Inactive

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY The intent of this Sources Sought Announcement is to assist in our decision-making process for services procurement. This is not a solicitation, nor request ... This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY The intent of this Sources Sought Announcement is to assist in our decision-making process for services procurement. This is not a solicitation, nor request for quotes or proposals. Through the receipt of responses, this will enable a more precise type of procurement process. The Government is not obligated to nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this sources sought synopsis request. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award of a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. Any inquiries are to be made in writing by email to the point of contact, Larry Facio, Contracting Officer. Responses to this notice shall be sent by email to larry.facio@va.gov by the due date and time of 06/26/2024 by 1:00 p.m. (Pacific Time). Upon receipt of capabilities statement, Contracting Officer may request additional market research aide such as informal pricing. Services Required: The Contractor shall provide Board Certified/Board Eligible GENERAL SURGERY Physician Services onsite in accordance with the specifications contained herein to beneficiaries of the VA and the Central California Health Care System (VACCHCS), Fresno, CA. Place of Performance: Contractor shall furnish services at the VACCHCS Fresno, 2615 E. Clinton Ave, Fresno, CA. 93703. Authority Title 38 USC 8153, Health Care Resources (HCR) sharing Authority OR Title 38 USC 513 General Contracting Policy/Directives/Handbooks. The contractor shall be subject to the following policies, including any subsequent updates during the period of performance. The policies listed below can be accessed electronically at the following: VA Publications VHA Publications VA Directive 1663: Health Care Resources (HCR) Contracting Buying Title 38 U.S.C. 8153 1.4.2. VHA Directive 1003.04: VHA Patient Advocacy VHA Directive 1065: Productivity and Staffing Guidance for Specialty Provider Group Practice VHA Directive 1088(1): Communicating Test Results to Providers and Patients VHA Directive 1100.18: Reporting and Responding to State Licensing Boards VHA Directive 1100.20: Credentialing of Health Care Providers VHA Directive 1100.21: Privileging VHA Directive 1192.01: Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program for VHA Health Care Personnel VHA Directive 1220(1): Facility Procedure Complexity Designation Requirements to Perform Invasive Procedures in Any Clinical Setting VHA Directive 1605.01: Privacy and Release of Information VHA Directive 1907.01: VHA Health Information Management and Health Records VHA Handbook 1100.17: National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) Reports Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) as amended: http://www.justice.gov/oip/foia_updates/Vol_XVII_4/page2.htm Acronyms/Definitions: 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. ABS: American Board of Surgery http://www.absurgery.org/ ACGME: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education ACLS: Advanced Cardiac Life Support AJIC: American Journal for Infection Control AQL: Acceptable Quality Level BAA: Business Associate Agreement BBA: Balanced Budget Act BLS: Basic Life Support CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDR: Contract Deficiency Report CEU: Certified Education Unit Clinical Privileging: Clinical Privileging is the process by which a practitioner, licensed for independent 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, and within available resources. CME: Continuing Medical Education CMP: Civil Monetary Penalty CMS: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CO: Contracting Officer: 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. COI: Conflict of Interest COR: Contracting Officer s Representative: 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. COS: Chief of Staff CPARS: Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System Credentialing: Credentialing is the process of obtaining, verifying, and assessing the qualifications of a health care provider to provide care or services in or for the VA health care system. Credentials are documented evidence of licensure, education, training, experience, or other qualifications. DEA: Drug Enforcement Agency EHR: Electronic Health Record - electronic health record system used by the VA EPA: Environmental Protection Agency FAPIIS: Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System FAR: Federal Acquisition Regulation FOIA: Freedom of Information Act FPPE: Focused Provider Practice Evaluation FSMB: Federation of State Medical Boards FTE: Full Time Equivalent: VA s standard definition is for full time working the equivalent of 80 hours every two weeks, 2080 hours per year.  However, providers may propose using their standard FTE definition. HHS: Department of Health and Human Services HICPAC: Hospital Infection Practices Advisory Committee HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act IGRA: Interferon-gamma Release Assays ISO: Information Security Officer Key Personnel: The individuals specified in this contract who are essential to work performance. MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging MST: Military Sexual Trauma NPI: National Provider Identifier. NPI is a standard, unique 10-digit numeric identifier required by HIPAA. The VHA must use NPIs in all HIPAA-standard electronic transactions for individual (health care practitioners) and organizational entities (medical centers). NPPES: National Plan and Provider Enumeration System NSO: National Surgery Office OGC: Office of General Counsel OIG: Office of Inspector General OPPE: Ongoing Provider Practice Evaluation OR: Operating Room POP: Period of Performance PPD: Purified Protein Derivative PPIRS: Past Performance Information Retrieval System PWS: Performance Work Statement QA/QI: Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement QM/PI: Quality Management/Performance Improvement QASP: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan RFP: Request for Proposal SCS: Specialty Care Services SSAC: Sole Source Affiliate Contract TJC: the Joint Commission TST: Tuberculosis Skin Test USC: United States Code VA: Department of Veterans Affairs VA-FSC: VA Financial Services Center VAAR: VA Acquisition Regulation VETPro: is VHA s mandatory credentialing software platform to document the credentialing of VHA health care Providers. This system facilitates completion of a uniform, accurate and complete credentials file. VHA: Veterans Health Administration VistA: Veterans Integrated Systems Technology Architecture QUALIFICATIONS: Staff/Facility 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. All licenses held by the key 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. Board Certification: All Contractor s physician(s) shall be Board Certified/Board Eligible by the ABS http://www.absurgery.org/, and be currently certified in BLS, ACLS or equivalency. 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. Credentialing and Privileging: Credentialing and privileging is to be done in accordance with the provisions of VHA Directive 1100.20 and VHA Directive 1100.21 referenced above. The Contractor is responsible to ensure that proposed physician(s) possesses the requisite credentials enabling the granting of privileges. No services shall be provided by any Contractor s physician(s) prior to obtaining approval by the Facility Medical Executive Board and Medical Center Director. If a Contractor s physician(s) and/or other contract provider(s) are 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. 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 shall provide verifiable evidence of all educational and training experiences including any gaps in educational history for all Contractor s physician(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 medical staff behavior. Continuing Medical Education (CME)/ Certified Education Unit (CEU) Requirements: Contractor shall provide the COR copies of current CMEs as required or requested by the facility. 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 Contractor s physician(s). Training (ACLS, BLS, EHR 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. Other training may become required. VA will communicate any changes to the training requirement to the contractor. Training (The following training is mandatory per VHACO for Contracted Physicians) Frequency (once a year, etc.) Annual Hours ACLS/BLS Annually 1 Active Threat Training Annually 1 Blood Administration: Complications Annually 1 EHR Annually 1 Government Ethics Annually 1 Hospice and Palliative Care for VA Clinicians Annually 1 Military Sexual Trauma (MST) for Medical Providers Annually 1 Moderate Sedation In-Service Training Annually 1 PACT Act 2022 Toxic Exposure Screening (TES) Annually 1 Patient Abuse Annually 1 Patient Rights Annually 1 Patient Safety Annually 1 Prevention/Management of Disruptive Behavior/Violence Prevention Level I Annually 1 Prevention of Workplace Harassment/No Fear Act Annually 1 Suicide Prevention: Suicide Risk Management Training for Clinicians Annually 1 SUX Infection Control and Blood Borne Pathogens Annually 1 VA Core Values Training (ICARE Recommitment) Annually 1 VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior Annually 1 VHA MRI Safety Training Level 1 Training (all who enter MRI suites) Annually 1 VHA Privacy and HIPAA Focused Training Annually 1 VistA Imaging Annually 1 STANDARD INFECTION CONTROL MEASURES (PPD, IMMUNIZATIONS, ETC.): Contractor shall provide proof of the following for physicians within five (5) calendar days after contract award and prior to the first duty shift to the COR and CO. Tests shall be current within the past year. TUBERCULOSIS TESTING: Contractor shall provide proof of a negative Tuberculosis Skin Test (TST) or interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) for all Contractor s physician(s) upon hire in accordance with CDC guidance. (This is applicable to all health care workers). A negative chest radiographic report for active tuberculosis shall be provided in cases of positive TST or IGRA results. MEASLES, MUMPS, & RUBELLA TESTING: Contractors shall provide proof of immunity for all Contractor physicians {This is applicable to all health care workers}. VARICELLA: Contractors shall provide proof of immunity for all Contractor physicians {This is applicable to all health care workers}. ACELLULAR PERTUSSIS: Contractors shall provide proof of 1 dose of Tdap vaccination for all Contractor physicians {This is applicable to all health care workers}. INFLUENZA: Contractors shall provide proof that all Contractor physicians have received the annual Influenza vaccine unless it is contraindicated. If the Contractor physician has a medical contraindication to the vaccine they shall be required to wear a mask during the Influenza season. {This is applicable to all health care workers}. COVID-19: Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP). OSHA REGULATION CONCERNING OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS: Contractor shall provide evidence of completing and passing generic self-study blood-borne pathogen training for all Contractor s physician(s) {This is applicable to all health care workers}; provide their own Hepatitis B vaccination series and hepatitis B surface antigen test results following the hepatitis B vaccination series; maintain an exposure determination and control plan; maintain required records; and ensure that proper follow-up evaluation is provided following an exposure incident. The facility 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. NPI: NPI is a standard, unique 10-digit numeric identifier required by HIPAA. The VHA 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 CMS NPPES be provided to the CO with the proposal. DEA: Contractor shall provide copy of current DEA certificate. Conflict of Interest (COI): The Contractor and all Contractor s 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 and fully outlined in response to the subject attachment in Section D of the solicitation document. Citizenship related Requirements: 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 VA patient referrals. While performing services for the VA, 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 FAR. If the Contractor fails to comply with any requirements outlined in the preceding paragraphs or its Agency regulations, the VA 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 VA patient referrals; or other place where the Contractor provides services to veterans who have been referred by the VA; and shall form the basis for termination of this contract for breach. 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. 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. Annual OIG Statement: In accordance with HIPAA and the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1977, the HHS 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. 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. 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. Clinical/Professional Performance: The qualifications of Contractor personnel are subject to review by facility COS or his/her clinical designee and approval by the Medical Center Director as provided in VHA Directive 1100.20 and VHA Directive 1100.21. Clinical/Professional performance monitoring and review of all clinical personnel covered by this contract for quality purposes will be provided by the facility 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. Non Personal Healthcare Services: The parties agree that the Contractor and all Contractor s physician(s) shall not be considered VA employees for any purpose. 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. Prohibition against Self-Referral: Contractor s physicians are prohibited from referring VA patients to contractor s or their own practice(s). Inherent Government Functions: Contractor and Contractor s physician(s) shall not perform inherently governmental functions. This includes, but is not limited to, determination of agency policy, determination of Federal program priorities for budget requests, direction and control of government employees (outside a clinical context), selection or non-selection of individuals for Federal Government employment including the interviewing of individuals for employment, approval of position descriptions and performance standards for Federal employees, approving any contractual documents, approval of Federal licensing actions and inspections, and/or determination of budget policy, guidance, and strategy. No Employee status: The Contractor shall be responsible for protecting Contractor s physician(s) furnishing services. To carry out this responsibility, the Contractor shall provide or certify that the following is provided for all their staff providing services under the resultant contract: Workers compensation Professional liability insurance Health examinations Income tax withholding, and Social security payments. Tort Liability: The Federal Tort Claims Act does not cover Contractor or Contractor s physician(s). When a Contractor or Contractor s physician(s) has been identified as a provider in a tort claim, the Contractor shall be responsible for notifying their legal counsel and/or insurance carrier. Any settlement or judgment arising from a Contractor s (or Contractor s physician(s)) action or non-action shall be the responsibility of the Contractor and/or insurance carrier. Key Personnel: The VA Full Time Equivalent (FTE) for the services required is 40 hours each week and does not include Holidays. 2736 hours of (after hour) call per year that may include Holidays = 1.0 VA FTE. The minimum number of Board Certified/Board Eligible GENERAL SURGERY physicians required to be onsite daily is 1 physician to be onsite as defined in paragraph Hours of Operation in this section. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing coverage to the VA during periods of vacancies of the Contractor s personnel due to sick leave, personal leave, vacations and additional coverage as required. In the event a scheduled physician is unable to complete an assigned shift, the Contractor shall provide replacement physician coverage within 2 hours and notify the COR immediately of the schedule change. Personnel Substitutions: During the first ninety (90) calendar days of performance, the Contractor shall make NO substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the CO, in writing, within 15 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required below. After 90 days, the Contractor shall submit the information required below to the CO at least 15 calendar days prior to making any permanent substitutions. The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the CO. Proposed substitutes shall have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The CO will notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on the proposed substitutes. The contract will be modified to reflect any approved changes of key personnel. For temporary substitutions where the key person shall not be reporting to work for 3 consecutive workdays or more, the Contractor shall provide a qualified replacement for the key person. The substitute shall have comparable qualifications to the key person. Any period exceeding two weeks will require the procedure as stated above. The Government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of any Contractor personnel at any time after performance begins, if personal or professional conduct jeopardizes patient care or interferes with the regular and ordinary operation of the facility. Breaches of conduct include intoxication or debilitation resulting from drug use, theft, patient abuse, dereliction or negligence in performing directed tasks, or other conduct resulting in formal complaints by patient or other staff members to designated Government representatives. Standards for conduct shall mirror those prescribed by current federal personnel regulations. Should the VA COS or designee show documented clinical problems or continual unprofessional behavior/actions with any Contractor s physician(s), s/he may request, without cause, immediate replacement of said Contractor s physician(s). The CO and COR shall deal with issues raised concerning Contractor s physician(s) conduct. The final arbiter on questions of acceptability is the CO. Contingency Plan: Because continuity of care is an essential part of Facility s medical services, The Contractor shall have a contingency plan in place to be utilized if the Contractor s physician(s) leaves Contractor s employment or is unable to continue performance in accordance with the terms and conditions of the resulting contract. VA HOURS OF OPERATION/SCHEDULING: VA Business Hours: VA tour of duty will be Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Clinic days are Mondays and Wednesdays (or mutually agreeable alternative days as necessary). OR scheduled days are Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (or mutually agreeable alternative days as necessary). On call coverage is from 4:00 PM to 7:30 AM, Monday through Friday; twenty-four (24) hours on weekends and holidays. Patients must be seen by a Contractor s physician(s) onsite at the Fresno VA in a timely manner in accordance with VA Rules and Regulations on clinic wait times and consult completion. Contractor shall notify the COR at least monthly about any obstacles to meeting this performance measure. Contractor s physician(s) shall be available and present in clinic during normal General Surgery clinic hours, which will be established, and may be revised, as deemed appropriate for patient care by the Chief of Staff or Surgical Chief of Surgery. Currently, normal clinic hours are from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Off-hours Coverage: 4:00 PM to 7:30 AM, Monday through Friday; Twenty-four-hour weekend and holiday coverage. Contractor must make the Contractor s physician(s) available on-call during all hours when the Fresno VA Medical Center, General Surgery clinic is closed, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. On-call Contractor s physician(s) must be available at all times for phone consultations with VA residents and physicians. On-call providers must be available within 15 minutes by phone and onsite within 60 minutes. Federal Holidays: The following holidays are observed by the VA: New Year s Day President s Day Martin Luther King s Birthday Memorial Day Juneteenth Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Christmas Any day specifically declared to be a national holiday. Cancellations: All cancellations will be handled following the VACCHCS Fresno clinic cancellation policy if necessary. Unless a state of emergency has been declared, the Contractor shall be responsible for providing services. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES: Clinical Personnel Required: The Contractor shall provide Contractor s physician(s) who are competent, qualified per this performance work statement and adequately trained to perform assigned duties. Contractor s physician(s) shall be responsible for signing in and out when in attendance. Time sheets will be used by the COR to confirm hours/day and services provided against the contractor s invoices. Standards of Care: The Contractor s physician(s) care shall cover the range of General Surgery services as would be provided in a state-of-the-art civilian medical treatment facility and the standard of care shall be of a quality, meeting or exceeding currently recognized the Joint Commission (TJC), VA and national standards as established by: The ABS http://www.absurgery.org/ The professional standards of TJC: http://www.jointcommission.org/standards_information/standards.aspx The standards of the American Hospital Association (AHA): http://www.hpoe.org/resources?show=100&type=8 The requirements contained in this PWS Resident Supervision and Teaching: Resident Supervision/Teaching: According to the guidelines dictated by the Residency Review Committee of ACGME, the contractor s physician(s) performing the services shall be responsible for residents. Contractor s physician(s) shall be responsible for: Academic environment: Provide for an academic environment conducive to the training and professional development for residents rotating through the Surgical Service. Resident patient care documentation: Contractor s physician(s) shall be responsible for complying with the Residency review documentation and insuring that all notes and encounters are completed and shall appropriately document medical records in accordance with VA standards, equivalent to TJC compliance guidelines, standard commercial practice and guidelines established by VANCHCS. The Contractor shall also perform any administrative duties relative to documentation of resident training, as required and directed by the VA COS or designated representative. Clinical Direction and Oversight: Contractor s physician(s) shall provide clinical direction to and oversight of residents/fellows consistent with current accreditation guidelines, clinical research, protocol development, data management of protocols, quality assurance conferences and meetings, and affiliate /VA staff meetings. Ensure on-site resident supervision in accordance with the national VHA Directive 1400.01: Supervision of Physician, Dental, Optometry, Chiropractic, and Podiatry Residents, dated November 07, 2019. https://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=8579 Attending Physician: Clinics/General Surgery procedures shall not be conducted by residents in the absence of an attending physician. All procedures, inpatient admissions and consults shall be the responsibility of an attending physician. Medical Records: Authorities: Contractor s physician(s) providing healthcare services to VA patients shall be considered as part of the Department Healthcare Activity and shall comply with the 5 U.S.C.552a (Privacy Act), 38 U.S.C. 5701 (Confidentiality of claimants records), 5 U.S.C. 552 (FOIA), 38 U.S.C. 5705 (Confidentiality of Medical Qual...