Inactive

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Dayton VA Medical Center (DVAMC) located at 4100 W 3rd Street Dayton, Ohio 45428 is seeking to provide daily COVID-19 screening and COVID-19 Testing at designat... The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Dayton VA Medical Center (DVAMC) located at 4100 W 3rd Street Dayton, Ohio 45428 is seeking to provide daily COVID-19 screening and COVID-19 Testing at designated points across the Dayton VA Medical Center campus and all associated locations. This effort will follow current and future VA and CDC guidelines in a manner aligned with DVAMC I CARE values. 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 Monday, November 9, 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 as stated below in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). 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) Dayton VA Medical Center COVID-19 Screening and Testing Performance Work Statement Introduction. To support COVID-19 screening efforts and to ensure the safety of both your patients and employees. Dayton VA Medical Center (DVAMC) is developing a manpower contract to provide 24-hour sustainable screening coverage. Scope. COVID-19 Door Screening and Testing The purpose of this requirement is to provide daily COVID-19 screening and COVID-19 Testing at designated points across the Dayton VA Medical Center campus and all associated locations. This effort will follow current and future VA and CDC guidelines in a manner aligned with DVAMC I CARE values. The contractor shall furnish all labor, training, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) (i.e. Mask, Gloves, Goggles/Face Shields and Touchless Thermometers). The contracted screeners and COVID-19 tester will utilize FDA and/or VA approved PPE equipment, that will meet all applicable OSHA and NISOH guidelines and standards to ensure services being provided is in such a manner to assure the safety and welfare of patients, visitors, and staff. To ensue standardization, DVAMC will provide clinical testing swabs and require the following healthcare professional so that clinical guidelines for testing is conducted in a manner aligned with DVAMC I CARE values. These licensed nursing staff must be vetted in alignment with current Dayton VAMC standards with nursing hires. Two (2) Clinical Providers - one Registered Nurse (RN), and one Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), contract employees with documented clinical competence for COVID-19 testing. Two (2) Nursing Assistants (NA), contract employee present as COVID-19 door entrance/exit management, escort, and ‘runner. Clinical Staffing Requirement For RNs and LPNs U.S. Citizenship English Language Proficiency Full and unrestricted RN or LPN licensure for the State of Ohio – cannot be any other state BLS certification Fingerprinting/security investigation Credentialing (verification of education, licensure, National Practitioner Date Bank reporting, etc.) – must be completed by our Credentialing Office and the credentialing file then approved by the ADPCS For NAs U.S. Citizenship English Language Proficiency BLS certification Fingerprinting/security investigation Estimated Contract Staff/FTE needed 39.7 total hours required per week to include weekends (1,585). Location (Subject to change, based on need) # of Screeners based on a 40 Hr. Week Shift Coverage Total Hrs. based on Screeners Per Week Contractor Lead/Supervisor 1 6am – 2pm 40 CBOC’S (Monday-Friday) 4.5 7am – 4pm 180 Emergency Department (24hr 7 days a week) 4.2 24 hours 168 Community Living Center (CLC) Bldg.320 (7 days a week) 2.6 7am – 10pm 105 Community Living Center (CLC) Bldg. 330 (5th Floor 7 day a week) 2.1 7:30am – 8pm 84 Primary Care (Monday -Friday) 2.8 6am – 5:30pm 110 Main Lobby Bldg. 330 (7 days a week) 7.4 6am – 8:30pm 294 MRI (Bldg. 335) 3.5 6am – 8:30pm 140 Mental Health (Bldg. 302 Monday-Friday) 3.3 7:30am – 8:30pm 130 Mental Health (Bldg. 302 Saturday) 0.1 9 am – 1pm 4 Mental Health (Bldg. 409 Monday-Friday) 1.0 7:30am – 4pm 40 Mental Health (Bldg. 410 Monday-Friday) 3.3 7:30am – 8:30pm 130 COVID-19 Tester (RN) B 330 1D-104 (Monday-Friday) 1.0 7:30am-4pm 40 COVID-19 Tester (LPN) B 330 1D-104 (Monday-Friday) 1.0 7:30am-4pm 40 COVID-19 Runner (Nurse Assist) B 330 1D-104 (Monday-Friday) 2.0 7:30am-4pm 80 Total Hrs. 1585 Total Number of Individuals Required. 