DH01--Point to Point Wireless Communication System Brand Name or Equal to Vocera in support of VA Portland Healthcare System, Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation for bids, proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement. The responses received from interested contractors will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method. The intended contract is a firm-fixed price. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office (NCO) 20, is conducting market research to identify potential sources which can provide the following in support of the VA Portland Healthcare System, Portland, Oregon. VISN 20 has a need for a base plus four (4) option year contract for a Point-to-Point Wireless Communication System brand name or equal to Vocera (see requirement information). Vendor shall be an OEM, authorized dealer, authorized distributor, or authorized reseller for the proposed equipment/system, verified by an authorization letter or other documents from the OEM. All software licensing, warranty and service associated with the equipment/system shall be in accordance with the OEM terms and conditions. Potential candidates having the capabilities necessary to provide the stated services at a fair and reasonable price are invited to respond to this Sources Sought Notice via e-mail to Jennifer Robles at contact@example.gov no later than March 25, 2026, 1PM, Mountain Time. No telephone inquiries will be accepted. RESPONSES SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: Company name, address, SAM UEI, and business size; point of contact name, phone number, and e-mail address; whether supplies/services are presently offered on a current GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract, NASA SEWP, or any other Federal contract. If offering a system with similar physical characteristics, please include business size of manufacturer for Non-Manufacturer Rule (NMR) determination. NAICS Code 334511, 1,350 employees, is applicable to determine business size standard. Any questions or concerns may also be directed via email to Jennifer Robles at contact@example.gov. REQUIREMENT INFORMATION: Background. Reliable and effective communication is an on-going issue for both direct patient care and clinical and non-clinical critical support services. VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) has identified a strategic initiative to implement a state-of-the-art hands-free wireless communications solution brand name or equal Vocera to improve veteran care, including safety and satisfaction as well as staff efficiency. This solution is based on best practices at Puget Sound VA as well as over eighty (80) other VA facilities nation-wide. This solution has been deployed at VAPORHSC for nearly 5 years. This system is used hospital wide for securely broadcasting voice messages immediately to select staff, individuals or groups on a prioritized basis to facilitate routine and urgent communication requirements. It is also connected into the hospital nurse call system, the Philips monitoring system, the current and future Electronic Health Record (Vista and Cerner, or equivalent) and other hospital systems to provide real-time communication/alerts directly to the assigned clinical staff. Improving communication for our mission-critical mobile environment enables healthcare professionals and support staff on all levels to work more efficiently, reduce alarm fatigue, reliance on old pager technology for alerts, and improve employee and patient satisfaction. 3. Applicable Documents. In performance of the tasks associated with this Performance Work Statement, the Contractor shall comply with the following: 44 U.S.C. § 3541,  Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002 FIPS Pub 201, Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors, March 2006 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, The Privacy Act of 1974 42 U.S.C. § 2000d Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 VA Directive 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program, September 10, 2004 VA Directive 6102, Internet/Intranet Services, July 15, 2008 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards, July 1, 2003 Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources, November 28, 2000 32 C.F.R. Part 199, Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) An Introductory Resource Guide for Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule, October 2008 Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220), August 7, 1998 Homeland Security Presidential Directive (12) (HSPD-12) VA Directive 6500, Information Security Program, August 4, 2006 VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security, March 12, 2010 Program Management Accountability System (PMAS) portal (reference PWS References Technical Library at https://www.voa.va.gov/) National Institute Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publications
4. Scope. The Contractor shall deliver to the Government a communications solution (referred to heretofore as the System) which uses a wearable badge and an application installed on Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) iPhone to link a variety of hospital systems together to streamline facility-wide communication. The System shall be capable of bidirectional communication of patient information with VISTA/CPRS and Cerner (or equivalent) EHMRs (detailed in section 6.6.x Integration Capabilities). The Contractor shall provide software, a perpetual software license, hardware, installation, implementation, training, software maintenance, upgrades, and technical support services. Across all tasks and deliverables, the Contractor shall provide project planning and management support. More details regarding specific deliverables are provided below. 