THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OR QUOTE. THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS IS NOT SEEKING PRICING OR OFFERS OF ANY KIND. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), under Exchanges with Industry before Receipt of Proposals, 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. The purpose of this announcement is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification (hub zone, 8(a), small, small disadvantage, service disabled veteran owned small business or large business) relative to NAICS Code 621610 (size standard of $14.0 Million). 1. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking potential sources capable of providing Home Respiratory Services and Respiratory Equipment as well as Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Services to beneficiaries within Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 12. VISN 12 is comprised of the following VAMC: Milwaukee VAMC WI, Madison VAMC , WI, Tomah VAMC WI, North Chicago VAMC IL, Hines VAMC IL, Jesse Brown VAMC IL, Iron Mountain VAMC, MI. Place of performance will be required in beneficiaries place of residence. This will include, but not limited to: hospitals, veteran's residence, or in a nursing home where the veteran resides. 2. VISN 12 has approximately 3200 oxygen patients Current oxygen patients per VA site: Jesse Brown - 450 Hines - 740 Iron Mountain - 330 Madison- 640 Milwaukee - 380 North Chicago - 290 Tomah - 440 3. Sources should have the capabilities to provide for 24/7/365 Home Respiratory Services and Equipment. These services include but are not limited to providing for at a minimum at least one full-time respiratory therapist dedicated to each VA Medical Center within VISN 12. Respiratory therapist visits will include follow-ups for new patients and existing patient follow-up as requested to address equipment or safety concerns. Preventive Maintenance Inspection (PMI) service appointments will be performed by equipment technicians and/or therapists and are utilized to provide safety and ongoing equipment education every 6 months. Services will include patient/home/fire safety education, ongoing delivery of oxygen equipment and/or rental of oxygen systems and respiratory related equipment and supplies, data collection and reporting, development, review, and revision of care plans, maintenance of patient records, and ongoing communication with VA. Services also include storage and maintenance of all high-pressure cylinders, concentrators, portable concentrators, oxygen refill systems, ventilators, emergency back-up systems. The contractor should also have the ability to arrange travel for veterans outside of the service area in coordination with other vendors at the point of destination. Contractor must provide for Respiratory Therapist who has experience with CPAP/AUTOPAP/BILEVEL related sleep therapy equipment and supplies. DME - Sources should have the capabilities to accept drop shipments and have facilities in place to store, track inventory, deliver, instruct and recover home medical equipment (HME) and provide services as requested to Veterans at their place of residence. This includes but is not limited to: Therapeutic beds, semi and full electric beds, mattresses, wheelchairs, power chairs, patient lifts/slings, over bed tables, trapeze lifts, commodes, bath benches etc. 4. The geographical boundaries described herein have been determined as the areas of responsibility/jurisdiction for each local VA Medical Center within VISN 12: Large circle -99% of VISN 12 oxygen patient population are located within this area. Small circle -85% of the 99% of VISN 12 oxygen patient population are located within this area. ? VISN 12 Central Market ? VISN 12 Northern Market ? VISN 12 Southern Market ? Large circle -99% of VISN 12 oxygen patient population are located within this area. Small circle -85% of the 99% of VISN 12 oxygen patient population are located within this area. Approximately 150 DME trips/month throughout VISN 12 primarily in the small radius circle. 5. The following is an estimate of respiratory equipment Rental /month (existing patients)rental equipment needed for current veteran population: A. (E1390) Concentrator Rental 3150/mo *To include back up M tank in the home for each oxygen patient in case of power failure, equipment, initial education by technician with follow up by RT within 5 business days to create plan of care, every 6 months home eval, safety and equipment education, ongoing supply replenishment to include tubing, cannulas, prefilled humidifiers, fire safe valves, educational material ? B. (E0439) Liquid Oxygen System(s) Rental 50 *includes liquid oxygen contents/mo C. (E0431) Portable Oxygen System(s) Rental 1400 * To include ALL patient requests for portable tanks, carts, regulators, carrying cases, back-packs (B,C,D,E) to meet the needs of the patient's ADLs/mo regardless of quantities required.