Inactive

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Inactive Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Set-Aside (FAR 19.14)

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Responses to this ... This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Responses to this sources sought notice must be in writing. The purpose of this sources sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential businesses interested and capable of providing the services described below. The contractor will provide the services of a Wheelchair Technician to the PM&R Wheelchair Clinic Northern Arizona VA Medical Center, 500 Highway 89 North, Prescott, AZ 86313. The Wheelchair Technician will assist the Licensed Occupational Therapist with Wheelchair Fittings during normal clinic hours of operation starting between 0700-8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday. Contract provider will generally be required to provide service for no less than 4 and up to 10 wheelchair fittings per week. Federal holidays, patient cancellation, planned vacation are excluded from normal clinic hours of operation. This position will include work for both inpatient and outpatient, in support of the Wheelchair Clinic program. Seating and Mobility Specialist will contact contract provider with number of wheelchair fittings 2 weeks prior to scheduled visit. If needing to schedule a patient under 2 weeks patient, Seating and Mobility Specialist will confirm contract provider availability prior to scheduling. Patient cancellations and unexpected clinic closure due to weather or absence will be communicated as soon as possible. At the end of the shift the contract provider will provide list of wheelchair serial numbers to the Seating and Mobility Specialist for verification purposes. 1. Schedule of Services and Price The contract shall be awarded for Sixty months with a fixed-price contract per Wheelchair Fitting. Price submitted shall be an all-inclusive rate including labor, incidental costs, overhead and insurance premium payments for applicable insurance coverage. Costs not incorporated into the contractor s price will not be reimbursed by the government. The column titled Estimated Quantity in the below schedule represents the total number wheelchair fitting for the twelve-month contract period. They are estimates only and are subject to change. The Government will reimburse the Contractor for all wheelchair fittings completed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. Description Estimated Quantity Unit Wheelchair Fittings 1-480 Wheelchair Fitting 2. Qualifications Requirements 2.1. All contractor staff shall have a current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Heart Association. 2.2. Minimum of 2 years experience as a Wheelchair Technician. The Wheelchair Technician work experience shall include recent experience with power and manual wheelchair repairs, assemblies, fittings, and follow-up care. Completion of Permobil and Quantum manufactures training course in repair and managing wheelchair products. 3. Duties and Responsibilities 3.1 Configure power and manual wheelchairs per the initial wheelchair evaluation prescription as provided by the PM&R Seating and Mobility Specialist. 3.1.1. Complete wheelchair fittings and seating system adjustments per the Seating and Mobility Specialist instruction. 3.1.2. Verify the correct configuration of the wheelchair and provide input to the Wheelchair Seating and Mobility Specialist regarding any configuration or product defects prior to the patient being scheduled for the wheelchair fitting appointment. 3.1.3. Retrieve manual and power wheelchairs from storage area prior to the wheelchair fitting appointment. 3.1.4. Have the physical ability to assist the Seating and Mobility Specialist with positioning the patient in the seating system. 3.1.5. Maintain a strong professional relationship with patient and family members, NAVAHCS medical personnel, and wheelchair manufacture vendors who may be present for the wheelchair fittings. 3.1.6. Adhere to all HIPPA and patient confidently requirements, business ethics and guidelines, and employee code of conduct requirements. 3.1.7 Maintain a record of mobility device serial numbers with date completed work to be turned in to Seating and Mobility specialist. 4. On-Boarding Requirements 4.1. On-boarding of the contract Wheelchair Technicians shall be completed with the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) or his/her designee. The contractor shall submit the resume of any new candidate when requested by the COR and the contractor shall make proposed candidates available for interview by the PM&R Department. 5. Non-Acceptance of Contract Candidates 5.1. The contractor shall ensure that all proposed candidates have met the qualifying criteria, including experience, competency, and valid BLS certification. Ultimately, the decision to accept or reject candidate s rests with the VA. Non-acceptance of contract providers does not relieve the contractor from satisfying and fulfilling the Task Order requirements. 6. Standard of Conduct 6.1. The Government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of contract candidate whose personal or professional conduct jeopardizes 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 abuse, or other conduct resulting in formal complaints by patients or other staff members to designated Government Representatives. Standards for conduct shall mirror those of Federal Employees. 6.2. Complaints concerning contract staff s conduct with Government employees or patients will be dealt with by the contractor and the COR. The Contracting Officer is the final authority on validating complaints. In the event that contract staff are involved and named in a validated complaint, the Government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of the services of such personnel. This does not preclude refusal in the event of incidents involving physical or verbal abuse. The final arbiter on questions of acceptability is the Contracting Officer. 7. Conflict of Interest 7.1. The contractor shall not employ any person who is an employee of the United States Government if the employment of that person would create a conflict of interest. The contractor shall not employ any person who is an employee of the VA, unless such person seeks and receives approval in accordance with the VA regulations. Nor shall the contractor employ any person who, as a member, would create a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest, particularly with regard to influencing the negotiations or terms of the contract or resulting Task Orders. 8. Arrangement for Replacement Staff 8.1. The contractor shall provide scheduled services throughout the period of contract. In the event of the absence of the contractors scheduled staff for any reason, the contractor shall coordinate a replacement provider. 9. Identification Badge 9.1. An identification (ID) badge will be issued by NAVAHCS to contract staff providing services under the contract. The appropriate ID badge shall be worn at all times while on Government facility grounds, clearly displayed on the outermost garment (i.e., scrubs, coat, jacket, sweater, shirt, blouse, lab coat etc.). 10. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 10.1. Contractor shall take reasonable measures to ensure patient privacy and confidentiality. The contract staff assigned to provide services under the resulting contract(s) agree to take all reasonable precautions to safeguard patient information from unauthorized access or modification, in both electronic and hard-copy formats. This includes not only electronic security measures such as strong user passwords on computer systems, but also physical barriers to prevent unauthorized use of computer workstations; that hard copy patient files are in secured lockable areas, that files are in lockable cabinets, that the cabinets can in fact be locked (i.e., keys are available, and the locking mechanisms work properly). This precaution also includes the proper transfer of patient information via electronic means, such as faxing or system-to-system transmission. 10.2. Contract staff shall make sure no patient information of any type is given to outside parties, agencies or organizations of any type without the expressed written consent of the patient and the VA and only in capacities directly related to the provision of the services contracted in this instrument. That only the minimum necessary patient information is used to provide appropriate service to the correct patient. The contractor is subject to the same penalties and liabilities for unauthorized disclosures of such records as VA personnel. 10.3. The contract acknowledges that all parties are bound by the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 which provide guidance on the protection of patient privacy and confidentiality. This Act mandates that all government agencies and those bodies with whom they contract must be in compliance with the directives of the Act. Details of the Act are still under development by the Congress of the United States. Once these detailed directives are released, this current purchase agreement may require a modification to be in compliance depending on the effective date of the Act as decided by Congress and the President of the United States. 11. The Joint Commission (TJC) - Remove 11.1. Contract staff shall be subject to the same quality assurance standards in meeting or exceeding current recognized National Standards as established by TJC. Copies of the quality assurance standards are on file in the NAVAHCS Quality Management department and will be available to the Contractor. The contractor shall perform services in accordance with the ethical, professional, and technical standards of the healthcare industry as consistent with VA policy, regulations, and procedures. 11.2. The contractor is required to maintain records that document competence/performance level of contract staff working on the resulting contract(s) in accordance with TJC accreditation and other regulatory body requirements. The contractor will provide a current copy of the competence assessment checklist and annual performance evaluation of any contract staff to the COR upon request. 11.3. Where the contract does not require the TJC accreditation or other regulatory body requirements, the contractor s staff performing on the contract(s) must perform the required work in accordance with the TJC accreditation standards. A copy of these standards may be obtained from TJC, One Renaissance Blvd., Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181. 12. Government Training and Orientation 12.1. The COR or his/her designee will provide each contract staff with all necessary site-specific training, orientation, medical supplies, equipment (including Respiratory Fit Testing) and evaluations as required by federal, state and local occupational safety laws or rules, including TJC and HIPAA. 