Description
The Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 11 intends to negotiate a sole source procurement with Careguide Systems to provide a standardized, pre-discharge, patient education kit based on ethnographic research, evidence based communication principles, and standards of care for twenty-five (25) Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) veteran patients. The patient education materials kit shall include a short story on heart failure, a step-by-step guide on how to control heart failure, a handout on proper nutrition, a memo board, a personal health folder and health journal, a handout regarding prescription medication dosing and scheduling, a handout about walking and chair exercises, a smoking cessation pamphlet, a heart failure record card, a loose food guide and a fast food guide, step-by-step blood pressure monitor instructions, digital scale (over 300 lbs.), twenty-eight (28) dose pill organizer, skin care lotion, two (2) cup measuring container, and a stress pocket pal. All items in this kit shall be packaged in an individual box for each veteran. All patient education materials will be written at the fourth (4th) grade reading level or lower, and shall have been tested on patients for their ability to understand the material. The purpose of this pre-discharge patient education kit is to reduce readmissions, decrease emergency room use, and reduce length of stay of CHF patients while increasing self-care abilities and quality of life. The pilot project will require a total of twenty-five (25) kits. Data will be collected and compiled by the vendor to measure the pre and post-pilot number of admissions for CHF, usage of the Emergency Room by CHF patients, and length of stay for CHF patients. The vendor will collect data and conduct a comparative analysis of pre and post-data sets. The vendor will conduct staff training at the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center for use of the CHF pre-discharge kits. Training shall cover the areas of coaching, motivational interviewing, and behavior changes, and effective use of the handout materials. The vendor will oversee the pilot project launch and provide initial operational analysis. At the completion of the pilot project, the vendor will provide logistical analysis and solutions. The Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302-1(a)(2). All FAR clauses and provisions may be reviewed and/or obtained form the General Services internet address: http://www.arnet.gov/far. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. No solicitation documents will be issued. All information shall be furnished at no cost or obligation to the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Firms that believe they can meet the VA's requirements must submit proof to the Contracting Officer no later than November 13, 2006.