.C. 1.6.49. Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN): The regional oversight for the VA medical centers in Michigan and Indiana. 1.6.50. VetPro: a federal web-based credentialing program for healthcare providers. 1.6.51. Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC): Unless identified with the name of a different VA medical Center, for purposes of this contract, this term shall mean the VANIHCS Medical Center. 1.6.52. VHA: Veterans Health Administration 1.6.53. VISTA (Veterans Integrated Systems Technology Architecture): A PC based system that will capture and store clinical imagery, scanned documents and other non-textual data files and integrates them into patient’s medical record and with the hospital information system. 1.6.54. VISN: Veterans Integrated Service Network. 2. MEDICAL STAFF QUALIFICATIONS: 2.1. Staff/Facility 2.1.1. License – The Contractor’s physician (s) assigned by the Contractor to perform the services covered by this contract shall have a current license to practice medicine in any State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or the District of Columbia) when services are performed onsite on VA property. The Contractor shall provide services that meet the standards as established by the Joint Commission (TJC) hospital standards, The Department of Veterans Affairs, and any other organization having review authority over operations of Medicine Services of the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, Fort Wayne, Indiana. All licenses held by the personnel working on this contract shall be full and unrestricted licenses. Contractor’s physician (s) who have current, full and unrestricted licenses in one or more states, but who have, or ever had, a license restricted, suspended, revoked, voluntarily revoked, voluntarily surrendered pending action or denied upon application will not be considered for the purposes of this contract. 2.1.2. Board Certification - All contract Hematology provider(s)shall be Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in Hematology and/or Oncology http://www.abim.org/exam/certification/hematology.aspx All continuing education courses required for maintaining certification must be kept up to date at all times. Documentation verifying current certification shall be provided by the Contractor to the VA COR on an annual basis for each year of contract performance. 2.1.3. Credentialing and Privileging –Credentialing and privileging is to be done in accordance with the provisions of VHA Handbook 1100.19. The Contractor is responsible to ensure that proposed provider (s) possesses the requisite credentials enabling the granting of privileges. No services shall be provided by any contract provider (s) prior to obtaining approval by the VANIHCS Professional Standards Board, Medical Executive Board and Medical Center Director. Privileges shall require renewal at least every two (2) years in accordance with the VANIHCS and TJC requirements. 2.1.3.1. The contractor shall submit the documentation listed below for review by the VANIHCS Credentialing Section. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of credentialing packages it will evaluate: i. Application (VAF 10?2850) ii. Acknowledgement of Bylaws. iii. Current curriculum vitae. iv. Application for privileges v. Copies of most recently held privileges at other facilities vi. Copies of currently held licenses/registration. vii. Three letters of reference addressing the status and clinical competence. viii. A summary of continuing medical education credits received over the last year. ix. A declaration of health status. 2.1.3.2. If a Contractor’s physician(s) is not credentialed and privileged or has credentials/privileges suspended or revoked, the Contractor shall furnish an acceptable substitute without any additional cost to the government. 2.1.4. Technical Proficiency - Contractor’s physician(s) shall be technically proficient in the skills necessary to fulfill the government’s requirements, including the ability to speak, understand, read and write English fluently. Contractor shall provide documents upon request of the CO/COR to verify current and ongoing competency, skills, certification and/or licensure related to the provision of care, treatment and/or services performed. Contractor’s physicians shall have knowledge of professional care theories, principles, practices, and procedures to perform assignments of Hematology/Oncology patient/critically ill patient population. Contractor’s physician shall demonstrate knowledge of growth and development, and pathophysiology of disease processes specific to the critical care/Oncology population. Contractor shall provide verifiable evidence of all educational and training experiences including any gaps in educational history for all contract provider (s)and contractor’s physician(s)shall be responsible for abiding by the Facility's Medical Staff By-Laws, rules, and regulations (referenced herein) that govern behavior. The contract LIP shall practice within a framework that is clinically relevant and scientifically valid. Provision of care shall be based on clinical standards of practice, and scientifically based clinical practice guidelines which have been approved for use by the VHA, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) or facility medical executive staff. Clinical reminders shall be used when available. Contracted physician staff shall sign and agree to adhere to VAMC Medical Staff Bylaws, Rules and Regulations. The contracted physician shall provide input as requested in regards to budget, scope of services provided, and resource allocation. The contractor physicians shall assume the leadership role for improvement activities in the clinic. 2.1.5. Continuing Medical Education (CME)/ Certified Education Unit (CEU) Requirements: Contractor shall provide the COR copies of current CMEs as required or requested by the VAMC. Contractor’s physician(s) registered or certified by national/medical associations shall continue to meet the minimum standards for CME to remain current. Contractor shall report CME hours to the credentials office for tracking. These documents are required for both privileging and re-privileging. Failure to provide shall result in loss of privileges for contract physician(s). 2.1.6. Training (CPRS and VA MANDATORY): Contractor shall meet all VA educational requirements and mandatory course requirements defined herein; all training must be completed by the Contractor’s physician(s) as required by the VA. All training required, frequency and associated time Training Frequency (once a year, etc) Annual Hours VA Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior Once a year – end of fiscal year VHA Privacy and Policy Once a year – end of fiscal year 2.1.7. Standard Personnel Testing (PPD, etc.): Contractor shall provide proof of the following tests for physicians within five (5) calendar days after contract award and prior to the first duty shift to the COR and Contracting Officer. Tests shall be current within the past year. 2.1.7.1. TUBERCULOSIS TESTING: Contractor shall provide proof of a negative reaction to PPD testing for all contract physician (s). A negative chest radiographic report for active tuberculosis shall be provided in cases of positive PPD results. The PPD test shall be repeated annually. 2.1.7.2. RUBELLA TESTING: Contractor shall provide proof of immunization for all Contractors’ physician(s) for measles, mumps, rubella or a rubella titer of 1.8 or greater. If the titer is less than 1.8, a rubella immunization shall be administered with follow-up documentation to the COR. 2.1.7.3. OSHA REGULATION CONCERNING OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS: Contractor shall provide generic self-study training for all contract physician(s); provide their own Hepatitis B vaccination series at no cost to the VA if they elect to receive it; maintain an exposure determination and control plan; maintain required records; and ensure that proper follow-up evaluation is provided following an exposure incident. The VAMC shall notify the Contractor of any significant communicable disease exposures as appropriate. Contractor shall adhere to current CDC/HICPAC Guideline for Infection Control in health care personnel ( as published in American Journal for Infection Control- AJIC 1998; 26:289-354 http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/InfectControl98.pdf) for disease control. Contractor shall provide follow up documentation of clearance to return to the workplace prior to their return. 2.1.8. National Provider Identifier (NPI): NPI is a standard, unique 10-digit numeric identifier required by HIPAA. The Veterans Health Administration must use NPIs in all HIPAA-standard electronic transactions for individual (health care practitioners) and organizational entities (medical centers). The Contractor shall have or obtain appropriate NPI and if pertinent the Taxonomy Code confirmation notice issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) be provided to the Contracting Officer with the proposal. 2.1.9. DEA (as required) - Contractor shall provide copy of current DEA certificate. 2.1.10. Conflict of Interest: The Contractor and all Contractors’ physician(s) are responsible for identifying and communicating to the CO and COR conflicts of interest at the time of proposal and during the entirety of contract performance. At the time of proposal, the Contractor shall provide a statement which describes, in a concise manner, all relevant facts concerning any past, present, or currently planned interest (financial, contractual, organizational, or otherwise) or actual or potential organizational conflicts of interest relating to the services to be provided. The Contractor shall also provide statements containing the same information for any identified consultants or subcontractors who shall provide services. The Contractor must also provide relevant facts that show how it’s organizational and/or management system or other actions would avoid or mitigate any actual or potential organizational conflicts of interest. These statements shall be in response to the VAAR provision 852.209-70 Organizational Conflicts of Interest (Jan 2008) and fully outlined in response to the subject attachment in Section D of the solicitation document. 