V--VAPHS Ambulance Service - Western Star DBA Metro | 5-year IDIQ, POP: 1/1/2017 thru 12/31/2021 | Award

This is a Sources Sought for Market Research Purposes Only. If you are interested in this Statement of Work, contact Contracting Officer via email expressing interest. Statement of Work Purpose: The intent of this Contract is to have an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for ground ambulance emergency services to provide transportation to patients at the VAPHS. Contractor shall provide all vehicles, personnel, management, supplies, transportation, equipment and reports necessary to cover ground ambulance transport service. The Contractor shall have available a minimum of four (4) ALS and six (6) BLS vehicles at all times for services under this contract. Performance shall be in accordance with the requirements contained in this SOW and standards of the Pennsylvania DOH, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, and The Joint Commission. Contract Period: Five-Year, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ). VAPHS Locations: VAPHS consists of two divisions/locations: (1) University Drive (UD) - University Drive C, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, which includes the acute medical center and emergency room; (2) Heinz Division (HZ) - 1010 Delafield Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15215, which includes a skilled nursing facility, domiciliary care, residential treatment program ambulatory care clinics, administrative building and other support service buildings. 1. Ambulance Transportation Services: a. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all vehicles and personnel, necessary to meet all ALS and BLS transport requirements of this Contract. The Contractor shall be authorized to utilize another ambulance service company, as a subcontractor (certified to be within all requirements of this Contract) to complete these transportation requests only if prior approval for the subcontractor has been received from the CO. The Government has a business relationship with the Prime Contractor only. Only the Prime Contractor may bill the Government for services. All bills for this subcontractor service will be paid directly to the Prime Contractor at the Contract rate, and the Prime Contractor shall make payment to the subcontractor at their agreed rate. In the event the Contractor is unable to perform services or have services performed as required, the Contractor shall immediately notify the COR and provide a justification for non-performance. The VA reserves the right to re-procure services which cannot be performed by the Contractor, in accordance with the terms, conditions, and schedule of this Contract. The Contractor is responsible for excess re-procurement costs which may result from the Contractor's inability to perform the required service. Payment of re-procurement costs shall not relieve the Contractor from any other provision in this Contract covering inspection, acceptance and deductions from payment. The VA will be the sole judge in determining when services will be re-procured. The failure of the Contractor to perform services within the required time frames and in accordance with terms and conditions may also provide cause for termination of the Contract for "cause," (see FAR clause 52.212-4(m)). b. Vehicle Response Times: 1. The Contractor shall respond to all calls for ground ambulance transport service by being on-site at the designated point of pick-up within 20 minutes of notification for an Emergency Advanced Life Support (ALS) vehicle and within 35 minutes of notification for an Emergency Basic Life Support (BLS) vehicle. Exceptions, to the 20 or 35 minute expectation will be investigated and analyzed, including the identification of corrective actions if applicable. As determined appropriate, Contractor shall take corrective actions to ensure timely response. The Contractor shall respond to all calls immediately for emergency ground ambulance transport service for the Heinz Division. The Contractor shall provide and respond to all emergency calls in accordance with Federal, State, and Local regulations, governing dispatch of emergency medical (ambulance) vehicles and medical care of on-board Patients, to include the use of sirens and other measures to ensure timely arrival at the designated VA Medical facility. 2. The Contractor shall respond to all calls for ground ambulance transport service by being on-site at the designated point of pick-up within 35 minutes of notification for a psychiatric transport to the emergency department. 3. The Contractor shall respond to all calls for ground ambulance transport service by being on- site at the designated point of pick-up within 45 minutes of notification for a Non-Emergency Advanced Life Support (ALS) vehicle and/or Non-Emergency Basic Life Support Vehicle (BLS). 4. If the time period for pick-up, stated herein, is physically impossible due to location of Patient, the Contractor shall contact the individual who placed the call and inform them of the anticipated time required for pick-up and delivery of said Patient. c. Response Time Compliance Rate: The Contractor shall maintain, at a minimum, a 95% compliance rate on responses to pick-up or deliver during the Contract year. Failure of the Contractor to perform in accordance with this compliance rating may constitute sufficient cause for termination of the Contract for "cause," (see FAR clause 52.212-4(m)) or other appropriate contractual action. d. Immediate Notification: It is the responsibility of the Contractor to immediately notify the VAPHS ordering office when unable to make a pick-up or delivery by the exact time specified for previously scheduled trips; or unable to dispatch an ambulance to a designated pick-up point within the required time frame for unscheduled requests for services. The immediate notification shall include the reason for the delay and whether the pick-up or delivery can be made at a later time and if so, specification of that time. However, it shall be the sole discretion of the VAPHS ordering office to accept the later pick-up or delivery time, and based upon the reason for delay, present the delay for payment reduction or refuse the later pick-up or delivery time and order the services from another source (the applicable ordering office shall be the sole entity for determining when to request the services from another source), and present the reason for the delay to the CO as an occurrence that may be subject to default. Based upon the reason for the delay, the Contractor may be charged with excess costs incurred by the VAPHS in ordering the service from another source or other appropriate contractual action may be taken by VAPHS. e. Waiting Time: 1. For scheduled trips, waiting charges shall commence fifteen (15) minutes from the time the Contractor actually arrives at the designated pick-up and/or delivery points. 2. If the designated pick-up and/or delivery points are at other than the VA Medical facilities and waiting beyond the required fifteen (15) minute grace period is anticipated, the Contractor shall notify the COR. This call is only for the purpose of verifying the Contractor's time of arrival at pick-up and/or delivery points and is not necessary if the Contractor does not anticipate a delay for which waiting charges will be claimed. The Contractor's failure to notify the COR, when waiting beyond the grace period, shall result in non-payment for waiting time. 3. There are occurrences when a Beneficiary will be scheduled for appointments requiring transportation from different VAPHS facilities, nursing home or Beneficiary place of residence. At no time shall a Beneficiary be required to wait arrival of a pre-scheduled trip beyond fifteen (15) minutes. Failure of the vehicle to arrive at the Beneficiary's residence or VA facility /nursing home within the allotted time frame (15 minutes), may result in automatic cancellation of the trip, and services may be secured from other sources with default action to be considered against the Contractor. f. Substitution of Patient: The VA reserves the right to substitute the Patient requiring services at any time during the performance of this Contract, to prevent delays, cancellations, or dry runs. There shall be no additional charge to the VA when such changes occur. g. Morgue Transports: It may become necessary for the Contractor to be called upon to transport the remains of a deceased Patient between the various VAPHS facilities or to the County morgue for purposes of post-mortem. The Contractor shall agree to accept such assignments when called upon under the provisions of the Contract and to supply personnel normally assigned non-emergency vehicles in performing this service. h. Number of Patients: The Contractor shall transport one Patient per trip under ambulance services. i. Direct Patient Transfer: All Patient transfers between VA facilities shall be direct transfers. j. Escorts: VAPHS reserves the right to have an escort, such as a relative, care provider or staff member accompany the Patient when VAPHS determines that such an escort is in the best interest of the Patient. VAPHS will also be the sole judge in determining when an escort is required. There shall be no charge to VAPHS when escorts are authorized to travel with Patient. The Contractor shall only be required to transport the escort with the Patient and shall not be required to return the escort back to point of origin. k. Authorized Medical Center Personnel: Prior to performance, the CO shall provide the Contractor with a list of names or position titles and phone numbers of authorized Government personnel who may request services and receive calls from Contractor regarding Contract performance. This list will be updated and submitted to the Contractor as changes occur. The Contractor shall ensure that requests for services are received from authorized medical center personnel. Services rendered in response to requests from other than authorized personnel shall be at the risk of the Contractor and any cost related thereto shall be borne by the Contractor. l. Request for Services: All requests will be placed against pertinent schedule items, on a unit price basis, and will be verified against invoices and Contractor's request for services log submitted under Paragraph 19, Invoices. When ordering services (whether it is by telephone, facsimile, mail, e-mail and/or person), the VAPHS will provide the Contractor with the following type of information: 1. Mode of transportation required, 2. Required date and time of arrival, 3. Name of Patient, 4. Pick-up and delivery point, and 5. Any other special instructions. m. If the Contractor's place of business is located beyond the local telephone call zone of the VA (area code 412 and 724), the Contractor shall install and provide to the VA, a toll free number for accepting the VA calls. It is estimated that 90% of all requests for service will be placed by telephone. Requests for service may also be in writing or oral from an authorized representative of the VA, and may be completed by telephone, facsimile, mail, e-mail, or in person (by giving a written or verbal request). n. Dispatcher: The contractor must provide a dispatcher 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. The Contractor shall identify the contact information for transportation requests, including the following: 1. Company 2. Company Address 3. Normal Hours Contact Person 4. Normal Hours Telephone No. 5. After Hours Contact Person: 6. After Hours Services Telephone No. o. The VA will pay transportation costs only for eligible VA patients, as determined by VA regulations. Contractors shall contact the appropriate COR if there are any questions concerning the eligibility of the VA patients. p. The Contractor shall be required to transport non-ambulatory Patients on gurneys, litters, and geriatric chairs who are not in need of emergency transportation or medical attention. q. Mileage Threshold for Ground Ambulance Services: The Mileage Threshold for the VAPHS is a 10 mile radius from the designated pick-up point for each trip (i.e., Contractor is required to pick-up Patient at the VA UD Division, the Mileage Threshold would be a 10 mile radius from the VA UD Division). Charges for travel within this Mileage Threshold shall be inclusive with the base rate. One way mileage for travel beyond the 10 mile Mileage Threshold shall be claimed under the applicable mileage rate. r. Contractor Reimbursement: 1. Reimbursement for mileage outside the Contract Mileage Threshold of coverage, shall be at the mileage rate stated in the price schedule, and shall be based upon the miles from the pick-up point to the specified destination. Any mileage from the place of business and/or location of vehicle and the pick-up point, or from the delivery destination back to the place of business and/or location of next trip are not considered as a separate item of this reimbursement, but would be expected to be incorporated into the mileage rate that is the Contractor's responsibility as part of the administrative costs (or costs of doing business). Trip mileage under the contract shall be determined by using the internet web site of Google Maps, Mapquest, Yahoo, or other internet mileage authority. Allowable charges for mileage outside the Contract Mileage Threshold areas of coverage shall not exceed +5% of the current Rand McNally Standard Mileage Guide. 2. Should the VA make a determination that a previously scheduled trip may be cancelled, and a vehicle has already been dispatched to the designated pick-up point, VA may notify the Contractor to cancel the order. For orders that are cancelled while the Contractor is already in route to the designated pick-up, the Contractor shall be entitled to receive 50% of the base rate for the trip, as provided in Schedule of Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs. This charge shall not include any mileage charge. 3. Should the Contractor arrive at the destination before VA cancels the order, of if the Contractor is unable to perform a scheduled pick-up for reasons beyond the Contractor's control, e.g., incorrect address, or Patient absence, or Patient refusal, then the Contractor shall receive 100% of base rate for a one way trip as provide in the Schedule of Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs, and applicable mileage if outside Contract Mileage Threshold areas of coverage. 4. If the Contractor fails to meet the time requirements in this Contract, VAPHS will not be charged for these instances. 5. Other Charges: It is understood that the prices listed in the accepted Schedule of Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs shall be inclusive of any and all ferry, bridge, tunnel or road toll charges. Contractor shall not bill the VA for any such separate charges. s. Auxiliary Service: The Contractor may be required at times to transport Patient luggage, medical records, medication and other items including, but not limited to, wheelchairs, Stryker frames, litters, and nutritional supplements from the pick-up point to destination. The Contractor shall not open, manipulate or otherwise seek information from these records or personal effects. The records and personal effects shall be delivered intact to the prearranged destination. Luggage to be transported shall be restricted to suitcase and valise type. These services shall be provided at no additional cost; however, should there not be room to transport these items and a second vehicle is needed, payment will be half (1/2) the charge from the first transport, only if the second vehicle is pre-approved by VAPHS. No payment will be made for the second vehicle without VAPHS pre-approval. 2. General Contract Requirements a. Contractor Employees: 1. VAPHS reserves the right to restrict any Contractor employees from performing services under this Contract who do not meet the required qualifications for the services they are to perform, who violate Federal and/or any applicable regulations, or are identified as a potential threat to the security, safety, health and/or operational mission of the VA and its veteran population. The restriction of such Contractor personnel shall not relieve the Contractor from performing all the required services, in accordance with all terms, conditions, and schedules contained herein. 2. The Contractor shall furnish qualified personnel as required by the Contract specifications to accomplish all services under this Contract. 3. The Contractor shall comply with any and all legal provisions contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, As Amended; its related laws and regulations that are enforced by Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Labor as these may relate to non-immigrant foreign nationals working under contract or subcontract for the Contractor while providing services under this Contract. 4. Contractor personnel performing services to the VA shall at all times conduct themselves in a professional manner, maintain personal hygiene, wear clean, neat uniforms and be identified by having the company name, and employee name affixed to the uniform. The Contractor shall be responsible for furnishing all vehicles, personnel, equipment and supplies, vehicle fuel, uniforms, nametags and/or badges for performance of services under this Contract. Employee identifications shall be worn in clear view above the waist. Contractor personnel shall not smoke in vehicles while transporting VA Patients. 5. Contractor employees shall not represent themselves as VA employees while performing under this Contract. b. Contractor Personnel Qualifications: 1. All Contractor personnel performing Contract services shall meet the qualifications as specified in this Contract, as well as any qualifications required by Federal, State, County and local government entities from the place in which they operate. Contractor personnel shall meet these qualifications at all times while performing Contract services. 2. During the Contract period of performance, if the Contractor proposes to add-on or replace personnel to perform Contract services, the Contractor shall ensure that the required certifications, licensing, background and security clearances, and any other personnel requirements are met. At no time shall the Contractor utilize add-on or replacement personnel to perform Contract services who do not meet the qualifications under the terms and conditions of this Contract. 3. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic Qualifications: EMTs and paramedics providing services under this Contract shall have the following qualifications, in addition to those required by Federal, State, and Local Government: a) EMTs shall have completed training in accordance with the standards published by the Pennsylvania DOH with a minimum curriculum of 152 hours of clinical and didactic training or equivalent. Paramedics shall have completed training in accordance with the standards published by the Pennsylvania DOH with a minimum of 1,250 hours of combined clinical and didactic training or equivalent. Such training programs must also be acceptable under the regulating requirements for local EMS Systems supported by the Pennsylvania DOH under PL 93-154. b) Shall ensure that re-certifications and equivalent training program requirements are successfully completed. c) Shall be certified, or otherwise officially recognized by the local, state or regional government or public entity where the emergency ambulance service is operated or by which it is governed. d) Shall attend all refresher continuing education, or advance training programs as required by the local or state government entity in which service is rendered. In no instance shall this be less frequent than annually. Such refresher training shall be equivalent to that developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. 4. Ambulance Drivers: Drivers shall have a valid operator's or chauffeur's license in accordance with Federal, State and local government requirements for their place of operation, for the services they perform, be capable of administering oxygen and have successfully completed an Emergency Vehicle Operator course approved by the Department of Health for the State of Pennsylvania and be capable of providing necessary medical assistance to the attending medical care specialist. 5. Should governmental requirements differ on this contract, then the strictest shall apply. 6. The ambulance Contractor's Medical Director shall certify all EMTs and Paramedics and direct emergency medical response processes. 7. All staff of the ambulance Contractor is required to be assessed regarding competence and performance per Pennsylvania DOH, Emergency Medical Services. c. Contractor Equipment, Vehicles and Inspection: 1. The VA reserves the right to inspect Contractor's equipment and vehicles or require documentation of compliance with contract specifications, and State laws, rules, regulations and guidelines governing emergency medical transport vehicles (ambulances). VA inspections of Contractor facilities shall in no way constitute a warranty by the VA that the Contractor's vehicles and equipment are properly maintained. The VA reserves the right to restrict the Contractor's use of equipment and vehicles which are in need of repair, unclean, damaged on the interior or exterior body, and are not in compliance with Contract requirements. The restriction of such equipment and vehicles shall not relieve the Contractor from performing in accordance with the strict intent and meaning of the Contract without additional cost to the VA. 2. Ambulances shall meet all current applicable Federal, State and local specifications and regulations including, but not limited to, licensing, registration, and safety standards. Appropriate licensing by the State of Pennsylvania is required. 