Single Point of Access-Coordinating Center (SPA-CC)

Notice Type: Request for Information Agency/Office: Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Location: Healthcare Systems Bureau (HSB) Title: C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program Infrastructure Contracts I. Description: This is a Request for Information notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this market research is to get potential sources' feedback, comments and suggestions on how the procurement requirement may be improved upon, made clearer or changed for the better. Additionally, the Government is seeking feedback on the combination of work held under the performance work statements. II. Purpose: The purpose of this requirement is to establish and maintain the Single Point of Access-Coordinating Center (SPA-CC), a component of the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program (CWBYCTP). In performing the activities of the SPA-CC, the Contactor shall establish a system for health care professionals and physicians searching on behalf of patients to search electronically for cells derived from adult marrow donors and cord blood units through a single point of access. The Contractor shall: 1. establish and maintain an electronic single point of access for patients and health care providers to search for cells from potential marrow donors and cord blood units; 2. establish a system for identifying, ranking, matching, and facilitating the distribution of donated cord blood units and adult bone marrow that are suitably matched to candidate patients; 3. carry out informational and educational activities for the recruitment of volunteer adult bone marrow donors and mothers of donors of cord blood units, giving priority to increasing underrepresented donor populations and considering racial and ethnic minority groups; 4. facilitate tissue typing and infectious disease marker testing of adult volunteer donors and cord blood units; 5. facilitate bone marrow and cord blood unit transplants; 6. facilitate the collection, verification, and analyses of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) data from unrelated bone marrow and cord blood units and ensure such information is adequately displayed for physician searches on behalf of patients; 7. support and expand new and existing studies and demonstration and outreach projects for the purpose of increasing bone marrow and cord blood unit donation and collection; 8. coordinate with transplant centers, donor centers, cord blood banks, and apheresis centers to support informational and educational activities; 9. provide information to physicians, other health care professionals, and the public regarding bone marrow and cord blood transplants from donors as a treatment option; and 10. certify that National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI) cord blood units meet eligibility criteria for HRSA funding. BACKGROUND The Division of Transplantation (DoT) oversees the CWBYCTP and the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI). Under these authorized programs, an infrastructure is supported to operate a system for identifying, matching, and facilitating the distribution of bone marrow and cord blood that is suitably matched to candidate patients. The CWBYCTP is currently operated through four major contracts that were awarded through a competitive process in September 2012. Each contract has a 1-year base period and four possible 1-year options. The current contracts expire at the end of September 2017. The following is a description of the major functions for this requirement: - The Bone Marrow Coordinating Center coordinates a network of organizations to recruit potential donors (with an emphasis on the recruitment of individuals from diverse populations), coordinates a network of centers that work together to provide safe marrow transplants, provides tissue-typing to match recipients and donors, engages in public and professional educational activities related to blood stem cells, and works closely with other parts of the CWBYCTP. - The Cord Blood Coordinating Center coordinates a network of public CBBs, engages in public and professional education activities related to umbilical cord blood donation and transplantation, and works closely with other parts of the CWBYCTP. - The Single Point of Access maintains the single electronic system through which physicians can identify and access a suitable blood stem cell product from an adult donor or CBU, engages in public and professional activities related to treatment options, and provides supportive services to patients in need of blood stem cell transplants from time of diagnosis through all stages during and after transplant. III. RESPONSES The Government is requesting industry assessment of our draft requirements documentation. This information will be used to revise, if necessary, our documentation in support of anticipated solicitations. All responses will be accepted in PDF format via email to Veronica Dhaness at contact@example.gov , no later than 10:00AM EST on April 18, 2017. HRSA will allow all interested parties to submit questions in response to this RFI. Questions shall be submitted to Veronica Dhaness at contact@example.gov no later than 10:00AM EST on April 18, 2017. HRSA is under no obligation to consider responses to the RFI or questions received after the aforementioned due dates. Vendors should provide the following information to HRSA: A. Feedback for the PWS to ensure industry is clear about the Government's requirements; B. Feedback on the documentation to ensure HRSA / HSB is utilizing best practices; and, C. Feedback on the utility of keeping the requirements separate OR combining them, in any combination, to compete them as one, two or three different contract actions. This 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. Any organization responding to this 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. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).