NTX LAB COURIER SERVICE
The North Texas VA Healthcare System, located in Dallas, TX, is seeking Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) or Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) sources capable of meeting the requirement listed below. The acquisition will be accomplished using commercial item procedures in accordance with FAR Part 12.
NOTE: TO QUALIFY SDVOSB AND VOSB VENDORS MUST BE CERTIFIED IN THE VA VENDOR INFORMATION PAGES (VIP) DATABASE. THE VENDOR MUST BE REGISTERED AS A SMALL BUSINESS UNDER NAICS CODE 492110 TO BE CONSIDERED FOR AWARD.
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is 492110. Any SDVOSB or VOSB firms who wish to identify their interests and capability to provide this product must provide product specifications, performance and delivery information by notifying the Contract Specialist no later than 12:00 NOON PM Central Time, August 16, 2018. Notification shall be e-mailed to Ronalda Ohio, at ronalda.ohio@va.gov.
DISCLAIMER
This Source Sought Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this Notice that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation, responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Notice.
PART A- SCOPE OF WORK:
INTRODUCTION:
The Department of Veterans Affairs, VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) located at the Dallas Veterans Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, intends to award a contract for the provision of laboratory courier services. The Contractor shall provide regularly scheduled pick-ups of laboratory specimens and laboratory supplies from various locations noted below and deliver to the P&LMS locations throughout the VA North Texas Health Care System.
PART B WORK REQUIREMENTS
DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
The contractor shall furnish all labor, tools, materials, equipment, and supervision necessary to provide same day pickup and delivery of routine and emergency reagents, blood and/or blood products, lab products, and specimen courier services for the VA North Texas Health Care System.
Daily pickup from Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs):
Decatur CBOC, 1713 South FM 51, Decatur, TX 76234
Denton CBOC, 2223 Colorado Blvd, Denton, TX 76205
Greenville CBOC, 4006 Wellington Rd., Suite 100, Greenville, TX 75401
Granbury CBOC, 601 Fall Creek Hwy., Granbury, TX 76049
Polk Street VA Clinic, 4243 S. Polk Street, Dallas, TX 75224
Plano CBOC, 3804 W 15th Street, Plano, TX 75075
VA Fort Worth Outpatient Clinic, 2201 SE Loop 820, Ft. Worth, TX 76119
Grand Prairie CBOC, 2737 Sherman Street, Grand Prairie, TX 75051
Daily delivery to:
Dallas VA Medical Center, 4500 S. Lancaster Rd., Dallas, Texas 75216
Daily pickup from:
Dallas VA Medical Center, 4500 S. Lancaster Rd., Dallas, Texas 75216
Daily delivery to:
UTSW Campus including Clements University Hospital, 6201 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75390, and the BioCenter at Southwestern Medical District, 2330 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75390:
Veripath Laboratories
Virology
Cytogenetics
Molecular Diagnostics
Immunohistochemistry
Flow Cytometry
Histocompatibility
Immunodermatology
Andrology
Hemostasis
Mineral Metabolism
Intermittent delivery to:
UTSW Campus including Clements University Hospital, 6201 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75390, and the BioCenter at Southwestern Medical District, 2330 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75390:
Veripath Laboratories
Virology
Cytogenetics
Molecular Diagnostics
Immunohistochemistry
Flow Cytometry
Histocompatibility
Immunodermatology
Andrology
Hemostasis
Mineral Metabolism
VA Fort Worth Outpatient Clinic, 2201 SE Loop 820, Ft. Worth, TX 76119
Intermittent pickup from:
UTSW Campus including Clements University Hospital, 6201 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75390, and the BioCenter at Southwestern Medical District, 2330 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75390
Delivery to:
Dallas VA Medical Center, 4500 S. Lancaster Rd., Dallas, Texas 75216
Other sites may be added or deleted as need arises as routine or intermittent pick up and/or delivery sites.
FEE SCHEDULE
Contractor to determine routes by segments in advance. One rate shall be charged for each
GOODS TRANSPORTED
Items to be transported will consist primarily of small prepackaged containers and/or coolers containing lab specimens from each pickup location. Shipments may also include:
Envelopes
Small boxes containing mail
Medical records
X-ray films
Supplies
All shipments will be clearly labeled. The VAMC and CBOCs will be responsible for proper packaging and labeling.
The contractor shall maintain proper temperature in vehicles to preserve medical supplies, specimens, and films.
The contractor shall provide temperature monitoring devices for each container used to transport specimens. Temperatures of containers holding specimens will be monitored by P&LMS staff.
The contractor shall provide insulated transport containers for the pickup/delivery of specimens.
The contractor shall also furnish various types of puncture-proof containers (coolers) for test specimens, which shall be labeled biohazard.
Vehicles shall not be left in extreme heat or cold while specimens and films are being transported.
Occasionally, the contractor shall be required to transport shipments containing dry ice. Dry ice is used to transport certain specimens and is not expected on a routine basis.
COURIER RESPONSIBILITES
The contractor assumes all liability risks for work performed under this contract. The contractor must assume total liability for all contract employees. All couriers transporting specimens under this contract shall possess a valid driver s license, vehicle insurance and registration, and have two-way radios, cell phones, or pagers for communication purposes.
The cargo may contain bio-hazardous material and dangerous goods. The contractor shall certify that all individuals involved in transporting clinical specimens have been trained and tested as specified in the training requirements of 49 CFR Part 172, Subpart H.
The contractor shall ensure that biohazardous material transport training for all individuals involved in transporting clinical specimens is up to date. The contractor may be required to provide proof of training for regulatory purposes.
