NEGATIVE PRESSURE WOUND THERAPY UNIT General Requirements: The VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) located at 4500 S. Lancaster Road Dallas Texas 75216 has a requirement for the rental of negative pressure would therapy units. The length of the requirement is for a base one year period with four one year option periods. The units will be utilized on inpatients and outpatients of the VANTHCS and all units will be required to be delivered to the VANTHCS at the address listed above. Companies capable of providing these services must respond in writing to the attention of the Contracting Officer listed in this announcement (
[email protected] ) by 12:00 noon, local time, August 23, 2010. Responses must also provide their business size (large, small, 8a, hub-zone, woman-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, veteran-owned small business). This announcement is a request for information only; a solicitation will be issued at a later date. Contract award will be made to the offeror who presents the lowest priced technically acceptable proposal. Technical Requirements: Type of Units Required: The medical center primarily requires portable negative pressure wound therapy units. However, the type of unit required may change depending on the type of wound and functional status of the patient who requires wound therapy. Unit Technical Requirements: Negative pressure wound therapy units need to heal wounds by providing negative pressure. This is accomplished by providing a vacuum assisted closure system and a variety of granufoam dressings to create an environment that promotes cellular wound healing through tissue granulation. This is accomplished through forces known as macrostrain and microstrain. Macrostrain is the stretching of the tissue when negative pressure contracts the foam dressing. Microstrain is a deformation at a cellular level, which stretches the cells. This therapy promotes wound healing by removing infectious exudates, decreases edema, promoting moist wound environment that provides tissue profusion and cellular migration and proliferation. The product must maintain targeted pressure at the wound site consistently. This product should be comfortable for the patient/resident. The system should have safety features to include the capability of alerting the staff if blockage, inconsistent pressure, or any other situation that could cause harm to the patient/resident occurs. There should be trouble shooting capabilities and the equipment should be easy to use and maintain (i.e. decreased sound through adequate dressing seal, false alarms). Wound Types: The types of wounds to be treated utilizing the negative pressure wound therapies include but may not be limited to: " Staged pressure areas with measureable depth " Diabetic ulcers " Osteomyelitis " Wounds that have dehisced on abdomen, chest, etc. " Bariatric patients/residents Delivery & Pick-up: Negative pressure wound therapies shall be delivered to the medical center within two hours of request from the medical center. A list of VA ordering officials who may place orders for negative pressure wound therapy units will be provided to the contractor after award of this contract. The VA ordering official will indicate where within the medical center the negative pressure wound therapy unit will need to be delivered. All units delivered to the VANTHCS shall be clean and free of any debris. Units shall be in proper working order with all non-disposable parts and accessories included. Wires should not be frayed. Upon delivery of units VA staff accepting the units will inspect the units to ensure the unit is clean, all necessary non-disposable parts and accessories for use are included, and the unit is in proper working condition. If VA staff determine through inspection that a unit is not fit or safe for patient use the VA ordering official will notify the contractor of the issue and the contractor will be required to correct the issue within one hour of notification of the issue. When wound therapy has been discontinued on a patient one of the identified VA ordering officials will notify the contractor that the negative pressure wound therapy unit needs to be picked up. Charges for the negative pressure wound therapy unit should not be accrued beyond the time of the call notifying the contractor to pick-up the unit. All units should be removed from the VANTHCS within 24 hours of the contractor receiving notification that the unit is no longer required. Education/In-Services and Consultations: Initial training on the negative pressure wound therapy units shall be provided to VANTHCS designated staff within 10 calendar days of contract award. Multiple sessions will be required to ensure all staff who utilize the negative pressure would therapy units receive training. Refresher training will be required annually for VA staff on the anniversary date of the contract and as request by VA. Additionally, the contractor shall provide a negative pressure wound therapy "expert" who is available for consultations with VA staff. The "expert" should be able to assist with assessments and should be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.