Reference Laboratory-VISN Wide
This is a Sources Sought (SS) for a tentative requirement to provide reference laboratory testing for all esoteric tests from the Veterans Integrated Services Network 8 (VISN 8) Veterans' Affairs Medical Facilities and the transportation of clinical laboratory specimens to the contractor's laboratory as well as courier service between facilities within VISN 8. The associated Veterans' Affairs Medical Facilities include the following: Veterans' Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) Bay Pines, VAMC Tampa, VAMC Orlando, VAMC West Palm Beach, VAMC Miami, VAMC Lake City, VAMC Gainesville, VAMC San Juan, and their associated community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). These facilities encompass the entire state of Florida (except for the western edge of the Florida Panhandle and a clinic in Pensacola) and Puerto Rico. See attached Draft Statement of Work (SOW) for additional information.
The Government may use the responses to this SS for information and planning purposes. The Draft SOW describes only the currently contemplated possible scope of services and may vary from the work scope in a final SOW included in any Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Quotes (RFQ).
A single firm-fixed price requirements type of contract is contemplated with the anticipated period of performance of: 1 October 2014 thru 30 September 2015 with possible four one-year option periods. The estimated quantities of required lab tests for one year period are over 215,000 individual tests. See attached reference lab test list containing estimated quantities for a one year period; as a grand total for VISN 8 and as individual facilities.
This SS is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Small Business, Veteran-Owned Small Business, small business sources; HUB Zone 8(a), Women-Owned, or small disadvantaged business concerns; and their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 621511. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. The responses to this announcement will assist in determining the availability of small businesses in consideration of a socio-economic set-aside.
Interested parties submitting a response to this inquiry must include the following information:
1. Name and address of company
2. Primary point of contact, including phone number and e-mail address
3. Applicable socioeconomic categories and any pertinent information, which demonstrates firm's ability to meet the requirement
4. Experience. Brief descriptions of recent and relevant projects for tasks similar to those in the Draft SOW (1 page maximum)
5. Business size (the applicable NAICS code for this requirement is 621511)
Responses are due no later than 25 June 2014 @ 1:00PM EST. Point of contact: Mr. Carlos R. Morales, [email protected].
NOTE: This SS is for planning purposes. No RFP/RFQ document exists at this time. Issuance of this notice does not constitute any obligation on the part of the Government to procure these items or to issue a RFP/RFQ. In addition, the Government is under no obligation to pay for information submitted in response to this SS, and responses to this notice cannot be accepted as offers. Any information that the vendor considers proprietary should be clearly marked as such.
STATEMENT OF WORK
Reference Laboratories Testing
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Veterans Integrated Services Network 8 (VISN 8) has a requirement for reference laboratory testing for all esoteric tests from the associated VISN 8 Veterans' Affairs Medical Facilities and the transportation of clinical laboratory specimens to the contractor's laboratory(s) as well as courier service between facilities within VISN 8. The associated Veterans' Affairs Medical Facilities include the following: Veterans' Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) Bay Pines, VAMC Tampa, VAMC Orlando, VAMC West Palm Beach, VAMC Miami, VAMC Lake City, VAMC Gainesville, VAMC San Juan, and their associated community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). These facilities encompass the entire state of Florida (except for the western edge of the Florida Panhandle and a clinic in Pensacola) and Puerto Rico.
2.0 BACKGROUND
Anatomic and surgical pathology tests and clinical laboratory tests are essential diagnostic tools for the physicians to use to improve patient care. A reference laboratory is required to provide the testing services that cannot be performed within the facilities of the VISN, to provide confirmation of tests that are performed within the facilities of the VISN, and to provide consultations on pathology specimens.
3.0 SCOPE OF WORK
Services shall include reference laboratory testing for all esoteric tests as defined by the contractor's reference test manual, the transportation of clinical laboratory specimens to the contractor's laboratory(s) as well as provide courier service between facilities within VISN 8 daily (with the exceptions of weekend and holidays), the reporting of clinical and anatomic analytical test results and consultative services as required to assimilate the full scope of its laboratory operations to the VISN 8. All requirements and provisions defined in this scope of work will apply to any laboratory, i.e. branch, division, sub-contractor, etc. performing reference testing on behalf of the contractor and will include any and all new facilities acquired into VISN 8 during the contract period at a negotiated cost per coverage.
4.0 APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS
4.1 The associated VISN 8 Veterans' Affairs Medical Facilities will prepare specimens for shipping by the contractor to the reference laboratory in accordance with all State and Federal shipping rules and regulations.
4.2 The courier service and the shipping initiator must comply with all transportation, shipping rules and regulations, employee training and infection control guidelines established by State and Federal agencies.
4.3 VA Information Security Requirements
4.3.1 The contractor must meet all Enterprise Cyber Security Infrastructure Project (ECSIP) requirements in order to establish an interconnection with the VA for transfer of laboratory test results directly into a VA computer system via the appropriate Laboratory Electronic Data Interchange protocol. There are three basic types of authorized connections. The ECSIP team will have the ultimate decision on which connection type is appropriate. The connection types are described below. More information can be obtained from the VA Information Security Officer at any facility.
4.3.2 External users shall be classified in one of three distinct categories: 1) client-to-site virtual private network (VPN), 2) site-to-site VPN, or 3) Business Partner Gateways. The items below can be utilized in assisting users to determine which category a particular connection may best be identified.
4.3.3 Client-to-Site VPNs satisfy remote connectivity for small groups of external users (IE
