DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. This is not a solicitation announcement. This is a sources sought synopsis only. The purpose of this synopsis is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification (HUBZone, 8(a), small, small disadvantaged or service disabled veteran owned small business) relative to NAICS 621498, All Other Outpatient Care Centers (size standard of $19 Million). Responses to this synopsis will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After review of responses to this sources sought synopsis, a solicitation announcement may be published on the FedBizOpps website. Responses to this sources sought synopsis are not considered adequate responses to the solicitation announcement. All interested offerors will have to respond to the solicitation announcement separately. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office (NCO) 17, is seeking potential contractors capable of providing Primary Medical Care and Mental Health Services through a Community Based Outpatient Clinic in the San Antonio, TX area solely dedicated to Veteran beneficiaries of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System - San Antonio VA Medical Center, located at 7400 Merton Minter, San Antonio, TX 78229. The Contractor shall provide the facility, clinical staff, administrative support, equipment and labor necessary in a clinical environment. If you are interested and are capable of providing the required services please provide the requested information as indicated below. The intended contract period will be for one base year and four, one-year option periods, which is to begin on or about February 1, 2014. Responses to this notice should include a company name, address, point of contact (Name, Phone Number and e-Mail Address), size of the business pursuant to the following questions: (1) Is your business small? (2) If small, does your firm qualify as a small, emerging business or small disadvantaged business? (3) If disadvantaged, specify under which disadvantaged group and if your firm is certified under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act? (4) Is your firm a certified HUBZone firm? (5) Is your firm a women-owned or operated business? (6) Is your firm a certified Service disabled Veteran Owned Small Business or Veteran Owned Small Business? The proposed clinic must be in the San Antonio, TX rural areas. There are currently approximately 3,000 Veterans enrolled at San Antonio, TX rural area CBOCs. The San Antonio rural locations listed below, along with the estimated patient count for each location: Geographical Area Estimated Patient Count Beeville 350 Uvalde 300 Del Rio 350 New Braunfels 1550 Seguin 500 Responses must indicate which location(s) the contractor has the capability to support. Payments under the contemplated requirement would be made on a per-patient per month capitated rate basis. The contractor will be required to have a fully operational clinic up and running on or before the 90th day after award. Contractor set-up activities (are expected to) include, but are not limited to: 1. Leasing adequate space 2. Furnishing the space with adequate office furniture 3. Equipping the space with adequate office, computer, medical equipment, and signage 4. Providing physicians and other healthcare providers with the requisite licenses, credentials, certifications, etc. 5. Working with the VA to connect to the VA computer network 6. Ensuring that the clinic will be compliant with all relevant VA and Joint Commission regulations from the first day of operation. Operational activities include but are not limited to, handling all operational activities of a primary care and mental health clinic and using the VA Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) to enter all information related to patient care. The contractor would provide primary care and mental health services in a clinical environment, solely to veterans who primary reside in the San Antonio, TX catchment area. The Contractor operated CBOC must have the necessary facilities, professional medical staff, diagnostic testing and treatment capability, and referral arrangements needed to ensure continuity of health care. Primary Care services include longitudinal outpatient medical care for the purposes of prevention and detection of disease and subsequent management of medical conditions for veterans deemed eligible. The Contractor will also be responsible for documenting care provided using CPRS. The care will be provided by primary care providers who must be either family practitioners or general internists or their authorized designees. Furthermore, the physician providers must be Board Certified/Board Eligible and licensed to practice in the state of Texas. The proposed CBOC, at a minimum, shall provide a standard of care that must be consistent, safe and of high quality. Additionally, the proposed CBOC is expected to comply with all relevant VA policies and procedures, including those related to quality patient safety and performance. The care provided by the CBOC should be patient centered, continuous, accessible, coordinated and consistent with the VA Medical Center standards. Finally, The VA Office of Patient Care Services, Primary Care Program Officer, is undertaking a new initiative to implement a patient centered medical home (PCMH) model at all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Primary Care sites which is referred to as Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT). This initiative supports the VHA Universal Health Care Services Plan to redesign VHA healthcare delivery through increasing access, coordination, communication and continuity of care. PACT provides accessible, coordinated, comprehensive, patient centered care and is managed by primary care providers with an active involvement of other clinical and non-clinical staff. PACT allows patients to have a more active role in their health care and is associated with increased quality improvement, patient satisfaction and a decrease in hospital costs due to fewer hospital visits and readmissions. Additional information on PACT may be found at: http://www.va.gov/primarycare/pcmh/. Responses to this notice should be e-mailed to the attention of Yomika Brock, Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office (NCO) 17, 4500 S. Lancaster Rd., Dallas, TX 75216. Temple, TX, 76504. E-mail address is
[email protected]. Telephone, mail or fax responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than April 10, 2013 at 4:30 PM (CST). This notice is to assist the VA in the determination of sources only. A solicitation is not currently available. If a solicitation is issued it will be announced at a later date and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this announcement. Responses to this sources sought is not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation.