NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE: IAW FAR 5.101 this notice is to advise the public that The Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 4, intends to award a sole source, Firm-Fixed-Price Contract to Alvarez. Per FAR 13.501 VA requirement: The Lebanon Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) has a brand-name requirement for all labor, materials, support, and travel to provide, install, and support for VOCERA Communications System at its main campus located at 1700 S. Lincoln Avenue, Lebanon, PA THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS or QUOTATIONS. Responsible sources may identify their interest by submitting capability information that clearly demonstrates the capability to perform the required service and licensed for the brand-name for VOCERA Communications System. Capability information is required by 12 PM (Noon) EST, September 18, 2023 to establish the ability of the source to meet this requirement. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. The Government will not be responsible for any costs associated with the preparation of responses to this notification. All inquiries and submittals must be sent via email to Angelamarie.scott@va.gov . Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. Statement of Work Lebanon Veterans Affairs Medical Center TITLE Vocera Communications System GENERAL The Lebanon Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) has a brand-name requirement for all labor, materials, support, and travel to provide, install, and support for Vocera Communications System at its main campus located at 1700 S. Lincoln Avenue, Lebanon, PA 17042. The contractor must install and support a campus wide Vocera Communications System and provide a full time (40hr/week) System Administrator to support, maintain databases, and train staff on the system. The contractor must install, test and commission the system in the base period of the contract and must support the Vocera Communications System for the life of the contract, including all option years. SCOPE OF WORK The scope of work includes installation, system design, integration into third party systems, training, and full-time support of Vocera Communications Systems. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) seeks to acquire Vocera Communications System to be installed and maintained at Lebanon VAMC. WORKING HOURS If the contractor is required to be onsite for installation, it must be between the hours of 8:00AM EST-4:00PM EST on Monday through Friday (excluding federal holidays). If one of the planned days overlaps a holiday, the contractor must reschedule another day/time with the Point of Contact (POC), at no additional cost to the Government. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Installation must be conducted during the base period. Ongoing support and licensing must be maintained for the follow-on option years. Base Year September 25, 2023 thru September 24, 2024 Option Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 VOCERA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM REQUIRMENTS REGULATORY COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS Federal Communications Commission (FCC): FCC (47 CFR 15) Part 15 Limitations on the use of wireless. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): NFPA70 - National Electrical Code. Underwriters Laboratories (UL): i. ITE UL 60950 2. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE CODES & STANDARDS AND INSTALLATION All penetrations made by the Contractor in fire and smoke walls, and other rated barriers must comply with manufacturer s requirements for the repair system utilized. Contractor must present proof of compliance prior to making the penetration and notify the POC for inspection immediately after the penetration is repaired. In addition, any installations (data, power, etc.) cannot touch the sprinkler lines or sprinkler support lines. The Contractor must integrate to third party systems and comply with HIPPA requirements. The Contractor must provide written proof from the system manufacturer authorizing the Contractor to install and support the Vocera communications system if Contractor is not the Original Equipment Manufacturer. The Contractor must ensure that all work provided under this section meets the minimum requirements of Codes and Standards listed in section 1. The Contractor must not require VA employees to maintain system infrastructure. The contractor is responsible for system maintenance and repairs during the installation and warranty periods as required in section 5 of this Statement of Work and for infrastructure repairs for the duration of the contract unless damage has been caused by VA. The Contractor must verify that all system component updates, upgrades, bug fixes and other recommended system modifications are rigorously tested and proven to be stable prior to installation and implementation. The Contractor must provide an initial list of any/all 3rd party software components included in the system and update this list whenever any 3rd party components are added, deleted, or modified. The Contractor must be expandable to provide additional coverage. Contractor will conduct on-site readiness assessment of the facility wireless network covering the 809,775 sq feet to ensure the network infrastructure can support the communication system and server hardware and software configuration meets requirements. Contractor will provide a comprehensive report to the Lebanon VA at the conclusion of the performance assessment. VOCERA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS a. Communication i. Voice ii. Messaging iii. Voice Communication between care providers and staff iv. Communication alerts