3. The vehicle(s) shall be clean and maintained in good repair in accordance with manufacturer's instructions and specifications at all times during the performance of this Contract, and shall contain: 1. An emergency safety kit, 2. Portable oxygen unit (s), 3. Fire suppression equipment, and 4. Appropriate road emergency warning equipment. 4. BLS ambulance transports shall, in conjunction with the above, be equipped with stretchers to accommodate patients over 500 pounds, have an on-board EMT, and perform basic airway management. If bariatric ambulance services are required, there will be no additional charges to the VAPHS above the rates established in the Schedule of Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs. 5. ALS ambulance transports shall, in conjunction with the above, be equipped with pulse oximetry and on-board Paramedic, perform cardiac monitoring, provide ACLS drugs and procedures, and perform advanced airway management and medication monitoring and administration. Advanced airway management means the ability to intubate a Patient and provide appropriate respiratory care, which does not include tracheotomies, cricoidotomies or cricotracheotomies. 6. The Contractor shall provide oxygen when it is requested by authorized medical facility personnel or required by the Patient's medical condition. Oxygen required for ambulance services shall be at the rate and price shown in the Schedule of Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs. 7. The Contractor shall provide all medications required while in transport, sheets and blankets and other equipment and supplies required for use while in transport, for direct patient care. The Contractor shall at no time and under any circumstances exchange supplies, equipment and/or medications with VA. The prices quoted in the Schedule of Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs shall be inclusive of consumables used in transport. All vehicles used for critical patient care (e.g., ALS, BLS), shall include, but not be limited to, monitors, defibrillator with external pacemaker, intubation equipment, intravenous equipment, medications, patient compartment facilities, oxygen and suction equipment and accessories. d. Patient Incidents and Complaints: 1. The Contractor shall immediately notify the COR of any incidents involving injury to VA Patients during transport. The Contractor shall promptly complete and submit to the COR an Incident Report with all information necessary for a full review. 2. The VA may request incident reports for any customer service related incident reported by patients, visitors, or staff requiring investigation. Fully documented reports are required within 24 hours of request and may result in additional requests for information. 3. The Contractor shall notify the CO and COR in writing within 24 hours of any complaints made by the Patients with regards to the ambulance service. The Contractor may provide recommendations for improved services along with the Patient complaints for the VA's review. No recommendation shall be construed as being effective until and unless it is provided as a written modification to the Contract from the CO. e. Infection Control Procedures: 1. The Contractor shall follow the VAPHS Infection Prevention and Control policies and procedures to prevent and control the spread of infectious agents to all persons. 2. The Contractor shall identify and submit a list of all their Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) to the VAPHS. RME will be determined to be Critical, Semi-Critical or Non-critical. Critical and Semi-critical RME will have a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), a document detailing all steps and activities of a process or procedure that follows manufacturers' cleaning, disinfection and/or sterilization guidelines. These SOPs will be submitted to the CO for approval by the VAPHS Infection Control Department. All Non-critical RME will be classified into two (2) categories based on manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and/or disinfection. If surface disinfection with the approved surface disinfectant will damage the equipment, a specific SOP shall be developed by the Contractor and submitted to the CO for approval by the VAPHS Infection Control Department. If surface disinfection with the approved surface disinfectant will not damage the equipment, it may be used. 3. The Contractor shall submit the RME list yearly to the CO. 4. The Contractor shall review and submit the RME SOPs on a yearly basis, or when a change in manufacturer's recommendation occurs, to the CO. 5. The Contractor shall not re-use or re-sterilize Single Use (disposable) medical devices. f. In-Service Meetings: Due to developments of new techniques or VA policy changes or to resolve problem issues in the handling and transporting of Patients, the Contractor may be required to attend meetings at the VA facility at no additional cost to the Government. The CO will schedule all in-service meetings. g. Electronic Transmissions: The Contractor shall, at all times during the Contract period, have on the premises a functioning fax machine to communicate requirements with the VA (i.e., Patient incidents, requests for service, special correspondence, etc.). Each Contractor shall indicate if there is e-mail availability for their company to complete communications with the VA (use of this communication system must be approved by the CO before any communications are completed in this manner). h. Invoices: All invoices shall be submitted once per month in arrears to the Department of Veterans Affairs FSC, PO Box 149971, Austin, Texas 78714. 1. For ambulance transportation, a copy of the billing items below will be submitted via email to the Ambulance Transportation COR and CO prior to invoices being sent to FSC: a. Patient's name b. Trip date c. Pick-up point arrival time d. Pick-up point departure time e. Drop off point and arrival time f. Number of miles if outside Contract Mileage Threshold g. Contract Number and CURRENT Purchase Order (obligation number) h. Base charge plus an itemization of additional charges, if applicable, and name of VA Official who authorized trip i. Copies of the request for services log [as required in Contractor's Quality Control Plan (QCP)] that correspond to the trips included in the invoice. i. Contractor Remittance Address: All payments by the Government to the Contractor will be made by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). j. Upon Contract award, a kick-off meeting will be initiated within three (3) days by CORs to discuss to implementation of this Contract. 3. Contractor's Quality Control Plan (QCP) The Contractor shall establish and maintain a complete QCP to assure the requirements of this Contract are provided as specified. The VAPHS Ambulance Committee will review the QCP and list any needed clarifications, and return to the Contractor for response, if necessary. The Contractor's QCP shall include the following or have incorporated into during performance of Contract, at a minimum: a. An inspection plan covering all services, equipment and supplies (glucometers, oxygen, medications, defibrillators, etc.) required by this Contract. The inspection plan must specify the areas to be inspected on either a scheduled or unscheduled basis, how often inspections will be accomplished and documented, and the title of the individual(s) who will perform the inspections. b. On-site records of all inspections conducted by the Contractor noting necessary corrective action taken. The Government reserves the right to request copies of any and/or each inspection. c. Incorporation of either active or established internal policies and procedures for the updating of medical service protocols that may affect performance of Contract. d. The methods for identifying and preventing deficiencies in the quality of service performed, before the level of performance becomes unacceptable, and organizational functions noting intermediate supervisory responsibilities and overall management responsibilities for ensuring total acceptable performance. e. On-site records of all vehicle maintenance and repairs performed on vehicles used in the performance of this Contract. The methods of identifying and preventing vehicle breakdowns, and detailed procedures for alternative transportation of Patients, in the event of mechanical breakdown of ambulance. f. On-site records identifying the character, physical capabilities, certifications and ongoing training of each employee performing services under this Contract. g. The methods of identifying and preventing radio communication breakdowns. A detailed procedure for alternative communications in the event of electronic and mechanical breakdown of vehicle two-way radios. h. A log to account for all requests for service. The log shall indicate the date and time of service call, name of Patient requiring services, required Medicare/Medicaid form with doctor's signatures, type of transportation requested, designated pick-up and delivery points, actual time of arrival at pick-up and delivery points, and actual waiting time at pick-up and delivery points, if waiting charges are claimed. i. On-site records of any complaints or problems, with procedures taken to allow for corrections and/or elimination before effects caused interruption of performance of Contract. j. Log of quality control procedures to include, but not limited to, glucometers calibrated to the manufacturers' specifications and/or no less than daily. 4. Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) The COR responsibilities include all responsibilities outlined in the COR delegation letter, as well as surveillance of services required under this Contract; determining the adequacy of Contractor performance according to the specifications of this Contract; acting as the Government's representative; ensuring compliance with Contract requirements insofar as the work is concerned; and advising the CO of any Contract issues. The COR cannot authorize deviations from the terms and conditions of this Contract. In the event the Contractor deviates without written approval from the CO, such deviation shall be at the risk of the Contractor, and any cost relat...