13. Evidence of Insurance Coverage 13.1. Before commencing work under this contract, the contractor shall furnish certification to the Contracting Officer that the coverage required (General and Professional Liability as well as Workers Compensation) has been obtained and such policy shall state, This policy may not be changed or cancelled without written notice to the VA Contracting Officer, VA Network Contracting Office 22, 3601 S. 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85723. Said policy must bear an appropriate loss payable clause to the United States as its interest may appear. Such evidence of insurance will not be waived. 14. Contractor Personnel Policy 14.1. The contractor shall assume full responsibility for the protection of its personnel furnishing services. To carry out this responsibility, the contractor shall provide the following to its contract staff: 19.1.1. Workers Compensation 19.1.2. Professional liability insurance 19.1.3. Health examinations 19..1.4. Income tax withholdings 19.1.5. Social Security withholdings 14.2. Payment for any leave, including sick leave or vacation time is considered the sole responsibility of the contractor. The contractor shall comply with all existing local, state, federal and/or union laws, regulations relevant to fringe benefits, and premium pay for their employees. Such personnel shall not be considered NAVAHCS employees for any purpose and shall be considered employees of the contractor. There is no employer-employee relationship between the VA and the contractor or the contractor s employee(s). 15. 15.1. Contract Wheelchair Technician shall work in areas designated by the COR or his/her designated representative. The Wheelchair Technician will be expected to be available one day week for patients scheduled that day, except holidays and when the Wheelchair Clinic is closed due staff on annual leave. The normal tour of duty is between 0700-1700. 15.2. Contract staff that work an 8-hour shift shall be entitled to a (30) thirty-minute meal break. 15.3. Overtime. Overtime is not approved for this contract. 15.4. The Government reserves the right to schedule or reschedule the duty hours to meet staffing and patient care needs. The Government shall provide a two-week notice of any schedule changes or seek availability from vendor under prior to scheduling. Contractor s staff shall be present at the facility and shall be performing the required services to receive payment for services. The contract staff shall only receive payment for the actual number of wheelchair fittings performed. Federal Holidays New Year s Day January 01 Martin Luther King s Birthday Third Monday in January President s Day Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Juneteenth June 19 Independence Day July 04 Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Veterans Day November 11 Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25 If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as a national holiday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed as a National holiday by U.S. Government Agencies, and any day specifically declared by the President of the United States of America. If you are interested and capable of providing the required service(s) please provide the following information. (1) Company Name, Address, Point of Contact (2) Size status and representations of your business, such as but not limited to: Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), HUBZone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Large Business, etc. (3) Is your company considered small under the NAICS code 811210? (4) Does your company have an FSS contract with GSA or the NAC or are you a contract holder with any other federal contract? If so, please provide the contract type and number. (5) If you are an FSS GSA/NAC or other federal contract holder, are the referenced items/solutions available on your schedule/contract? (6) Please provide general pricing for your products/solutions for market research purposes. (7) Please submit a capability statement that addresses qualifications and verifies ability to perform work described above. The Government is not obligated to, nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this sources sought announcement. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. The VA is mandated by Public Law 109-461 to consider a total set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses. However, if there are insufficient Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business responses, an alternate set-aside or full and open competition may be determined. No sub-contracting opportunity is anticipated. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 811210 ($34 Million). Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to daniel.kneizeh@va.gov. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than 10/24/2023 16:00 PST. After review of the responses to this sources sought announcement, a solicitation may be published on the FedBizOpps or GSA eBuy websites. Responses to this sources sought announcement will not be considered adequate responses to the solicitation. All interested offerors must respond to the solicitation in addition to responding to this sources sought announcement. Prospective bidders must be authorized re-sellers to participate in the solicitation process. Notice to potential offerors: All offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov. Additionally, all Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses or Veteran Owned Small Businesses must be registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Veterans Enterprise VetBiz Registry located at www.vip.vetbiz.gov.