39.7 Period of Performance. The inventory services shall be available starting January 1, 2021 and be completed by December 31, 2021 for the base year with 1 additional optional year through FY22. Dates: Base Year- January 1, 2021- December 31, 2021 Option Year 1- January 1, 2022-December 31, 2022 Place of Performance. To include but not limited to the following locations. All primary associated locations listed below to include Regional Offices, VISN Offices, Vet Centers, National Cemeteries, VBA Offices, and Research Offices which will be defined before and or during the initial kick-off meeting. Note: There are several locations outside of the main facility area. Screening Locations Addresses Location Name City Address State Distance in Miles from Main Campus Department of Veterans Affairs Dayton VA Medical Center 4100 W 3rd Street 45428 Ohio Main Campus Lima CBOC Lima 750 West High Street Ohio 76.4 miles Springfield CBOC Springfield 1620 N. Limestone St. Springfield Ohio 36 miles Richmond CBOC Richmond 1010 North J Street Richmond Indiana 42 miles Middletown CBOC Middletown 4337 North Union Road Middletown Ohio 24 miles Contractor Responsibilities. Contractor shall provide a Monthly report to the Facility no later than 5 working days after the end of the month. Contractor shall provide supervision, and travel to each screening location listed below. Contractor shall not begin work until the Contracting Officer (CO) or Contracting Officer's Representatives (COR) has conducted a kickoff meeting or has advised the contractor that a kickoff meeting is waived. Contractors shall provide the appropriate number of qualified individuals at the beginning of the contract to the CO and or COR. Contractors will ensure that contract staff follow Medical Center Dress Code and Cellular Phone medical center policies. (See Attachment B) The contractor shall prescreen all personnel to ensure they maintain a U.S. citizenship and are able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language. In alignment and compliance with CDC and VAMC standards, the contractor shall ensure an effective COVID-19 screening process is in place for the contractor employees prior to start of each shift, to insure negative COVID-19 screening status in order to protect the safety of the contract employees, Veterans, visitors, and employees. These position effectively is the greeting entry station for VA employees and for the Veterans and their family/significant others, who have honorably served our country. As such, the contractor and contractor employees will adhere to the Employee and Conduct medical center policy, including facility Code of Conduct, the Guidelines for Ethical Boundaries in Staff-Patient Relationships, and the Guidelines for The Hatch Act. Please see Attachment C. The contractor shall submit or have their employees provide the required forms (SF 86 or SF 85P, SF 85P-S, FD 258, Contractor Fingerprint Chart, VA Form 0710, Authority for Release of Information Form, and Optional Forms 306 and 612) to the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement within 30 days of receipt. The contractor, when notified of an unfavorable determination by the Government, shall withdraw the affected employee from working under the contract. Failure to comply with contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the contract for default. Contractors shall provide their own equipment and PPE Supplies for scanning purposes, including Mask, Gloves, Goggles/Face Shields and Touchless Thermometers) that is FDA or VA approved and meet all applicable OSHA and NISOH guidelines and standards. Contractors shall provide training to all contracted staff in advance regarding the required screening protocol and Instructions. (Note: Screening guidelines/Questions are subject to change based on CDC guidelines and it is the contractor responsibility to stay abreast of any changes). See Attachment B. Contractors shall comply with VAMC security and access requirements. Contractors shall provide notice for any delay, which will impact the overall project. The CO or COR will then review the facts and issue a response, in accordance with applicable regulations. The contractor shall meet with the COR or Facility Contract Lead for an after-action review as a debrief to advise the contractor of what was successful or not successful each month. Facility Responsibilities. The VA will nominate one (1) COR/Facility Lead and one (1) Nurse Leader (clinical component) during the length of the contract. These members will be available to the contractor at the kick-off meeting. The VA will ensure that the designated VAMC Facility Leads have informed all VAMC employees about the contract staff. The VA will provide a detailed listing of screening locations. The VA will ensure site access to all locations in this contract to prevent unproductive downtime. Facilities will provide workspace needed to perform tasks, and their full cooperation to aid in answering questions, both general and specific related to Screening and Testing Processes. Government-Furnished Information, Equipment, and Facilities. FAR Clause 52.245-4 Government-Furnished Property (Short Form) contains the basic requirements for the operation, maintenance, and protection of government property. Contractor-Furnished Equipment and Supplies. The Contractor shall furnish and maintain in acceptable condition, at no cost to contract, all items of equipment necessary to perform work required by this contract, and additional items as needed, within reason. Security Requirements. The contractor will not require access to the VA network. All contractor employees will be the subject of