5. Installation and Implementation: The Contractor shall provide all services and supplies required to install the System at the Portland and Vancouver VA campus locations, including the setup, configuration, and testing of all virtual servers and interfaces required to achieve integration of the System. The System will be scalable with supporting quantities of badges and smart badges for the Portland Campus and badges for the Vancouver campus. They are replaced as the need becomes necessary. 5.1 The Contractor shall provide an on-site readiness assessment covering the Portland and Vancouver VA campuses. This assessment will examine the current network infrastructure, including Wi-Fi hardware and coverage, to determine its ability to support the System. 5.1.1 The Contractor will make recommendations to the VA regarding any changes or additions to the current network infrastructure which would be necessary for successful implementation and sustainment of the System. 5.2 The Contractor shall conduct a series of call flow design sessions. The design sessions will consist of clinical call flow analyses to develop clinical roles, groups, forwarding, naming conventions, and permanent and temporary group parameters. 5.2.1 The Contractor shall also document, design and develop room groups for staff assignments, allowing end user association with room/group roles nested within the call flow design. 5.2.2 The design calls shall also include functional and technical design for any interfaces with 3rd party systems. 5.2.3 Contractor shall perform analysis with Biomed and Information Technology departments to ensure proper integration with current hospital systems, i.e. nurse call system. 5.2.4 The Contractor shall produce Visio or equivalent diagram(s) to document the call flows and integrations with external systems (phones, nurse call, etc.) as discussed in the design sessions. 5.3 The Contractor must receive written (such as via email) acceptance of the key deliverables listed below from the VA prior to proceeding with System implementation. 5.3.1 Initial site readiness survey 5.3.2 Workflow/system design, including call flows & any 3rd party integrations 5.3.3 Project plan (including any decisions regarding timeline, options for staggered rollout, etc.) 5.4. Change orders for the project plan must be initiated by the VA in writing (such as via email) and mutually agreed upon prior to institution of any changes. 5.5 Installation and implementation shall not be considered complete until the Government has verified that the System is fully functional and available for use without further configuration and/or programming, by trained VA staff, at all required locations. 5.6 The Contractor must comply with national and local VA policies regarding on-site work, including (but not limited to) as applicable: online training, contractor orientation, notification policy for work on-site, ICRA/ILSM development, obtaining PIV or other credentials. 6. System Performance: The Contractor shall deliver a System to VA that includes and meets or exceeds the following: 6.1 The System shall be designed, installed, and implemented to deliver 95% or better system uptime. 6.2 The System shall provide, at minimum, the following functionality: 6.2.1 Provide a communication solution using a badge or smart badge with an application installed on GFE phones that links a variety of hospital systems together to streamline facility-wide communication. 6.2.2 Reduce alert fatigue by creating workflows that direct the right alerts to the right people and reduce extraneous alerts. Consolidate the numerous existing communication devices into one wireless device.
Improve efficiency and patient safety by reducing the need to check the computer for stat orders or return to the nurses station to answer call lights.
Ability to be used inter-departmentally throughout the facility.
Provide a variety of device options to accommodate needs of various clinicians and support staff: Voice-controlled/Hands-free badge with breakaway lanyard, ability to add vendor application to existing GFE, iPhone, Desktop app.
Automated communication workflows and a System which links into existing hospital notification and alarm systems.
Ability to track usage data on the System and devices.
User and Group Management Functionality:
Active Directory information can be used to create and manage user and group information and workflow.
End-user privilege management: user configuration options, group configuration options, configurable group privileges, assignment of management authority.
Contractor shall provide a full-time, onsite system administrator to help configure and test user profiles, manage user accounts and reset passwords.
Integration Capabilities:
Integrate with the current VISTA Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and Cerner (or equivalent) for various notifications. i.e. stat orders, critical lab results, PRN effectiveness, etc.
Any software which would need to be utilized by end users shall be TRM-approved so it may be allowed to be installed on IT workstations and not require purchase of additional computers.
Any mobile aspect of the solution should have approval by the VA to be accessed on GFE mobile iOS phones.
Integration with current and future planned 3rd party systems: -Centrak patient elopement system (for Vancouver) -Code Blue paging system -Bed Management System -Current nurse call system using either Spok or Engage to link to badges -GetWell Network -Facility pagers -Transport communication devices -Cisco desk/mobile phones -External phones (SMS) -Email -Active Directory -Virtual patient monitoring
Hardware Requirements:
6.5.1 The Contractor shall provide a System which can be operated exclusively on a virtual server platform which requires no physical hardware. 6.5.1.2 The VA will provide the virtual servers required for the System for the Portland and Vancouver VA campuses. Contractor shall provide all materials (hardware, licenses, software, etc.) required to establish complete and separate Systems for the Portland and Vancouver campuses.
Contractor shall provide all device hardware, batteries, and chargers required for complete deployment of the proposed system.
All wireless communication devices must be FIPS 140-2 certified.