(mirror private sector per month portability charge). Portable oxygen concentrators in lieu of portable tanks should also be considered due to logistics and veteran capabilities or which best suit the needs to support the patients activities of daily living. * Tank usage estimates for VISN 12 - Approx 1400 oxygen patients utilizing a combination of these per year (B tanks is a new option for this contract = no estimates-IGE for this tank usage similar to c tank usage after patients 2009 Tank Estimates - C 15000 D 36000 E 55000 2010 Tank Estimates - C 22000 D 40000 E 60000 2011 Tank Estimates - C 26000 D 37000 E 57000 D. (E0434) Liquid Oxygen Portable Device(s) Rental 50 * LOX portable unit(s) to meet the ADLs for patients to include pulse dose units and units capable of higher flows E. (E1392) Portable Oxygen Concentrator Rental for travel 20 *Only models that have continuous flow option or those devices that meet the patients ADL's as assessed and confirmed by the therapist according to plan of care F. (E0450) Ventilator Rental 2 G. (E0565) Air Compressor Rental 60 6. The following is an estimate of Respiratory Therapist visits requested from VISN 12: Approximately 200 RT visit/ month throughout VISN 12 to set up/adjust PAP related equipment, nebulizers and monthly follow up for ventilator patients. *****This estimate does not include the RT follow up visits required for every new oxygen set up to be completed within 5 business days which is part of the concentrator/LOX/Portable rental price. Estimate: 1000-1500 new oxygen patients/year or approximately 100-125 per month throughout VISN 12 with associated MET deliveries and follow up by RT to educate, create care plans with the patients within 5 business days and updates and changes to care plans required. ? 7. Responses to this RFI should be emailed to
[email protected] and
[email protected] not later than 9:00 am CT, November 16, 2012. Please include "VISN 12 HOME OXYGEN" in the subject line of all correspondence. Responses should include the following information: a. Name and address of company b. Business size and identification of any socioeconomic categories (i.e. SDVOSB, VOSB, 8a, etc.) the company falls under c. Capabilities to include at a minimum the following information: 1. Do you currently or have you had past experience providing for home oxygen and DME services for the Department of Veterans Affairs? If so, how many VA Medical Centers did you support concurrently within a single contract? Which VISN? 2. If company does not have current or past experience providing services for the Department of Veterans Affairs do you have current or past experience providing services for private or public managed care, insurance or hospital/health systems? 3. What is the highest number of home oxygen using patients your company has provided services for concurrently? Radius of service? 4. Demonstrate your company's experience with supporting usage of oxygen devices capable of self-filling tanks? 5. Demonstrate your company's capabilities to support the rental of portable concentrators for those patients that could benefit to accommodate activities of daily living? Demonstrate your company's capabilities to accommodate travel requests? 6. Demonstrated your company's ability to provide for registered (and or certified) respiratory therapist full-time as part of the home respiratory services you provide? 7. Does your company specialize in providing sleep therapy services and supplies to include follow-up and reporting compliance data? If so demonstrate this experience and provide current or previous volume of sleep related breathing disorder patients? 8. Demonstrate your capabilities to provide or acquire the necessary resources (i.e. personnel, facilities, materials, transportation, equipment and communication services) to provide for 3200 oxygen patients in the area specified on the previous pages(s)? 9. Does your firm have experience providing for home health services, DME equipment and supplies to include home oxygen in rural areas during harsh cold inclement weather conditions? If yes, provide examples of this experience. 10. Does your company have mechanisms in place for thorough, internal, quality-driven performance improvement activities? If so, provide a summary. 11. How much of the performance under the services would your firm need to subcontract in order to provide the necessary services? Provide specific areas to be sub-contracted. 12. What home healthcare accreditation does your company currently hold? d. Please indicate if your company can provide services for the entire region specified above, or just portions of the region (specify which portions). e. Any other pertinent information ? 8. Contracting Office Address: Service Area Office (SAO) - Central Region 708 South Third Street, Suite 108E Minneapolis, MN 55415 9. Points of Contact: Ken Eshom Nicole Lindstrom
[email protected] [email protected]