a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication from the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement prior to contract performance. This requirement is applicable to subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. Designated as Position Sensitivity – The position sensitivity has been Low Risk. Background Investigation – The level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access is background check. Clinical Background Requirements for COVID-19 contract employee Veteran testing? Records Management. The contractor shall treat all deliverables under the contract as the property of the U.S. Government for which the Government Agency shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. The contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any Government Agency records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract. The Government Agency owns the rights to all electronic information (electronic data. electronic information systems, electronic databases, etc.) and all supporting documentation created as part of this contract. The contractor must deliver enough technical documentation with all data deliverables to permit the agency to use the data. The contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, this contract. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and Agency guidance for protecting sensitive and proprietary information. Government Responsibilities The VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement will provide the necessary forms to the contractor, or the contractor’s employees, after receiving a list of names and addresses. Upon receipt, the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement will review completed forms for accuracy and forward the forms to the office of Personnel Management (OPM) to conduct background investigations. The VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement will notify the CO, and contractor, of adjudication results received from OMB. Upon being notified about a favorable determination, the CO may issue a notice to proceed to the contractor. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Current Screening Guidelines/Instructions CURRENT SCREENING GUIDELINES/INSTRUCTIONS Review at the Beginning of Every Shift Subject to change with CDC and/or VA Guideline changes. Visitor Guidance sheet PPE must always be worn: Medical Grade mask (not home-made) and face shield are required, gloves are optional. Thermometers are non-touch thermal scanning: Push button and hold thermometer close to forehead. It takes about a second to get a reading. Use Hand Sanitizer often to clean gloves or hands. ALL persons entering must be wearing some sort of face covering. If they do not have one – please give them a mask. If person refuses to put a mask on – Contact the Police via the radio. Per the Chief, Infectious Disease, if a cloth face covering cannot be tolerated, have them hold a tissue against their mouth and nose to contain respiratory secretions. At end of your shift, use Oxivir wipes to clean the thermometer and station and prepare for handoff to next shift. Screening Employees: Employees should have self-checked for symptoms and can come through with a thumbs up while showing their PIV Badge. Failure to give a thumbs up or show badge will REQUIRE employee to have temperature checked and screening questions answered. Screening is needed ask: Do you have a new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, other flu-like symptoms (chills, body aches, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, loss or smell or taste) or have you been told to self-quarantine because of exposure to someone with COVID-19 or a pending test for COVID-19? Check Temperature with non-touch thermal thermometer. Negative Screening: No to all and temperature <100 F, Employee may report to work. Positive Screening: Yes, to any or high temp. Temperature will be taken a second time and if recheck is >100 F, Employee should return home and contact their supervisor. Screening Patients and Visitors: Please refer to Visitor Guidance Sheet. ALL persons entering must have legitimate business: appointment, lab, vendor, contractor, etc. All visitors must adhere to the visitor guidance sheet. Ask all: Do you have a new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, other flu like symptoms (chills, body aches, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, loss or smell or taste) or have you been told to self-quarantine because of exposure to someone with COVID-19 or pending test for COVID-19? Take temperature with non-touch thermal thermometer. If the answer to the questions is NO and temperature is less than 100 F – the person may enter and conduct their business Positive Screening: Yes, to any of the questions or high temperature. Temperature will be taken a second time and if recheck is >100 F, the person(s) should be asked to return home and contact their primary care physician. If the person(s) believes they need immediate medical care they should be escorted to the Emergency Department. Please call the them on the radio and let them know. ED Screeners will use Vocera to call the ED charge nurse and let them know of a positive screen. The patient is to be sent to the clerk station with mask on after notifying ED charge nurse. DO NOT USE CHECK IN SHEET *NOTE: Some patients are being asked to come in when they are not feeling well. These patients should call their PACT team upon arrival and enter through the Primary Care Entrance. There an LPN from the PACT team will take them where they need to go. Attachment B: Dress Code and Cellular Phone Policies DRESS CODE POLICY 1. POLICY. Each employee’s personal appearance contributes to the overall image of the Medical Center as a provider of quality health care. It is the policy of this Medical Center that employees wear appropriate clothing suitable to the professional health care environment and employees maintain standards of personal hygiene and grooming that promote safety and enhance infection control. 2. RESPONSIBILITIES. Service Chiefs and Supervisors All Employees PROCEDURES. Employees who are not required to wear uniforms are expected to wear clothing that is suitable for the professional health care environment and to present themselves in a manner that reflects positively on the Medical Center. All employees are expected to present a clean and neat appearance. Individual Services may have policies more specific than the standards outlined below and may include the wearing of a specific uniform. In these instances, AFGE, Local 2209, and Nurses United (NNU), will be notified of the proposed policy and afforded the right to represent and negotiate on behalf of the bargaining unit employees affected by the proposed policy. Employees required to wear uniforms shall wear the complete uniform while in a duty status. The following are the Medical Center’s standards for personal appearance. These standards also apply to any casual days designated by the Service Chiefs. Employees must follow the service guidelines for their work areas, especially where health, sanitation and safety are a consideration. Exceptions to these standards may be made by supervisors and Service Chiefs for special events and assigned tasks, such as moving offices, packing, etc. Clothing – All clothing must be clean, neat, and professional. It is never appropriate to wear stained, wrinkled, frayed, or revealing clothing to the workplace. Skirts/Dresses The length of all skirts, dress shorts/skorts (culottes), whether split or not, cannot be more than 3” above the knee while sitting. Mini-skirts and spaghetti-strap dresses will not be worn while in a duty status. Dresses/blouses with low tops, bare shoulders (spaghetti straps) or bare backs are not appropriate in the healthcare environment, e.g. evening/party or sun dresses, unless worn with a jacket/lab coat. Garments shall not be sheer or see-through. No bare midriff garments will be allowed. Pants Pants and slacks, including Capri pants, should not be too tight fitting (body contouring). Extremely baggy pants are not to be worn while in a duty status. For employees assigned to any area that has direct patient contact or contact with the public excluding areas where uniforms are required, blue jeans are not permitted. Exceptions may be made for special events and duties. Jogging suits, sweat suits, warm-ups, shorts and stretch (lycra®) clothing, leggings/tights, stirrup pants are not appropriate dress in our Medical Center. Exceptions may be made for special events and duties. Shirts No t-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops or muscle shirts shall be worn in the Medical Center, unless worn under other garments, such as dresses, jumpers, or jackets. Exceptions may be made for special events and duties. Clothing having sexual, political, and/or negative connotations, written or pictured, is not permitted. Shoes Shoes should be clean, safe, and compatible with the hospital environment and assigned duties. Rubber heeled shoes are highly recommended in order to maintain a quiet environment, especially in-patient care areas. Flip-flops, thongs, and house slippers are prohibited. Heels should not be higher than 3” for safety reasons. Hose or socks must be worn. Others Hats, caps, and head covers will not be worn while on duty unless they are part of a VA issued uniform, religious attire, or safety/sanitation gear. Clothing, which is sheer and/or revealing, is not permitted. Buttons or clothing displaying political advertising and/or slogans that may be offensive, insulting, or profane are not permitted. Name Badges Identification badges must be worn above the waist at all times with the employee’s name and photograph clearly visible. In certain circumstances, employees may use first name and the first initial of their last name. Religious Exceptions Reasonable accommodations may be made on an individual basis for employees with properly documented religious needs. Requests with supporting documentation should be submitted to