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7 STATEMENT OF WORK MORTUARY AFFAIRS UNCLAIMED VETERAN BURIAL SERVICE 1. General: Alexandria VA Health Care System (AVSHCS) is in need of mortuary services to support handling the remains of deceased ... 7 STATEMENT OF WORK MORTUARY AFFAIRS UNCLAIMED VETERAN BURIAL SERVICE 1. General: Alexandria VA Health Care System (AVSHCS) is in need of mortuary services to support handling the remains of deceased Veterans. It is the policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs to award contracts to fully qualified professional funeral directors. The contractor shall provide facilities, equipment, licensed personnel, motor vehicles, and furnish professional services and requirements, supplies, caskets, urns, outer shipping containers, transportation, and perform hygienic practices as specified in this Statement of Work. The contractor shall comply with the Department of Veterans Affairs requirements and specifications and all federal, state, and local health laws, statutes and regulations in performing the following. 2. Mortuary Services: A. The contractor shall be responsible for providing professional services of the highest quality to assure viewing of the remains under optimal conditions. B. The contractor shall practice hygienic measures that will assure complete and satisfactory disinfection and sanitation of the funeral establishment. C. The contractor shall provide high quality service and a sufficient number of licensed embalmers to process (embalm) or reprocess any remains under this contract on a timely basis. Interns (apprentices) may be used to assist the licensed embalmer in accordance with applicable state regulations. D. All supplies and technical procedures shall conform to standards and professional techniques acceptable to the Funeral Service Industry. E. Embalmers shall utilize any and all optimal techniques available to assure complete and adequate treatment of remains. 3. Treatment of Remains The remains must be free of putrefaction and infectious agents at all times. This requires the thorough disinfection and uniform preservation of all body tissues. Employment of continuous injection and intermittent drainage will enhance chemical distribution and penetration. Use of humectant (moisture retention chemicals) in the arterial injection solution will help to achieve greater tissue penetration, and to restore normal body moisture content. 4. Pre-embalming procedures The following basic steps shall be accomplished in the course of processing or reprocessing all viewable remains, and to the extent possible, non-viewable remains. A. All Remains shall be bathed. Only exception to this would be when it is practically impossible to bathe due to the condition of the remains. Male facial and scalp hair shall be washed and groomed (suitable hair preparation shall be accomplished on females). Fingernails shall be cleaned and trimmed. The mouth shall be securely closed to form a natural expression and proper attention given to the eyes to prevent wrinkling of the eyelids and a sunken appearance of the eyes. Cosmetics shall be applied only in the amount necessary to produce natural color and texture. B. All lacerations, abrasions, incisions, excisions and burn wounds shall be sutured and/or sealed to prevent leakage. Swollen or distorted features shall be reduced to the normal contours enjoyed during life. Postmortem stains shall be chemically bleached by applying packs and/or needle injection. On viewable areas, further treatment shall consist of the use of masking cosmetics to render stains non-detectable. C. All body orifices shall be treated with a disinfectant, non-astringent chemical (generic categories such as Phenylphenols and Idophors) and then packed with cotton. Bedsores, ulcerated, burned, and necrotic tissue shall be treated either by hypodermic injection, or pack application of deodorizing/preserving chemical. D. Maggots and other insect larvae shall be destroyed and their breeding sites in or on the remains thoroughly treated with an insecticide chemical. E. The contractor's performance shall be such that all remains are effectively disinfected, uniformly preserved, and all offensive odors eliminated before the remains are casketed. 