and messaging between providers and staff b. Integration to existing systems i. Nurse Call ii. Telemetry iii. Stat Orders iv. PRN Effectiveness v. Wander Alert vi. GetWell Network viii. Alarm integration of the above systems for text and voice messaging c. Badges and communication devices i. Wearable badges with real-time communication and alerts ii. 338 smart badges and 676 Batteries must include the following accessories: a. Charging units and charging adapters b. Lanyard holsters c. Badge clips iii. 326 mini badges and 652 batteries must include the following accessories: a. Charging units and charging adapters b. Lanyard holsters c. Badge clips d. Server, networking, and applications i. Cluster Server Architecture 1. Platform server 2. Analytics Server ii. Dual Band Power Over Ethernet Access Point with SWWRLS Control iii. SIP Telephone Gateway iv. Client communication v. Messaging server vi. One (1) Staging server for tested badges and applications. Must meet the following specifications per the Enterprise Risk Analysis: 1. OS: RedHat Enterprise Linus 2. OS version: 7.9 or latest version, 7.9 extended support (ELS) 3. Proc: 8 vCPU or better 4. Minimum of 16 GB memory 5. Minimum of 300GB hard drive vii. Administrative transfer services viii. Technical transfer services ix. Application Converters for integration to VA systems x. Vendor must supply a turn-key Badge Configuration Unit (BCU) that includes a laptop, wireless access point, connection cables, and Administration rights. e. Licensing i. 600 peak users ii. 350 Messaging License iii. Application integration License for 72 beds (Nurse Call, Telemetry, Wander Alert, PRN Effectiveness, STAT orders) iv. Application integration into TempTrak f. Technical Support i. Support for 338 voice/ 326 messaging License (Technical Support) ii. Support for Applications of 72 bed license (Technical Support) VOCERA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT LOCATIONS a. Locations for deployment in 45 departments, encompassing 809,775 sq feet of space at the main campus of the Lebanon VAMC. i. Nursing (Patient Care Services) 1-2B 1-3A 1-3B 1-4A 1-4B 1-5B Cancer Care CLC Ancillary Emergency Department ICU Medicine Specialty Operating Room PACU/ASU Primary Care outpatient Primary Care Specialty Resource/Float Surgical Specialty Vaccine Clinic Nutrition and Food Service Optometry Orthopedics Pharmacy Patient Mobility Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy Podiatry Primary Care Physicians Recreation Therapy Residents/Students Respiratory Therapy Safety Environmental Management Service Sterile Processing Service Urology Vascular HRO Ambassadors/Patient Advocates Anesthesia Biomedical Engineering/Health Technology Management (HTM) Chaplain Dental ENT Gynecology Hospitalists Laboratory Logistics Police/Dispatchers 5. DEPLOYMENT DELIVERABLES Contractor will facilitate a design kickoff with key stakeholders, including POC and key clinical staff. b. Contractor will conduct a series of call flow design and messaging design sessions and develop the clinical design specification for departments. These sessions will develop clinical roles, groups, forwarding, naming conventions and permanent and temporary group parameters. c. Contractor will educate alternate administrators of the system on how to add/modify any additional distribution lists, quick responses, and alert templates. d. Contractor will facilitate a series of workflow design sessions to develop the integrated clinical design specifying the alarms that will be delivered to the communication system, the routing of selected alarms to the appropriate caregiver, the escalation of alert notifications and alert enunciation and presentation on the communication system. Third party systems integrations are required for Rauland, Philips, VistA, Stanley Healthcare, Getwellnetwork, VistA, and Active Directory. e. Contractor will develop and deliver tailored training at the point of use, focusing on the best practices for using and maintaining Vocera. This includes both Train the Trainer courses for superusers and department specific training to all employees utilizing the communication system. 6. POST INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS a. The contractor must provide a full time (40hr/week times 52 weeks) Systems Administrator to provide support services. This work is inclusive of travel expenses. The Systems Administrator must be willing to flex schedule for trainings and support, allowing for contact with all three work schedules (8:00am-4:30pm; 4:00pm-12:00am; and 12:00am-8:00am). Contractor will provide substitute, on-site service support when designated Administrator is on leave for period longer than five (5) consecutive workdays. Remote support is acceptable for absence less than five (5) consecutive workdays. The remote support should provide around-the-clock, (24 hours/7 days a week/365 days a year), direct access technical support to address any system problems. The remote technical support capability must include the ability to remotely access system resources and resolve issues. Contractor must also respond within eight (8) hours, for any necessary onsite repairs when needed. The On-Site System Administrator will provide the following services: Establish, update, and maintain processes for submitting data and device changes to the communication database. Add/delete/update users, groups, messaging templates and address book entries as requested by using departments. Export user, group, messaging templates and address book information for review by using departments for accuracy and currency (every three (3) months). Maintain device management data. Develop, update, and maintain processes for changes in badge ownership, ordering new