the employee’s Service Chief. Medical Exceptions – Deviation from this policy for a medical condition will require a physician’s statement that includes a time period for the exception. Service Chiefs and Supervisors – Service Chiefs and Supervisors are responsible for explaining this policy to their employees and assuring employees in the work environment are meeting the standards of personal appearance. Supervisors will follow the procedures described in the compliance section of this policy. All Employees – Employees are responsible for compliance with the standards contained in this policy. If there are questions about the appropriateness of any particular dress item, they should discuss this with their supervisor and/or union representative. When employees are in conflict with the established dress code policy, a good faith effort will be made with the employee, union representative, if requested, and supervisor to resolve the conflict at the lowest level. All employees will be furnished a copy of this policy. New employees shall be furnished a copy of this policy during orientation. Compliance Employees who do not comply with these guidelines, without appropriate justification, may be considered “not ready for duty”, and may be sent home by their supervisor(s) with leave status being dealt with administratively. Employees will be offered an appropriate uniform for their work area for the day in order to be compliant. If necessary, supervisors may authorize administrative leave sufficient for the employee to go home and return in compliance for the first offense, and annual leave for each subsequent offense. Employees who fail to comply with these guidelines may be subject to disciplinary action(s). If the parties are unable to resolve the conflict or non-compliance becomes habitual, counseling and/or progressive discipline will be conducted as appropriate. CELLULAR PHONES (CELL PHONES) PURPOSE: Use of cell phones is inevitable in many parts of the Medical Center. This policy is not intended to interfere with this essential form of communication relating to VA or patient care. Except on breaks and lunch, the intent is to refrain from personal/private conversations in patient areas, sending or accepting personal calls and/or personal text messages in front of patients, and to assure that the use of such devices do not in any way interfere with patient care. POLICY: It is a policy of this Medical Center to provide a safe environment for patients, visitors, and employees. Though these instruments are vital to business applications, telephone/cell phone usage must not interfere with patient treatment which is provided by this Medical Center and our Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), regardless of whether the electronic device is VA issued or personally owned. Notwithstanding, VA employees who have been issued VA owned cell phones may utilize these forms of communication only in the performance of their official job duties, similar to the manner in which e-mail is used. However, even this form of business communication may be prohibited in certain areas of the Medical Center where signage is posted. Additionally, while supervisors cannot regulate the ownership of a personal cell phone, they are obligated to monitor the enforcement of this policy. Every employee’s primary purpose is to care for our customers. DEFINITIONS: The following definitions apply to this Medical Center. Cell Phone: A wireless device used for communication that is contracted from companies such as Sprint, AT&T Wireless, Verizon, Cingular, etc. This is not to be confused with cordless phones that work off a base station. Cell Phone Abuse: Defined as interfering with interaction with a patient or visitor; answering personal phone calls, sending and/or receiving text messages while in a patient’s room or any direct patient care area. Taking photographs or videos of Veterans, Patients and Staff is prohibited in all patient care areas of the Medical Center (i.e., CBOCs, Community Living Center). Photographs or videos of the Medical Center campus (i.e., Grotto, Historical Landmarks) are permissible. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES: Biomedical Engineering – The biomedical engineering staff shall investigate problems with medical equipment that may be caused by electromagnetic interference (EMI) from cell phones and other EMI sources. Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) maintains a list of all cell phones that are issued to the facility’s employees. Periodically, these cell phones are inventoried, and unscheduled audits are completed. Employees – Each employee is to observe this policy and ensure that his/her actions do not cause harm on the Medical Center or CBOCs. Employees are to tactfully remind visitors and patients, of this policy in the event of violation, if signs prohibiting cell phone usage are posted. Employees with private/personal or VA-issued cell phones will adhere to the following procedures. 