Q999--NEW ANCC Pathway To Excellence

The Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking both manufacturers and/or distributors of the exact match or functionally equivalent equipment/ services to the following listed below on Thursday September 9, 2021; NLT 1PM CST via e-mail only to Jesus Casiano; contact@example.gov. Please title email with Solicitation Number and Proposal Submission. Offers received after the exact time specified in the solicitation are considered late and may not be considered if the action would not unduly delay the acquisition or are deemed to be in the best interest of the Government. Questions: All questions must be received by Sunday September 12, 2021 at 11AM CST. All questions submitted for this solicitation must be electronically sent to the following email address: to Jesus Casiano; contact@example.gov. Please title email with Solicitation Number Questions/Proposal Submission. Questions received after the stated date and time, may be addressed at the discretion of the Contracting Officer. Vendors are asked to please provide negative responses and referenced as No Bid . ITEM NUMBER DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT 0001 1.00 YR $0.00 $0.00 Appraisal Fee- Fee Based on total number of licensed beds. Includes entire appraisal (Pathway Standards Document review, Additional Information Review fee, initial Pathway Survey, and Interim Monitoring Fee). Payment due 1 month before submission cycle LOCAL STOCK NUMBER: Appraisal Fee 0002 1.00 YR $0.00 $0.00 Campus Fee- Campuses are remote care sites of an applicant organization. The CNO of the applicant organization is accountable for nursing practice at the remote sites. Campuses typically provide services to augment the full set of services offered at the primary site. LOCAL STOCK NUMBER: Campus Fee GRAND TOTAL $0.00 SCOPE OF WORK: Management of American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Pathway To Excellence Document Submission for South Texas Veterans Healthcare System (STVHCS) Nursing Service, 7400 Merton Minter Blvd., San Antonio, Texas 78229. Required functional capabilities the contractor shall provide. STVHCS was designated as a Pathway Organization in 2019. STVAHCS met the six Pathway Standards essential to become an ideal nursing practice environment. Pathway-designated organizations promote respected nursing contributions, support professional development and nurture optimal practice environments and nurses are better equipped to deliver higher quality care. ANCC Accreditation program recognizes the importance of high-quality continuing nursing education (CNE), interprofessional continuing education, transition to practice programs, and skills-based competency programs. Around the world, ANCC-accredited organizations provide nurses with the knowledge and skills to help improve care and patient outcomes. The American Nurses Credentialing Center s (ANCC) Pathway to Excellence® Program and Designation; FY 21; Pathway to Excellence is a premier global credential for positive practice environments. The Pathway framework is applicable, attainable, and coveted by organizations across the healthcare continuum because its practice standards are evidence based and support the qualities of a health work environment. The Pathway to Excellence Program® recognizes health care organizations and long-term care institutions for positive practice environments where nurses excel. To qualify, organizations meet 6 practice standards essential to an ideal nursing practice environment. Applicants conduct a review process to fully document the integration of those standards in the organization's practices, policies and culture. Pathway designation can only be achieved if an organization's nurses validate the data and other evidence submitted, via an independent, confidential survey. This critical element exemplifies the theme of empowering and giving nurses a voice. DESCRIPTION OF PROVIDED SERVICES: We have surveyed the market and there are no other programs such as this. There are no know competitors that can meet the objectives of ANCC and ANCC is the sole proprietor of the Pathway to Excellence Program and Designation. Pathway-designated organizations are deemed best places to work for nurses, with high nurse satisfaction and retention. It is imperative the VA recruits and retains a high-caliber work force in order to complete its mission of caring for our Nation s Heroes. Research shows that healthy work environments improve not only nurse satisfaction but also patient satisfaction and quality of care. This program is in line with our I-CARE values and HRO principles. The Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital was the 1st VA in Texas to achieve this designation and the 5th VA nationally. As of July 2021, there are 10 VAMC with Pathway to Excellence designation (to include North Texas VAMC). The designation is awarded to organizations for four years. South Texas Veterans Health Care System will have begun the application process for designation in 2021. Pathway to Excellence is completed in 4 phases: Applicant Registration (Phase I) November 1, 2021 The organization completes the online application through ANCC s website Pathway Standards Document Submission (Phase 2) November 1, 2022 Submission of Pathway Standards Documents by the organization Pathway Nurse Survey (Phase 3) Winter/Spring 2023 Nurses complete an online, anonymous survey to indicate whether the Pathway Standards have been enculturated. Designation Decision (Phase 4) Spring 2023 The Commission on Pathway Accreditation meets to review the Applicant Registration, Pathway Standards Document Submission, and Pathway Nurse Survey results. If an organization meets the minimum performance outcomes determined by ANCC, the Commission will confer a destination decision upon the organization. CONTRACTING OFFICERS REPRESENTATIVE (COR): STXVAHCS will appoint one (1) COR for this contract. INFORMATION SYSTEMS OFFICER, INFORMATION PROTECTION: The contractor will not have access to VA Desktop computers, nor will they have access to online resources belonging to the government while conducting services in the application of complex adaptive system theory to health care organizations. The certification and accreditation requirements do not apply to this procurement nor is a security accreditation package required. PRIVACY OFFICER: The contractor will not have access to protected Patient Health Information (PHI) nor will they have the capability of accessing patient information during the services provided to the VA and if removal of equipment from the VA is required, any memory storage device will remain in VA control and will not be removed from VA custody. All research data available for Contractor analyses is de-identified. RECORDS MANAGER: There will be no federal records created, maintained, used or disposition with this contract; regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.]. PERSONNEL CLEARANCES AND PRIVACY CONSIDERATIONS: The Contractor will ensure that their personnel and subcontractor personnel meet the privacy standards as set forth by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) with respect personal and confidential information that they may come upon, while servicing medical equipment. PATIENT HEALTH INFORMATION (PHI) AND INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (III): Information System Officer, Information Protection: The contractor will not have access to VA Desktop computers. The contractor will they have access to online resources belonging to the government. Privacy Officer: The Contractor will not have access to protected Patient Health Information (PHI) nor will they have capability of accessing patient information during the services provided to the VA and if removal of equipment from the VA is required, any memory storage device will remain in VA control and will not be removed from VA custody. All research data available for Contractor analysis is de-identified. NEGLIGENCE CLAUSE: When services and parts are required as a result of accident, abuse, misuse or negligence by other than the Contractor or his representative and are not included as a part of PM inspection or service calls, such needs will be reported to the Contracting Officer s representative along with estimates of charges. The Contracting Officer and Representative will evaluate these needs and authorize appropriate action. The parts will be installed under the terms of the contact and each invoice is to include a legible itemized list of labor charges and parts costs. The government will incur no charges for service and parts including glassware due to accident, abuse, misuse or negligence by the contractor or his representative. Citations to pertinent laws, codes and regulations such as 44 U.S.C. Chapter 21, 29, 31 and 33; Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552); Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a); 36 CFR Part 1222 and Part 1228. Contractor shall treat all deliverables under the contract as the property of the U.S. Government for which the Government Agency shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract using Government IT equipment and /or Government records. Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected by the Freedom of Information Act. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any Government Agency records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract or identified in the RCS 10-1. The Government Agency owns the rights to all data/records produced as part of this contract. Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.]. Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.]. Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.].10. Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer s approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/9r records generated under or relating to this contract. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and Agency guidance for protecting sensitive and proprietary information.