2.1.11. Citizenship related Requirements: 2.1.11.1. The Contractor certifies that the Contractor shall comply with any and all legal provisions contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, As Amended; its related laws and regulations that are enforced by Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S Department of Labor as these may relate to non-immigrant foreign nationals working under contract or subcontract for the Contractor while providing services to Department of Veterans Affairs patient referrals; 2.1.11.2. While performing services for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Contractor shall not knowingly employ, contract or subcontract with an illegal alien; foreign national non-immigrant who is in violation their status, as a result of their failure to maintain or comply with the terms and conditions of their admission into the United States. Additionally, the Contractor is required to comply with all “E-Verify” requirements consistent with “Executive Order 12989” and any related pertinent Amendments, as well as applicable Federal Acquisition Regulations. 2.1.11.3. If the Contractor fails to comply with any requirements outlined in the preceding paragraphs or its Agency regulations, the Department of Veterans Affairs may, at its discretion, require that the foreign national who failed to maintain their legal status in the United States or otherwise failed to comply with the requirements of the laws administered by Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S Department of Labor, shall be prohibited from working at the Contractor’s place of business that services Department of Veterans Affairs patient referrals; or other place where the Contractor provides services to veterans who have been referred by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and shall form the basis for termination of this contract for breach. 2.1.11.4. This certification concerns a matter within the jurisdiction of an agency of the United States and the making of a false, fictitious, or fraudulent certification may render the maker subject to prosecution under 18 U.S.C. 1001. 2.1.11.5. The Contractor agrees to obtain a similar certification from its subcontractors. The certification shall be made as part of the offerors response to the RFP using the subject attachment in Section D of the solicitation document. 2.1.12. Annual Office of Inspector General (OIG) Statement: In accordance with HIPAA and the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1977, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has established a list of parties and entities excluded from Federal health care programs. Specifically, the listed parties and entities may not receive Federal Health Care program payments due to fraud and/or abuse of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. 2.1.12.1. Therefore, Contractor shall review the HHS OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities on the HHS OIG web site at http://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/index.asp to ensure that the proposed Contractor’s physician(s) are not listed. Contractor should note that any excluded individual or entity that submits a claim for reimbursement to a Federal health care program, or causes such a claim to be submitted, may be subject to a Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) for each item or service furnished during a period that the person was excluded and may also be subject to treble damages for the amount claimed for each item or service. CMP’s may also be imposed against the Contractor that employ or enter into contracts with excluded individuals to provide items or services to Federal program beneficiaries. 2.1.12.2. By submitting their proposal, the Contractor certifies that the HHS OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities has been reviewed and that the Contractors are and/or firm is not listed as of the date the offer/bid was signed. 2.2. Clinical/Professional Performance: The qualifications of Contractor personnel are subject to review by VA Medical Center COS or his/her clinical designee and approval by the Medical Center Director as provided in VHA Handbook 1100.19. Clinical/Professional performance monitoring and review of all clinical personnel covered by this contract, for quality purposes, will be provided by the VAMC COS and/or the Chief of the Service or his designee. A clinical COR may be appointed, however, only the CO is authorized to consider any contract modification request and/or make changes to the contract during the administration of the resultant contract. 2.3. Non Personal Healthcare Services: The parties agree that the Contractor and all Contractors’ physician(s) shall not be considered VA employees for any purpose. 2.4. Indemnification: The Contractor shall be liable for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Government against, all actions or claims for loss of or damage to property or the injury or death of persons, arising out of or resulting from the fault, negligence, or act or omission of the Contractor, its agents, or employees. 2.5. Prohibition against Self-Referral: Contractor’s physicians are prohibited from referring VA patients to contractor’s or their own practice(s). 2.6. Inherent Government Functions: Contractor and Contractor’s physician(s) s...