Devices must be resistant to background noise and have voice recognition capabilities to support use in high noise environments.
Batteries should have the ability to do a hot swap. Battery life must last for an entire 12-hour shift. Minimum: 3 hours of talk time.
Device must have privacy options or headset jacks.
Devices must be durable and resistant to breaking caused by drops, or normal wear and tear.
Voice-controlled/hands-free device should be lightweight. No more than 3.5 oz. including the battery.
Devices must work on a shared device model (log in and out of the device by multiple users). Network Requirements:
System shall utilize the existing Government owned and operated network.
Contractor shall provide recommended upgrade specifications for Government owned and operated networks, to be acquired and installed under separate contract, including ongoing consultation and recommendations as System upgrades are disseminated throughout the life of the contract.
Initial and Ongoing Maintenance, Support, and Service:
Contractor Shall provide nursing assignment integration.
Contractor shall certify all system component updates, upgrades, bug fixes, and other recommended System modifications are rigorously tested and proven to be stable prior to installation and implementation.
Contractor shall not install and/or implement any custom, alpha, or beta developmental software versions, modules, plug-ins, etc. beyond the version(s) specified within the original proposal without written Contracting Officer approval prior to installation of the same.
Contractor shall provide an initial list of any/all 3rd party software components included in the System and update list whenever any 3rd party components are added, deleted, or modified.
Contractor shall provide an initial planned release schedule including major as well as feature/function releases and provide updates to the planned release schedule immediately when any change is made to the schedule (same day).
Contractor shall provide complete descriptions of all System upgrades including dates within the calendar year prior to initial system installation.
Contractor shall provide a complete description of the licensing model(s) employed at the time of original system installation and not change the licensing model without written approval from the Contracting Officer.
Contractor shall maintain and provide an initial and updated list of any/all known compatibility issues to include issues with antivirus software.
Contractor shall provide ongoing operating system and database updates throughout the life of the contract at no additional charge.
Contractor shall provide a persistent, full-time employee to serve as a System Administrator, whose duties shall include the following:
Be assigned to physical workspace at the VA Portland VA Health Care System.
Begin working with the VA from the start of the planning/implementation phases of the project.
Serve as ongoing trainer for new and existing employees, as well as for back-up system administrators identified by VA.
Configure and test existing and new user profiles or groups in the system.
Manage user accounts, password resets.
Assist with design and creation of new workflows throughout the life of the System as identified by VA Portland or Vancouver staff on an ongoing basis. This includes integration with future hospital technologies such as upgraded nurse call system.
Contractor shall provide remote system support via VPN/remote access (note: contractor shall utilize the VA national Site-to-Site VPN, or the Contractor shall work with the Office of Cyber and Information Security and VISN20 Information Security Officers to establish a client-based VPN).
Contractor shall notify the COR (or POC if COR is not available) within two (2) business hours when any System failures occur that impair the ability of the contractor to provide full functionality of the System.
Contractor shall provide a VA Directive 6550 v3 document for any part of the solution considered by the VA to be a candidate for Medical Device Isolation Architecture or Specialized Device Isolation Architecture.
Contractor shall attend meetings or conference calls scheduled by the COR to address areas of concern and exchange information to ensure consistent high levels of professional services. Contractor shall be responsible for all costs associated with attending meetings and/or conference calls. COR shall be responsible for scheduling and coordination of all meetings and conference calls.
Contractor shall implement and maintain a Quality Control System that results in correction of potential and actual problems throughout the scope of the contract performance. The Quality Control System shall contain processes for corrective actions without dependence upon Government direction and shall maintain records of all contractor quality control inspections and corrective actions.
Contractor shall work with the Government to design and implement any changes to the System configuration or integrations with external systems, as deemed necessary by the Government and mutually agreed upon by the Government and the Contractor.