equipment, troubleshooting equipment, repairing equipment, requesting and processing RMA s, reporting damage and budget trends, maintaining spares pool, coaching on replacement for budget planning, training users and leadership on device management best practices, scheduling reports and aiding with finding lost equipment Manage all software and provide proactive platform service monitoring Provide system health analysis every 6 months. Refine and improve usability of deployment call flows Provide guidance to Lebanon VAMC regarding workflow improvement Round on units to coach staff, learn workflow, uncover issues, resolve issues, and develop relationships Develop, update, and maintain processes to deliver training for new employee orientation Establish process for on-boarding of new users/employees and provide training to these employees Establish process for reviewing reports to identify and coach users experiencing less than optimal performance. Maintain training materials and make easily available to staff for self-review and refresher. Develop, update, and maintain processes to uphold at least a 10% Super User population across all departments and shifts. Provide upgrade training for changes in functionality affecting end users. Develop, update, and maintain processes for end users to report system issues Address and resolve issues regarding equipment, database, and users. Escalate issues regarding network or servers to the appropriate Customer contact. Escalate issues with the communications product to the technical support department. Track and trend issues to institute process improvements where possible to reduce issue escalations. Follow up with issue reporter to provide closed loop communication regarding status updates and resolutions. Set up scheduled reports as requested by end user unit leaders. Provide consultation to units regarding reports available. Review reports and provide consultation to end user units, network staff and other key support staff and stakeholders regarding actions needed to optimize the communication system and user performance. Develop user satisfaction survey, barring any union or other legal barriers. Conduct survey once a year to collect formal feedback and quantifiable measures of satisfaction. Facilitate user group meetings to discuss communication system issues, lessons learned and process improvements Deploy changes to communication system as approved by senior level Customer representatives. c. The Contractor must furnish a warranty for the Vocera Communication System, as follows: Conditions: Abnormal deterioration and failure of the system to meet performance requirements. Period: The Contractor must guarantee all labor, workmanship, and materials for the Vocera Communication System for a period of a minimum of one (1) year from the date of Final Acceptance with the exception for certain products and batteries. Should failure occur within the first one (1) year of the system, the Contractor must provide with shorter termed warranty period all labor and materials necessary to restore the system to the condition required for the final test and acceptance for this Contract, at no cost to the VA. The Contractor s warranty must include all costs related to troubleshooting, repair, and replacement of defective work, including costs of labor, transportation, materials, equipment and other costs as necessary to restore the system to a complete and operational state. Tie-ins: During the warranty period, additional components should be connected to the installed systems. New devices will be connected in the same manner as described in the contract and the existence of the new connections must not void this guarantee. Where software is part of the system, new information should be entered in the database to extend operation of the system. The Contractor must provide local service by factory trained personnel from an authorized distributor/reseller of the equipment. The dealer must have available stock or have parts readily available of the manufacturer s standard parts for the primary system components and devices. The inventory of spare parts requirement is assuming availability of components through a dealer network and/or obtained from respective manufacturers within the required time frame. The Contractor must correct any software or firmware defects identified during the Warranty period without additional cost to the VA. The Contractor should furnish training for the Vocera Communication System, as follows: Clinical training must cover all end-user features of the software application. Follow up training by the System Administrator will continue on a recurring basis as new staff are oriented to the system. Technical training must be provided to all shifts (8am-4:30pm; 4pm-12midnight; and 12midnight to 8am) to the VA. Technical training must cover review of hardware (including troubleshooting tips for repair), end-user features of the software application and administrative features of the software application (including troubleshooting tips to repair software). The Contractor should offer an extended service and maintenance program from the Manufacturer to the VA for future years of operability. The VA must inform the Contractor of the acceptance or rejection of the program at the time of Final Acceptance. The Contractor should warrant that all work furnished under this contract will be of good quality, free from faults and defects, and in conformance with the contract documents. The Contractor should implement and maintain a Quality Control System that results in correction of potential and actual problems throughout the scope of the contract performance. The Quality Control System must contain processes for corrective actions without