5. Preparation of Remains Each remain, viewable and non-viewable, requires variation in the embalming treatment to accomplish the optimum results. A recommended procedure to achieve these goals is the injection of the solution at a moderate rate. The addition of a humectant to the solutions is also helpful in reducing over-dehydration effects. A. Processing Non-Viewable Remains In all instances multisite injection and drainage technique shall be attempted. B. Processing Viewable Remains A thorough pre-embalming case analysis shall be made in order to determine the best embalming techniques to be used to obtain optimum results. C. Derma surgery; and such restorative work may be necessary to present a normal lifelike appearance. D. All body areas shall be further treated by means of a trocar, using undiluted cavity chemicals having a 30 index (%) or greater. In addition, packs, special gels and/or dry sanitizers shall be used, as required, to assure preservation, prevent leakage, and eliminate all offensive odors. E. Cranial, thoracic, and abdominal cavities, when present, shall be relieved of gasses and distention. The cavities shall then be treated by injecting a minimum of 32 ounces of a concentrated cavity chemical, having a 30-index (%) or greater. F. The technique of arterial injection and venous drainage is of utmost importance as well as the need for adding humectant (moisture retention chemicals) to the arterial solution injected. G. The arterial chemical injection solution shall contain a 2% to 3% concentration, by volume, of aldehyde or aldehyde derivative preservative agent(s), with equal parts of a humectant chemical also being added to the injection solution. H. When arterial injection and/or cavity treatment is impossible, all articulated and disarticulated anatomical portions shall be thoroughly disinfected and preserved via accessory chemical embalming techniques. I. Needle injections, packs, or other special treatments shall be accomplished, as required, to assure the preservation and disinfection of all body tissues, including those associated with body cavities (organs). J. A lanolin-based (or comparable) massage cream shall be applied on the face and hands. K. In the case of autopsied remains All incisions shall be tightly sutured and treated to prevent leakage. 6. Autopsied Remains If a partial or complete autopsy is performed, a 6-point injection with multisite drainage shall be accomplished, using arterial chemical solutions as specified for processing viewable remains. All incisions shall be tightly sutured and treated to prevent leakage. 7. Treatment of Scalp (Viewable Remains) If the scalp was shaved because of medical treatment or surgery, processing or reprocessing shall be accomplished as specified for viewable remains, after which the cranium shall be wrapped with gauze or equivalent in a neat and professional manner. 8. Mutilated Hands on a Viewable Remains When the hands are mutilated and restoration is not possible, the hands shall be treated in a manner, which shall render all tissue firm, dry, and thoroughly preserved. The hands will then be covered by either wrapping with gauze or equivalent in a neat and professional manner, or by placing surgical gloves on the hands. 9. Dressing Remains. Unless it is determined by the VA, and so indicated at the time the funeral arrangements are made, that the deceased will be buried in personally owned clothing or clothing furnished by the VA, the funeral director will furnish appropriate underclothing and hose. 10. Placement in Casket. Remains shall be placed in the casket in a manner that will create an appearance of rest and composure and ensure maintenance of position during transit. 11. Material: The casket, at a minimum, should be constructed from thick, strong particle board and be sufficient strength to support the weight of an adult human body. Cardboard or pressed paper or similar materials are not acceptable. 12. The pillow shall be turned over and a clean piece of cloth placed over the face. 13. The casket shall be of sufficient size to prevent the appearance of crowding and cramping the remains. 14. Flag. Contractor will ensure that a U.S. Flag (furnished by the VA) accompany and drape the casket at the time of funeral service. 15. Loading Remains. The remains shall be carefully and professionally placed in the type of vehicle authorized by the VA. 16. Transportation of Remains. Transportation of body in a hearse or service car from the place ordered to the place where embalming is to be performed, and subsequent transportation to the location where services are to be held, will be furnished by the funeral director. In the event that interment or cremation is to be other than at the Central Louisiana Veterans Cemetery (CLVC), additional expenses may be allowed for transportation. 17. Removal/Delivery: Transport remains in a suitable funeral coach, ambulance, or service car to place where processing or reprocessing is performed. Transportation shall include calling the place where death occurs or remains are located when such place is on the installation, or any place designated by the contracting officer or designate. 18. Cremation. In the event cremation services are ordered by the VA, this service will include making all necessary arrangements with the crematorium and furnishing a suitable container for the cremated remains. 19. Inspection. Both the casket and remains shall be inspected by a representative of the VA prior to remains leaving the contract funeral home. 20. Requirements: The foregoing requirements cover, in general, the type and character of service required. However, it is recognized that different conditions require different treatments and nothing in the above specifications shall be construed as restricting the funeral director in such a manner as to prevent the exercise by him of his best judgment as to the procedure in the particular case. The contractor is expected to perform the work in such a manner as to insure services of the highest type, and thus eliminate any possibility of warranted criticism of the VA. In agreeing to perform mortuary services as required by the VA, the funeral director agrees that there will be no discrimination in types of cases handled because of race, creed, or national origin of the deceased. 21. Remains shall be prepared, dressed, and cosmetized as prescribed in the specifications. 22. Transport and Storage of Deceased Veteran: The contractor shall pick up, transport deceased veteran upon notification by the VA and store remains at funeral home until burial arrangements are confirmed. 23. Place of Burial: Normally, mortuary services ordered by the VA will specify interment in the Central Louisiana Veterans Cemetery (CLVC). In these cases the burial plot, the marker and services for opening and closing the grave, and placing the marker, will be furnished by the VA. In the event the interment is to be made at other than the CLVC, this fact will be discussed at the time mortuary services are ordered, and mutually satisfactory arrangements will be made in regard to the services requested. The VA will notify the cemetery office of beneficiary death and expected interment, and the contractor will follow up with the cemetery office at (318) 925-0612. The contractor will notify the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) of anticipated burial arrangement. 24. Permits: Contractor will provide the necessary transit permit. Permits covering burial, cremation or removal of the body, if required, are to be secured and paid for by the funeral director performing the mortuary service. In accordance with the Louisiana State Board of Embalming and Funeral Directors, the contractor shall provide proof of license for the establishment and funeral home director(s), prior to commencing any work under this contract. 25. Death Certificate/DD214 or Similar Forms Used by The Military Services: Death Certificate will be provided to deceased next of kin by the contractor. DD214 or similar qualifying forms will be presented to funeral home upon possession of the body. 26. Pre-award Survey for Mortuary Services. The guidelines in Appendix B have been developed to aid the pre-award survey team in performing its inspection/evaluation of the potential contractor s facilities, equipment and motor vehicles. They will be used to determine that the contractor meets the minimum requirements of the government. In addition, the attached Funeral Home Facilities Inspection Checklist Format (Figure B.1) shall be completed. 27. Contract Administration Data: The contracting officer is the only person authorized to approve changes or modify any of the requirements under this contract. The contractor shall communicate with the contracting officer on all matters pertaining to contract administration. Only the contracting officer is authorized to make commitments or issue changes that affect price, quantity or quality of performance of this contract. In the event the contractor effects any such changes at the direction of any person other than the contracting officer, the change shall be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment will be made in the contract price to cover any increase in cost incurred as a result thereof. 28. INVOICE/PAYMENT: CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the Contractor will be made in accordance with: FAR 52.232-34 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer Other than Central Contract Registration (MAY 1999), Amended July 2013. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted no later than 30 days after services are rendered. The invoice will be paid in arrears, upon receipt of a properly prepared invoice. Invoices shall specify the billing period, purchase order number, and contract number. Any other supporting documentation requested by the CO or COR must accompany the invoice. If any discrepancies are identified in services rendered and billing, vendor must provide resolution to all discrepancies within 10 days of reporting. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS: All invoices from the Contractor shall be submitted electronically as shown in Block 19 of the SF 1449 to the following address within 10 business days: Financial Service Center (FSC) P.O. Box 149971 Austin, TX 78714 30. SCHEDULE One base year with four optional Offeror s Pricing: Pricing for services will include: All mortuary services Deceased transport from AVHCS to the contractor site Transportation services to Central Louisiana Veterans Cemetery