THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation for bids, proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement. The responses received from interested contractors will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office (NCO) 20, is conducting market research to identify potential sources which can provide the following services at the Portland Oregon VAMC: Temporary Hire of Radiation Safety Officer SPECIFIC TASKS: 4.1 The Contractor services shall report to the Medical Center Safety Officer 4.2 The Contractor shall have the knowledge and skills to maintain expertise in all manners related to being the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) of a broad scope medical permittee of the VA s NRC master material license. 4.3 The Contractor shall administer a radiation safety program for a broad scope medical permittee that may include materials subject to increased controls; 4.4 The Contractor shall perform surveys for radiation levels and fixed contamination at required intervals and in special situations such as incidents, room close out or decommissioning; 4.5 The Contractor shall administer a personnel dosimetry program insuring that dosimeters are delivered and picked up in a timely manner and that exposure results are evaluated, communicated and that any necessary notification and corrective actions is carried out; 4.6 The Contractor shall perform audits and reviews of nuclear medicine at a quarterly interval that examine compliance with license conditions. Performing audits and reviews of research at semi-annual intervals that examine compliance with license conditions. Preparing an agenda for quarterly Radiation Safety Committee meetings, making reports as required (including those required by DUSHOM), maintaining a tracking matrix, and writing minutes; 4.7 The Contractor shall review for compliance with regulations, minimally at quarterly intervals, all nuclear medicine studies requiring a written directive; 4.8 The Contractor shall accept, survey and deliver research radioactive materials packages; Maintain the storage of radioactive material being held for decay in storage or awaiting shipment for burial to include pick up, disposal by decay in storage, inventory, and survey; 4.9 The Contractor shall perform exposure rate and count rate calibrations of radiation survey meters; 4.10 The Contractor shall respond to and provide technical expertise to radiological emergencies such as a dirty bomb. Inventory sealed sources at a quarterly interval and leak test them at intervals not to exceed 6 months; 4.11 The Contractor shall provide instruction and develop training modules for radiation workers and personnel who work in areas where radiation may be used; 4.12 The Contractor shall oversee the radiation safety requirements for hospitalized NaI-131 therapy patients including room preparation, staff and patient instructions, exposure monitoring, advising on patient discharge and room release for the next patient; 5. QUALIFICATIONS. 5.1 The Contractor shall be approved by the VA National Health Physics Program (NHPP) to act as the RSO for the PVAMC radioactive materials permit. 5.2. The Contractor shall dress professionally at all times in no less than business casual and carry out all interactions with the utmost professionalism. 5.3 The Contractor shall be aware of other departments at Portland VAMC. 5.4 The Contractor assigned to perform services covered by this contract shall be a US Citizen. 5.5 The Contractor shall follow all local, state, and federal regulations involving oversight of the Radiation Safety Program at the Portland VA Medical Center. 6. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: 6.1 Portland VA Medical Center 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road Portland, OR 97239 7. HOURS OF OPERATION: 7.1 The contractor will be on duty Monday through Friday from 8AM 4:30PM. This will include a 30 minute unpaid lunch break and two paid 15 minute breaks that will be coordinated with supervising VA staff. 8. FEDERAL HOLIDAYS: Federal Holidays: are those holidays observed by the United States Government: i.e., New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a Federal Holiday. 9. PERFORMANCE MONITORING: 9.1 The tasks as well as the deliverables for this project are well defined and can, therefore, be easily monitored by the Government POC and reported to the Chief, Business Office. 9.2 The Contractor shall be monitored through a variety of mechanisms including: 9.3 Contractor shall adhere to Portland VA Medical Center-by-laws, policies and procedures relative to patient rights, patient confidentiality, safety, and environment of care, administrative practices, and medical record documentation. Contractor shall be evaluated using the following data: Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) during the first 90 days of employment. Use of information system report to determine timeliness of documentation, signing of reports, and responsiveness to phone inquiries. Feedback from patients, staff, peers or any source relative to level of service provided. Outcomes will be compared to expected outcomes and Portland VAMC level of quality for similar cases. Customers Satisfaction Timeliness and adequacy of documentation 10. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS. 10.1 All contractor employees are subject to the same level of investigation as VA employees who have access to VA sensitive information or access to VA facilities. The background investigation includes the following requirements: 1) Completed documentation 2) Fingerprints 3) Completion of OPM s e-QIP Questionnaire. The Contractor is required to fulfill all of the security requirements. The Contractor, upon completion of fingerprinting, and an initial suitability determination, may be authorized tentative access to start the performance period of the contract, but only on condition of completion of all security requirements. This requirement is applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. The contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations. If the investigation is conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) through the VA, the contractor shall reimburse the VA within 30 days. 10.2 A background investigation will be required. The Contractor shall be able (and shall become) certified by the PVAMC as trustworthy and reliable for the purpose of unescorted access to materials deemed by the NRC as subject to increased controls. 11. CONFIDENTIALITY OF PATIENT RECORDS: The Parties agree to hold all individually identifiable health information as that term is defined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and regulations promulgated there under (collectively, HIPAA ) that is shared with, transferred or transmitted to, or otherwise obtained by the Contractor on or from or on behalf of the VA in the course of the Contractor s providing the services under this Agreement ( Protected Health Information ) strictly confidential, and provide protections to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of such information, including, but not limited to the protection required by applicable federal, state and local laws and/or regulations regarding the security and the confidentiality of patient health care information including, but not limited to, HIPAA. Specifically, the Contractor agrees to the following: To maintain safeguards as necessary to ensure that the Protected Health Information is not used or disclosed except as required to perform its obligations under the Agreement, as expressly permitted herein or as required or permitted by law; To ensure that any subcontracts or agents to whom it provides Protected Health Information agree to the same restrictions and conditions that apply with respect to such information; To make available its internal practices, books and records relating to the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information to the Department of Health and Human Services or its agents as required by HIPAA; To incorporate any amendments or corrections to Protected Health Information when notified by the VA that the information is inaccurate or incomplete; At termination of this Agreement, if feasible, to return or destroy all Protected Health Information that it still maintains in any form and not to retain any such Protected Health Information in any form; To ensure that, as to any Protected Health Information held by the Contractor, Contractor policies are in place to allow access to that Protected Health Information by the subject of that information as required by HIPAA; and To report to the VA any use or disclosure of Protected Health Information which is not allowed under the terms of the Agreement. If at any time after the effective date of this Agreement it is determined that either party is in breach of this Section, the other party, in its sole discretion, may immediately terminate this Agreement. 12. EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES: 12.1 The VA will render emergency health services for an incapacitating injury or otherwise serious illness occurring while on duty. Medical expenses for treatment are billed to contractor s medical insurance. Lost services caused by injury or sickness of the Contractor s employee, unless replaced with another employee, will not be invoiced by the Contractor. The Contractor will furnish the VA with the necessary injury/illness form(s) for reporting purposes. The VA, for statistical and/or billing purposes, will retain a copy of the complete form(s). 13. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY AND SERVICES: 13.1 The Contractor shall be provided a computer with all the essential needs to maintain the Radiation Safety Officer Program. This individual will also need a phone, and an office space with basic items to conduct daily business. Appropriate keys to access areas to the office and Research will be needed as well. Potential candidates having the capabilities necessary to provide the above stated services are invited to respond to this Sources Sought Notice via e-mail to Laura Davis at
[email protected] no later than July 10th, 2018 6AM PDT. No telephone inquiries will be accepted. RESPONSES SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: company name, address, and business size; point of contact name, phone number, and e-mail address; whether service is presently offered on a current GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract. NAICS Code 561320 is applicable to determine business size standard. Any questions or concerns may also be directed to Laura Davis via e-mail. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This Sources Sought Notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. The Government will treat any information received as proprietary and will not share such information with other companies. Any organization responding to this Sources Sought Notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. The Government may or may not issue a solicitation as a result of this announcement. There is no solicitation available at this time.