5. PROCEDURES: Cell phones must be on vibrating or silent mode while in patient care areas. Providers (Physicians, Nurses) may utilize a cell phone during direct patient care when appropriate for researching clinical information, diagnosing, prescribing, counseling, or medication/dosage administration. At no other time is an employee allowed to use a cell phone when providing patient treatment or attending to patient concerns, i.e. check-in counters; exam rooms, escorting, etc. At no time are employees permitted to plug a cell phone into a VA computer. In accordance with Medical Center Policy OIT-04, Telephony Equipment and Ancillary Services, cell phones issued by the VA will not be used for personal business. Personal cell phones with photographic/video capabilities are considered photographic devices. Unauthorized photography is prohibited throughout the Medical Center and Medical Center grounds without explicit approval of the Medical Center Director or designee. Unauthorized photography or videos is prohibited in all patient care areas throughout the Medical Center. Cell phones will be turned off while in any area of the facility where signage is posted that expressly forbids use of cell phones in that area. All signage will be authorized by Medical Center Director. Cell phones shall not be used within 3 feet of medical equipment. Playing games or sending/reading personal text messages in front of patients/visitors is prohibited, except on breaks and lunch. If you are in a meeting, turn off your cell phone or place your phone on vibrate. If the call is non-essential, let voice mail answer. If you must accept a telephone call, excuse yourself from the meeting. Do not carry on a conversation where others can hear you. Employees who fail to comply with the above guidelines may be subject to administrative action(s). Attachment C: Employee Responsibilities and Conduct EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILTIES AND CONDUCT POLICY. Employees, at all levels, are expected to observe the highest possible standards of honesty, integrity, impartiality, compassion, courtesy, and ethical behavior towards patients, visitors, and fellow employees. Any employee who violates established conduct requirements may be subject to appropriate disciplinary or adverse action, pending the outcome of an administrative investigation. Management is committed to enforcement of conduct requirements, including but not limited to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, 5 CFR Part 2635, and the facility Code of Conduct, the Guidelines for Ethical Boundaries in Staff-Patient Relationships, and the Guidelines for The Hatch Act (Attachments 1-4) Human Resources Management Service (HRMS) will furnish a copy of this policy to all new employees during their orientation. All employees will review the content of this policy during annual in-service training held within their Service, as well as during the annual rating period. Employees with questions about acceptable conduct should first check with their supervisor for advice. If the supervisor cannot answer an employee’s question, the employee should be referred to the appropriate Employee/Labor Relations Specialist and Union Representative for assistance. Any employee, at any level, noting apparent violations of conduct requirements should consult with their higher-level supervisors within their respective Service and the appropriate Employee Relations Specialist and Union Representative for advice and assistance in addressing the misconduct. The Code of Conduct (Attachment 1) has been developed to clarify for employees their responsibilities in support of the Medical Center’s commitment to eradicate misbehavior. The capsulated Principles of Ethical Conduct (Attachment 2) have applicability to all employees of the federal government. The Guidance of Ethical Boundaries in Staff-Patient Relationships (Attachment 3) applies to clinical and non-clinical staff. In addition to the Code of Conduct, the following conduct requirements continue to be applicable for all Medical Center employees: Employees, at all levels, are required to familiarize themselves with 5 CFR Part 2635, Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Employees, at all levels, are not permitted to bring onto the Medical Center, or have in their possession while on the Medical Center, firearms or other weapons, ammunition, narcotics, alcoholic beverages, or items of like nature. The use or possession of such articles on Medical Center grounds, whether on the person of the individual, in a locker, or in a vehicle for which the individual employee is responsible, will be sufficient basis for disciplinary or adverse action. Peddlers, collectors, newspaper vendors, beggars, solicitors, distributors, and vendors of any article or commodity will not be permitted to practice their vocations in any activity of the VAMC except when they have a formal written contract with VAMC. Infractions should be reported immediately to Police Service for appropriate action. Employees, at all levels, (wi...