dependence upon Government direction and must maintain records of all contractor quality control inspections and corrective actions. The contractor will provide technical biomedical training to the biomedical department as well as supply service manuals and support materials INFECTION CONTROL AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS The Contractor must adhere to all OSHA, EPA, NFPA Life Safety Codes, and all other regulatory requirements contained in Lebanon VAMC Medical Center Policies (MCPs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). MCP 138-29 Safe Practices for Working with Live Electrical Power SOP 138-1.20 Hazard Material Notification SOP 138-6.01 Lockout/Tag out Program SOP 138-1.12 Confined Space Entry Program Lebanon VAMC MCPs and SOPs outlines general safety, confined space, dust control, permits, hazardous materials handling, environmental protection and other safety and health requirements. In performance of this contract, the Contractor must follow Lebanon VAMC safety policies and standards for safe work practices and take such safety precautions as the Lebanon VAMC Safety Officer or designee may determine to be reasonably necessary to protect the lives and health of occupants of the building. The Contractor must comply with Lebanon VAMC smoking policy, which designates the entire campus as smoke-free. Patient, employee, visitor, and Contractor s personnel safety best practices must be adhered to at all times. The Contractor is responsible for the safety and health of his/her employees. The Contractor must comply with all applicable OSHA safety and health standards. The Contractor must replace all safety guards, equipment, devices, etc., removed during service or repair immediately after completion of work or when leaving a job unattended. The Contractor is responsible for identifying, providing, and maintaining all personal protective equipment (PPE) required to perform the duties outlined in the contract. Additionally, the Contractor is responsible for identifying and adhering to all applicable safety program guidelines (lockout/tag out, confined space entry, universal precautions, etc.) required to perform the work. Contractor is responsible for providing and documenting any and all required safety training and proper use of PPE to their employees. Training documentation will be provided to the POC upon request. The Contractor must be notified of any non-compliance with the provisions of the contract. The Contractor must, after receipt of such notice, immediately correct the condition and notify the POC/contracting officer in writing that the condition has been corrected. If, in the opinion of the Lebanon VAMC Safety Officer or designee the compliance condition is considered to be life threatening, he/she must instruct the Contractor to stop work until the condition has been corrected. If the Contractor fails or refuses to comply promptly, the contracting officer may issue an order halting all or any part of the work, and Contractor may be held in default. The Contractor will bear all costs associated with a stoppage of work or time spent correcting any safety hazards. VHA HEALTHCARE DIRECTIVE Flu Vaccination Program - VHA Directive 1192 requires all health care personnel (HCP) to participate in the seasonal influenza prevention program and outlines the key implementation steps. Health care personnel is defined in VHA Directive 1192 as all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, paid and unpaid, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, students, researchers, volunteers, and trainees who work in VHA locations. HCP covered by the policy are expected to receive annual influenza vaccination. Those HCP unable or unwilling to be vaccinated are required to wear a face mask throughout the influenza season. Masks are available at entrances throughout the medical center. It is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure that all contract staff are compliant with the requirements outlined in VHA Directive 1192. The contractor must maintain the following documentation: Documentation of vaccination, e.g., signed record of immunization from a health care provider or pharmacy, or a copy of medical records documenting the vaccination. Completed Health Care Personnel Influenza Vaccination Form (Attachment B of VHA Directive 1192) if unwilling or unable to receive the vaccine. The Contractor is required to submit annual certification to the POC that all contract staff performing services at VA facilities are in compliance with VHA Directive 1192. Standard Personnel Testing/Infection Control - The Contractor must provide proof of the following tests for their staff within five (5) calendar days after contract award and prior to the first duty shift to the POC and Contracting Officer. Tests must be current within the past year. TUBERCULOSIS TESTING: Contractor must provide proof of a negative reaction to PPD testing for all Contractor staff. A negative chest radiographic report for active tuberculosis must be provided in cases of positive PPD results. The PPD test must be repeated annually. RUBELLA TESTING: Contractor must provide proof of immunization for all Contractors staff for measles, mumps, rubella or a rubella titer of 1.8 or greater. If the titer is less than 1.8, a rubella immunization must be administered with follow-up documentation to the POC. OSHA REGULATION CONCERNING OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS; Contractors must provide generic self-study training for all Contractors staff; provide their own Hepatitis B vaccination series at no cost to the VA if they elect to receive it; maintain an exposure determination and control plan; maintain required records; and ensure the