CLASSIFICATION CODE: Q - Medical Services; (Q999- Medical -Other) NAICS CODE: 561320 (Temporary Help Services) Network-9 Contracting Office on the behalf of the Memphis VA Medical Center has developed this Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought Notice to solicit market research information from industry to assist the Government with analysis of a Government requirement and provide commercial insight on performance-based solutions, best practices, possible contractual arrangements, and potential issues. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. It is not a Request for Proposal, a Request for Quotation, an Invitation for Bids, a Solicitation, or an indication that Network-9 Contracting Office (NCO-9) will contract for the items contained in the RFI / Sources Sought Notice. This RFI/Sources Sought Notice is part of a Government market research effort to determine the scope of industry capabilities and interest, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15.201(e), response to this RFI / Sources Sought Notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responses to this RFI / Sources Sought Notice are strictly voluntary and are consider as information only. The Government will not pay respondents for information provided in response to this RFI / Sources Sought Notice. Responses to this RFI / Sources Sought Notice will not be returned and respondents will not be notified of the result of the review. If a solicitation is issued, it will be announced on the Federal Business Opportunities Website http://www.fbo.gov at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from any response to this announcement. This RFI / Sources Sought Notice do not restrict the Government's acquisition on a future solicitation. Network-9 Contracting Office (NCO-9) and Lexington, KY., VA Medical Center are conducting market research for a Contractor to furnish Sterile Processing Technicians for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at the Lexington VA Medical Center, 1101 Veterans Drive, Lexington, KY 40502. Please review the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) provided below before responding to the market research questions as the Government desires that respondents offer their experience and recommendations on the following questions and issues related to this requirement. When addressing these items, respondents should consider the size and scope of the requirement described herein. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT: GENERAL 1. Statement of Work: The contractor will provide certified Sterile Processing Technicians. The provided care shall cover the ranges of inpatient/outpatient services normally provided in a similar health facility and outpatient clinic in accordance with the specifications and requirements contained herein. 2. Government Inherent Functions: Contractor shall not perform inherently governmental functions. This includes, but is not limited to, determination of agency policy, determination of Federal program, priorities for budget requests, direction and control of government employees, selection or non-selection of individuals for Federal Government employment including the interviewing of individuals for employment, approval of position descriptions and performance standards for Federal employees, approving any contractual documents, approval of Federal licensing actions and inspections, and/or determination of budget policy, guidance, and strategy. 3. Contractor Supervision and Control: This is a contract for healthcare resources to be furnished on-site at Lexington Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus facilities and all Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). The contractor shall independently, and not as an agent of the government, exert its best efforts to furnish the necessary personnel to perform work in accordance with the Statement of Work and all other requirements of the solicitation and subsequent contract. The Contractor shall supervisor, oversee, manage, and otherwise direct the contract employee to ensure contract obligations are fulfilled. The government Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will monitor the individual's performance and communicate with the Contractor to ensure performance standards are achieved and contract requirements are met, and the COR shall have no supervisory duties with regard to the contract employee. QUALIFICATIONS Requirements for Sterile Processing Technician (SPT) " Knowledge of all equipment (to include reprocessing scopes and medivators) that provides decontamination and sterilization of Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) working in an operating room, nursing care unit or in a hospital central supply area distribution for supplies from the Sterile Process Service (SPS) " Follows established guidelines but also uses own judgment for examples in selecting pre-sterilization cleaning methods and sterilization mediums, placement of instruments in trays and substation of unavailable items " Graduate of an accredited Sterile Processing Technician program " No less than one year experience sterile processing " Current American Heart Association basic CPR certification " Physical exam within 12 months verifying freedom from communicable disease " Negative TB test - If TB Test is positive then a chest x-ray and/or TB Screening Form Appendix B is to be provided " Lift, push, and pull items up to 50lbs RESPONSIBILITIES Sterile Processing Technician (SPT) " Decontamination, sterilization, and packaging of reusable medical supplies, instruments, equipment and apparatus. Equipment includes but is not limited to infusion pumps, vital sign check machines, heat therapy pumps, mobile suction pumps, and patient controlled analgesia pumps, defibrillators, enteral feeding pumps, isolation carts, intubation kits, and crash carts. Instruments include those with complex components that are delicate in nature and used during invasive diagnostic procedures. Instruments include a variety of endoscopes (cystoscopies, bronchoscopes, intubation scopes, and endoscopes used in the gastrointestinal tract and colon) and probes (TEE probes, ultrasound probes, etc.) that are process by