7. Software/Software License, Software Maintenance. 7.1 Contractor is required to provide software, software license, software maintenance services, and technical support for the System. Distribution of maintenance copies shall be accomplished by using appropriate magnetic, electronic, or printed media. As further defined below, software maintenance includes periodic updates, enhancements and corrections to the software, and reasonable technical support, all of which are customarily provided by the Contractor to its customers. (1) Definitions. (a) Licensee. The term licensee shall mean the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ( VA ) and is synonymous with Government. (b) Licensor. The term licensor shall mean the software manufacturer of the computer software being acquired. The term Contractor is the company identified in Block 17a on the SF1449. If the Contractor is a reseller and not the Licensor, the Contractor remains responsible for performance under this Contract. (c) Software. The term software shall mean the licensed computer software product(s) cited in the Schedule of Supplies. (d) Maintenance. The term maintenance is the process of enhancing and optimizing software and hardware, as well as remedying defects. It shall include all new fixes, patches, releases and updates, as further defined below. (e) Technical Support. The term technical support refers to the range of services providing assistance for the software via the telephone, email, a website, or other format. (f) Release or Update. The term release or update are terms that refer to a revision of software or hardware that contains defect corrections, minor enhancements, or improvements of the software and/or hardware functionality. This is usually designated by a change in the number to the right of the decimal point (e.g., from version 5.3 to 5.4). 7.2 The software license provided to the Government is a perpetual, nonexclusive license to use the software. 7.3 The software shall be used in a networked environment. Any dispute regarding the license grant or usage limitations shall be resolved in accordance with the Disputes Clause incorporated in FAR 52.212-4(d). All limitations of software usage are expressly stated in the SF 1449 and the Performance Work Statement. 7.4 Contractor shall provide VA with software maintenance, which includes periodic updates, upgrades, enhancements, and corrections to the software and hardware, and reasonable technical support, all of which are customarily provided by the Contractor to its customers so as to cause the software and hardware to perform according to its specifications, documentation, or demonstrated claims. Any telephone support provided by Contractor shall be at no additional cost. 7.5 If the Government allows the maintenance and/or technical support to lapse and subsequently wishes to reinstate maintenance and technical support, any reinstatement fee charged shall not exceed the amounts that would have been charged if the Government had not allowed it to lapse. 7.6 If the licensed software or hardware requires a password (or license key) to be operational, it shall be delivered with the software media and hardware and have no expiration date. The Government requires delivery of computer software and hardware that does not contain any code that will, upon the occurrence or the nonoccurrence of any event, disable the software. Such code includes but is not limited to a computer virus, restrictive key, node lock, time-out or other function, whether implemented by electronic, mechanical, or other means, which limits or hinders the use or access to any computer software based on residency on a specific hardware configuration, frequency of duration of use, or other limiting criteria. If any such code is present, the Contractor agrees to indemnify the Government for all damages suffered as a result of a disabling caused by such code, and the Contractor agrees to remove such code upon the Government s request at no extra cost to the Government. Inability of the Contractor to remove the disabling software code will be considered an inexcusable delay and a material breach of contract, and the Government may exercise its right to terminate for cause. In addition, the Government is permitted to remove the code as it deems appropriate and charge the Contractor for consideration for the time and effort in removing the code. 8. Project Management. 8.1 The Contractor shall establish a single management focal point, the Project Manager (PM), to accomplish the administrative, managerial aspects of this effort. 8.2 The Contractor shall prepare and deliver a Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) that lays out the Contractor s approach, timeline, and tolls to be used in execution of the PWS. The CPMP should take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the schedule, milestones, risks, and resource support. The CPMP shall clearly state how the Contractor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and special data collection reporting. 8.3 The Contractor shall be responsible to proactively manage project risk. The Contractor shall perform all tasks in accordance with applicable VA policies, directives and guidance related to technology, enterprise architecture, and IT governance. The Contractor shall create, maintain, analyze, and report integrated project plans and schedules for the project, as defined below. 8.4 The Contractor shall conduct a kick-off meeting with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and other Government representatives within ten (10) calendar days after award. The Contractor shall present its program plan, which includes the staffing plan, contact information for all task participants, schedule, and identification of key risk points, and mitigation plans. The Contractor shall provide a schedule which will identify detailed tasks and sub-tasks, including task duration, milestone dates, task dependencies, resource requirements, and planned dates for initial and final deliverables. Working collaboratively with the Government, the Contractor shall finalize all planning and submit final plans to the COR following the meeting. 8.5 The Contractor shall provide activity reports bi-weekly or when requested by VA staff. 8.6 The Contractor shall utilize project metrics to track, manage, and analyze task progress and communicate findings to the COR to ensure appropriate focus on critical attention areas. 8.7 The Contractor shall create, maintain, and apply a project schedule for assigned projects. The schedule shall identify and document all critical paths risks and issues and include all applicable universal project milestones. 9. Training. 9.1 The Contractor shall provide on-site training for the VA employee groups listed below during the employees scheduled shift and shall achieve the training goals indicated for each group. 9.2 VA employee groups include technologists, physicians, nurses, housekeepers, administrative staff, and other health care professionals. Training for each group shall be provided by qualified trainers. It shall focus on actual use of the System in a clinical setting. The goal for this training is that trained staff shall be able to successfully utilize available features including optimizing the System with little or no Contractor support. 9.3 The Contracted Administrator shall be provided administration background and training. Upon completion of training, Contracted administrators shall be able to provide local end-user support, i.e. able to answer/resolve at least the top ten most common end-user questions/issues. Trained Contracted administrators shall be able to provide end-user training. Contracted administrators shall also be able to create/manage user accounts, install/configure client applications for new users and monitor system utilization. 9.4 The VA Portland Biomedical Engineering and Office of Information and Technology technical teams are comprised of technical specialists. Group members have hardware, software, and network expertise. System training for these groups shall be provided by the Contractor. Upon completion of System training, the VA technical teams shall have the ability to provide technical support for the System. They shall understand the functions of each System component and/or module. They shall be able to start the System, including the different services that make it up. They shall be able to locate and review application logs. They shall be able to resolve at a minimum the top ten most commonly experienced system issues/problems and optimize functions using all available System tools. They shall be able to monitor system utilization and manage any required day-to-day tasks required for optimal System performance. 9.5 The Contractor is responsible for providing training that achieves stated goals for each service listed in Table 1. Each service may include end-users, super-users, BioMed and/or OIT. Departments that will need training and user configuration include but may not be limited to: TABLE 1: Portland and Vancouver Campuses Supply Chain Management Path & Lab Pharmacy
Surgery/Anesthesia
Social Work IV Team Nutrition & Food Service Facilities Management Service Bio Medical Engineering Environmental Management Service Emergency Department Remote Telemetry Radiology RCS Primary Care Clinics Specialty Care Clinics Behavioral Health Clinics Women's Health Clinic Nursing (inpatient & outpatient)
Community Living Center Inpatient Mental Health Chaplain Service Escort/transport Service Ward Clerks 9.6 On-site training shall be conducted for each group as needed or when new employees come onboard via the onsite Contracted system administrator.
10. Performance Period. The period of performance shall be one (1) twelve (12) month base period plus four (4) additional twelve (12) month option periods. 11. Place of Performance. Contract performance shall take place at the contractor s location(s) and onsite at VHAPORHCS, Portland and Vancouver campuses. 12. Travel for Installation, Implementation and Training. The Government anticipates Contractor travel under this contract. All travel shall be incorporated into the overall firm fixed price for the contract. No travel costs will be reimbursed by VA. 12.1 Travel is anticipated for on-site installation, implementation, initial Go Live training, at all locations shown in Table 1. The Government acknowledges the possible use of remote access for installation and implementation purposes, within the constraints of all applicable VA Information Security Requirements. 13. Government Furnished Equipment/Information. The Contractor shall be allowed access to Government equipment including servers and network infrastructure. Information on Government equipment and systems shall be provided as necessary. No Government-owned property will be transferred into the Contractor s control. Additional software products may be provided by the Government as identified to facilitate Contractor access (e.g. Microsoft Terminal Services). 14. Invoicing. Invoices shall be submitted electronically via the Financial Services Center Mandatory Electronic Invoice System, on a monthly basis. Invoices must include, at a minimum, the following information: Contractor name, purchase order number, period of service the billing covers, and a list of equipment items covered during the stated period of performance. This requirement is in accordance with VARR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests: http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp. Electronic payments are net 30 days. 15. Security Requirements. All contractor employees are subject to the same level of investigation as VA employees who have access to VA sensitive information or access to VA facilities. The background investigation includes the following requirements: 1) Completed documentation 2) Fingerprints 3) Completion of OPM s e-QIP Questionnaire. The Contractor is required to fulfill all of the security requirements. The Contractor, upon completion of fingerprinting, and an initial suitability determination, may be authorized tentative access to start the performance period of the contract, but only on condition of completion of all security requirements. This requirement is applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same access.
16. Hours of Coverage & Federal Holidays. Maintenance Service will be provided during regular coverage hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm within the local time zone for each facility, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. The contractor shall contact the POC or his/her designee prior to commencing any work on the premises.
Federal Holidays are: New Years' Day Martin Luther King Day Presidents' Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans' Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day

Disclaimer and Important Notes: This Sources Sought Notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. The Government will treat any information received as proprietary and will not share such information with other companies. Any organization responding to this Sources Sought Notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. The Government may or may not issue a solicitation as a result of this announcement. There is no solicitation available at this time.