proper follow-up evaluation is provided following and exposure incident. Lebanon VAMC must notify the Contractor of any significant communicable disease exposures as appropriate. Contractors must adhere to current CDC/HICPAC Guidelines for Infection Control in healthcare personnel (as published in American Journal for Infection Control- AJIC 1998; 26:289-354). CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS All Contractor s employees requiring unescorted access to VA facilities and/or access to VA Technology resources (network and/or protected data) must complete a Special Agreement Check (SAC) investigation conducted by the FBI National Criminal History Check (NCHC). The following forms are required for a SAC: Fingerprints and OF306 Declaration for Federal Employment. The employee must be fingerprinted as part of the investigation. Electronic fingerprinting can be performed at the Lebanon VAMC and will be coordinated through the POC and Human Resources/PIV office. The Contractor must bear the expense of the background investigation(s), regardless of the final adjudication determination. A Bill of Collections must be generated by the VA after final adjudication determination has been received. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS A Contractor must request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order. All Contractors and third-party servicers and associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for contractors must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures. The Contractor must notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or employ. The Contracting Officer must also be notified immediately by the contractor or prior to an unfriendly termination. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE Information made available to the contractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the Contractor in performance or administration of the contract must be used only for those purposes and must not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the contractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1). SECURITY INCIDENT INVESTIGATION The term security incident means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action that breaches VA security procedures. The Contractor must immediately notify the POC and simultaneously, the designated ISO and Privacy Officer for the contract of any known or suspected security/privacy incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in system(s) to which the contractor has access. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES FOR DATA BREACH Consistent with the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 5725, a contract may require access to sensitive personal information. If so, the contractor is liable to VA for liquidated damages in the event of a data breach or privacy incident involving any SPI the contractor processes or maintains under this contract. Based on the determinations of the independent risk analysis, the contractor must be responsible for paying to the VA liquidated damages in the amount of $37.50 per affected individual to cover the cost of providing credit protection services to affected individuals consisting of the following: Notification One year of credit monitoring services consisting of automatic daily monitoring of at least 3 relevant credit bureau reports. Data breach analysis. Fraud resolution services, including writing dispute letters, initiating fraud alerts and credit freezes, to assist affected individuals to bring matters to resolution. One year of identity theft insurance with $20,000.00 coverage at $0 deductible; and Necessary legal expenses the subjects may incur to repair falsified or damaged credit records, histories, or financial affairs. TRAINING All Contractor employees requiring access to VA information and VA information systems must complete the following before being granted access to VA information and its systems: Sign and acknowledge (either manually or electronically) understanding of and responsibilities for compliance with the Contractor Rules of Behavior, Appendix E relating to access to VA information and information systems. Successfully complete the VA Cyber Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior training and annually complete required security training. Successfully complete the appropriate VA privacy training and annually complete required privacy training; and Successfully complete any additional cyber security or privacy training, as required for VA personnel with equivalent information system access [to be defined by the VA program official and provided to the contracting officer for inclusion in the solicitation document e.g., any role-based information security training required in accordance with NIST Special Publication 800-16, Information Technology Security Training Requirements. The Contractor must provide to the POC a copy of the training certificates and certification of signing the Contractor Rules of Behavior for each applicable employee within one (1) week of the initiation of the contract and annually thereafter, as required. Failure to complete the mandatory annual training and sign the Rules of Behavior annually, within the timeframe required, is grounds for suspension or termination of all physical or electronic access privileges and removal from work on the contract until such time as the training and documents are complete. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT HIPAA-Focused Training" prior to the performance of the contract and annually thereafter. Training must be completed in VA s TMS system (https://www.tms.va.gov/) or via hard copy training documents. Training certificate must be provided to the POC.