various manufacturers' guidelines and have individualized decontamination and sterilization requirements. " Collecting, receipt, inspection and decontamination processing of soiled supplies, instruments, equipment, and apparatus to include complex diagnostic equipment and medical apparatus. " Removal of bio-burden prior to sterilization of proper cleaning and/or disinfection. For endoscopes, performs leak tests to determine the water tight integrity of the scope is intact before initiating the cleaning and high level disinfection process or terminal sterilization of scope(s) " Operate decontamination equipment such as washer decontaminators, sonic washers, irrigators, automatic endoscopic re-processor (AER), automatic cart washer and tube dryers. Follows all manufactures instructions on cleaning of instrumentation and RME using department SOPS and manufacturer's guidelines. Reads and understands Material Safety Data Sheets " Inspection of assembly packaging, and terminal sterilization of all trays, sets, and packs for use throughout the medical center. Adheres to Quality Management Program to ensure appropriate and safe reprocessing is performed for all RME (such as using laparoscopic insulscan tester, bio-burden checks, and instrument integrity) " Determines the criticality category of RME using the Spaulding Classification System and interprets sterilization parameters provided by manufacturer guidelines to determine the proper method of sterilization " Operates sterilization equipment and other equipment that pertains to sterilization processes such as Medivator Advantage Plus, Steam Sterilizers, Sterrad 100S, Sterrad NX, and ETO sterilizers, heat sealers, and incubators " Interprets mechanical printouts on the front of the sterilization equipment to validate that sterilization of RME is within acceptable parameters " Maintain records for all sterilization procedures that are processed including interpretation of all biological monitoring, validation of monitoring results, and quality assurance checks to ensure sterilization parameters are met " Troubleshoot complex sterilizers used in the medical center to ensure optimal operation " Ensure parameters have been met and documents the results in the sterilization log, parameters haven't been met, articulates how to troubleshoot the sterilization load and can determine the possible cause of the parameters not being met, reports the findings to the sterile processing supervisor and/or designee " Perform high level disinfection using Cidex OPA " Assemble surgical case carts according to physician preference and computer generated picking lists for use in operating rooms. Interprets and assesses instrumentation and supply needs for individual cases " Monitoring biological and chemical indicators and integrators, Bowie dick tests, time/temperature graphs (if applicable), and ensuring appropriate RMS checks are documented after sterilization or reprocessing. Other quality assurance activities include verification of accurate labeling, contents, cleanliness, and working order, and sterilization parameters " Follow the local standard operating procedures (SOP) drafted in accordance with manufacturer's written recommendations when reprocessing RME. Sterile Processing Supervisor and/or designee should be consulted when clarification of written instructions are needed " Do not reprocess any reusable medical equipment based on vendor's verbal instructions, as this is not an adequate practice " Complies with all safety/fire prevention rules/regulations, using protective equipment when required and provided. Promptly reports all accidents and notifies supervisor of unsafe/unhealthful conditions in the workplace " Follows instructions of Sterile Processing Supervisor and/or designee on the unit placed and/or scheduled to work WORK HOURS Sterile Processing Technician (SPT) - Approved Tour of Duties " 7:30am - 4:00pm - 8 hours " 8:00am - 4:30pm - 8 hours " 12:00am - 8:00am - 8 hours " 3:30pm - 12:00am - 8 hours " Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday , Thursday, Friday, Saturday Federal Holidays: The following holidays are observed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 1. New Year's Day 2. Washington's Birthday 3. Martin Luther King's Birthday 4. Memorial Day 5. Independence Day 6. Labor Day 7. Columbus Day 8. Veterans Day 9. Thanksgiving 10. Christmas 11. Any day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday. No overtime is authorized for contract employees to work. All contract employees will attend 8 hours of computer orientation provided by the Lexington VAMC and 32 hours orientation, this is to include training on the unit and/or area the contract employee is schedule to work. All orientation hours will be billed at half the hourly rate. Additional mandatory trainings will be completed by the contract employee within the time frame provided as needed; these trainings will be billed at half the hourly rate. MARKET SURVEY: 1. Please provide a capability statement that includes, as a minimum, the following information: a. Company Name: b. Company Address: c. Point of Contract Information: i. Name: ii. Title: iii. Phone Number: iv. Facsimile Number: v. E-mail Address: d. System for Award Management (SAM) Expiration Date: e. DUNS Number: f. CAGE Number: g. Business Size(*) (Note: (*) - as it relates to NAICS Code: h. Socioeconomic Category: Large Business Small Business SDVOSB VOSB Small Disadvantage Business 8(a) HUB Zone Women Owned Small Business Other: 2. The number of board eligible and/or board certified STP your firm can offer/provide: 3. Comments on the (Draft) Performance Work Statement (PWS) provided below: 4. Comments on current market conditions and obstacles in providing these services to the Government: 5. Any recommendations as to contract type: Please provide e-mail responses to this Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought Notice no later than Monday, August 25, 2014 at 2:00 PM (Central Time) to Mr. Michael J. Edwards, Contracting Officer at
[email protected]. The response time cannot be extended beyond the suspense date provided. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/SOURCE SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY.