Description
As shown below please find the following contractor questions (Q) and subsequent government answers (A) regarding the Courier Services for WTXVAHCS and surrounding CBOCs under solicitation VA-258-09-RP-0202: Q1: Dry Ice Usage: Pages 11 and 12: Roughly how many times per month / per clinic location is Dry Ice estimated to be needed? A1: Historically, less than 20 times per year. Q2: For the regular, daily scheduled runs does the courier make a stop at WTXVAHCS before heading out to the clinics (On page 12 it states The pick up / deliveries would be roundtrips)? A2: All couriers in the past have originated from CBOC cities, so round trip example would be Abilene CBOC to WTVAHCS back to Abilene. Q3: For the regular, daily scheduled runs does anything ever go from WTXVAHCS back out to the clinics? A3: These are the NON-STAT items listed on pg 12. Q4: For the regular, daily scheduled runs for Hobbs; Page 12 reads On scheduled pick up/delivery from Hobbs CBOC to WTXVAHCS will be needed by 1300: The pricing pages indicate 2 daily scheduled pick ups at Noon and 1600: Please can you clarify? A4: There will only be one schedule from Hobbs each business day. Q5: What is the latest delivery time into WTXVAHCS for the scheduled runs? A5: Lab is open 24/7 so if there are unexpected delays, we will always have staff on site to receive the delivery. Q6: Is WTXVAHCS / WTVAHCS the same location? A6: YES. Q7: How often is the On Demand service required? A7: No On-Demand services listed per say required by the SOW. Q8: For On Demand service, where are the pick up and delivery locations? A8: Historically, from WTVAHCS, delivered to CBOCs. Q9: For On Demand service what range of service is required (Page 12 mentions Non-STAT deliveries) and what are the expected delivery timeframes for these service types? A9: Non-STAT deliveries should be the last stop of the roundtrip. Q10: If there are several On-Demand service types, how are these priced (There is only 1 On Demand price section in the pricing pages)? A10: These are the NON-STAT deliveries from WTVAHCS to CBOCs. Q11: Page 12, section 3.d: Can you provide further details? A11: Disregard, remove from the SOW. Q12: Page 13, section 3.e states that On demand orders can also be placed after hours: The pricing pages note that service will be provided 9am to 8pm (Monday-Friday) as well as page 16 Working Hours notes that working hours are 8:00am to 8:00pm: Please clarify. A12: After hours at this facility is considered 1630. Page 16; Working Hours: Can you please explain what bearing this has on the contract? A: This does not affect the contract as lab is staffed 24/7 to receive deliveries. Q13: Can you please provide the existing price for the Hobbs CBOC pick up? A13: $19,836/yr. Q14: Can you please provide the existing price for the Abilene CBOC pick up? A14: $19,314/yr. Q15: Can you please provide the existing price for the San Angelo CBOC pick up? A15: $18,966/yr. Q16: Can you please provide the existing price for the Odessa CBOC pick up? A16: $11,310/yr. Q17: Can you please provide the existing price for the On Demand service? A17: Please refer to answer from question 7. Q18: Is the existing service the VA receiving the same as what is outlined in this RFP? A18: Abilene, San Angelo and Odessa CBOCs routes have increased from 1 to 2 trips per day; Hobbs CBOC remains unchanged. Q19: How late is the medical center open to receive deliveries from the CBOCs 8pm? A19: The Big Spring Hospital is open 24/7. The Laboratory is open 24/7 also. A19: The CBOCs are open until 1630 Monday through Friday only A19: The CBOCs are closed Saturday and Sundays as well as on Holidays. Q20: Para 3c. Will the government consider establishing a pickup window of time for the CBOCs (i.e.1200 and 1600 plus or minus 30 minutes)? A20: No. They are open until 1630 Monday through Friday and they will wait for the last pick-up. Q21: Para 2a. Can you provide an estimate on the number of times per year that dry ice will be required? A21: Probably less than 20 a year. Q22: Para 2.2 Hazardous Material Training for drivers says proof of training shall be provided within the solicitation period. The Training paragraph later in the same section states, Proof of training shall be provided within 30 days of contract award. Which statement is correct? A22: Proof of training shall be provided within 30 days of contract award. Q23: Para 3a and Para 12. The number of trips required 260 (x 2 = 520) implies that pickup and deliveries will be required on Federal Holidays (52 weeks x 5 days = 260, with no exclusions for 10 federal holidays)? If pickups and deliveries are not required on the ten federal holidays then should the number be 250 (x 2 = 500)? A23: Holidays are excluded. CBOCs are not open on holidays. Q24: Under the PRICE/COST SCHEDULE - Should the base year trip calculations reflect the shortened base year (no October or November)? We interpret the adjustment to be 43 days (Oct 22 days & Nov 21 days). If this is correct the revised trips would read 434 trips each for Abilene, Odessa, and San Angelo. Hobbs would read 217. There are no deductions for Federal Holidays in these numbers. A24: Deductions should be considered for Holidays since the CBOCs are not open on those days. Q25: Price / Cost Schedule we assume you need both a unit price (cost per trip) and an extended price (i.e. cost per 520 trips) is that correct? A25: Yes, we need both. Q26: Para 3b. Can you provide some additional details for the requirement of non-STAT deliveries outlined in Para 3b? This requirement, as stated, is in addition to the scheduled trips to the CBOCs yet there is not a separate corresponding line item in the pricing schedule. Is it your intent that we provide a distribution type person or will these requirements all be called-in and paid for as needed using the same methodology as in Para 3d. A26: No, no call-in just scheduled trips. Q27: Para 3d Courier Services As Needed. Should we provide a discount percentage from our normal pricing by simply stating our discount percentage in the pricing volume? A27: Yes.