All couriers transporting specimens under this contract shall display photo badges that identify them as a contract courier.
The contractor shall provide all vehicles and couriers needed to perform this effort.
The contractor is responsible for ensuring each vehicle is adequately stocked with at least one up-to-date complete Spill Kit for biohazard cleanup in case of leakage or accidental discharge. The contractor shall ensure individuals transporting goods have been trained in biohazardous spill clean-up procedures.
The contractor shall pick up all empty containers/coolers and other items from the delivery site and return them to the specified clinic locations at the next pick-up date/time.
PICKUP/DELIVERY SCHEDULE
Pickup and deliveries shall be made daily from each clinic (Monday-Saturday) except on Federal Holidays (as observed). Pickup times and days shall be established for each CBOC and Clinic by P&LMS.
National Holidays (The holidays observed by the Federal Government):
New Year s Day
Martin Luther King s Birthday
President s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
Any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a National Holiday
General Schedule of routine daily pickup and delivery routes.
AM pickup from the following locations for PM delivery to Dallas VAMC P&LMS Client Services (214)-857-0666:
VA Fort Worth Outpatient Clinic (817)730-0074
PM pickup from the following locations for PM delivery to Dallas VAMC P&LMS Client Services: (214) 857-0666:
Decatur CBOC (940) 627-7001
Denton CBOC (940) 891-6350
Greenville CBOC (903) 450-1143
Granbury CBOC (817) 326-3902
Plano CBOC (972) 801-4212
Polk Street VA Clinic (214) 372-8100
VA Fort Worth Outpatient Clinic (817)730-0074
Grand Prairie CBOC
PM pickup from Dallas VAMC P&LMS Client Services: (214) 857-0666 for delivery to the following locations:
UTSW Campus and Veripath Laboratories (214) 633-0400
Changes in established pickup and delivery times will be negotiated between the contractor and the service.
The contractor shall give prior notification to each clinic at the phone numbers indicated below if the scheduled pick-up time cannot be met for any reason:
Dallas VAMC P&LMS Client Services: (214) 857-0666 or (214) 857-0714
VA Ft. Worth OPC (817) 730-0074
Denton CBOC (940) 891-6350
Greenville CBOC (903) 450-1143
Granbury CBOC (817) 326-3902
Polk Street VA Clinic (214) 372-8100
Plano CBOC (972) 801-4212
Grand Prairie CBOC
PART C OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
This agreement will be in effect from October 01, 2018 through September 30, 2019 with four additional option years:
Base Period: October 01, 2018 through September 30, 2019
Option 1: October 01, 2019 through September 30, 2020
Option 2: October 01, 2020 through September 30, 2021
Option 3: October 01, 2021 through September 30, 2022
Option 4: October 01, 2022 through September 30, 2023
PATIENT PRIVACY/RELEASE OF MEDICAL INFORMATION
The contractor is responsible, in the transport of specimens, to ensure that all patient information remains confidential and is always kept in a secure manner while in the couriers possession.
CONTINUITY OF SERVICES
The contractor shall ensure that qualified personnel are available to provide pickup and delivery when staffing issues occur.
HIPAA COMPLIANCE/ SECURITY REQUIREMENTS
Contractor must adhere to the provisions of Public Law 104-191, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1998 and the National Standards to Protect the Privacy and Security of Protected Health Information (PHI).
The Certification & Authorization (C&A) requirements do not apply. A Security Accreditation Package is not required.
PHYSICAL SECURITY
The Contractor shall safeguard all government property, including controlled forms provided for contractor use. At the close of each work period, government equipment, facilities, and other valuable materials shall be secured.
TRAINING
All contractor employees and subcontractor employees requiring access to VA information and VA information systems shall complete the following before being granted access to VA information and its systems:
Sign and acknowledge (either manually or electronically) understanding of and responsibilities for compliance with the Contractor Rules of Behavior, Appendix E relating to access to VA information and information systems;
Successfully complete the appropriate VA privacy training and annually complete required privacy training; and
Successfully complete any additional privacy training, as required for VA personnel with equivalent information access [to be defined by the VA program official and provided to the contracting officer for inclusion in the solicitation document e.g., any role-based information security training required in accordance with NIST Special Publication 800-16, Information Technology Security Training Requirements.]
The contractor shall provide to the contracting officer and/or the COR a copy of the training certificates and certification of signing the Contractor Rules of Behavior for each applicable employee within 1 week of the initiation of the contract and annually thereafter, as required.
The contractor shall ensure couriers receive annual biosafety training and triennial specimen transport training as required by OSHA. Training records will be made available by the contractor upon request for regulatory inspection purposes.
RECORDS MANAGEMENT
All records (administrative and program specific) created during the period of the contract belong to VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) and must be returned to VANTHCS at the end of the contract.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) and its performance will be used to determine Customer Satisfaction scores (CPARS). Customer satisfaction ratings are based on the average score for each category listed in the table below:
Exceptional 4
Very Good 3
Satisfactory 2
Marginal 1
Unsatisfactory 3
Problem records
Manifests
Exercise of Option Period
Works with customer to resolve complaints.
1.2
Substantiated complaints
No unresolved substantiated customer complaints per year
Invoice records
Transport records
Problem records
Manifests
Exercise of Option Period
Delayed pickup and deliveries are minimal.
Schedules
2.1
Timely Pickup and Delivery
90% pickup and delivery within 2 hours of designated times.
Exceptional: 100%
Very Good: 95-99%
Satisfactory: 90-94%
Marginal: 85-89%
Unsatisfactory:
