The Department of Veterans Affairs is issuing this sources sought synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify any vendor interested in providing service for Glucose Management System software to include maintenance, software updates (software updates are improvements or bug fixes to existing software purchased by Hines VAMC), software upgrades, technical support, and use/lease of licenses as defined herein. Minimum of 23 ICU beds require software. Location Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, 5000 South 5th Avenue, Hines, IL 60141-5000. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 541511 Custom Computer Programming Services. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME. This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals; submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. Please send all information to Michelle.Klug2@va.gov by May 9th,2024 by 10:00 AM CST. SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK 1. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES. Contractor shall continue to provide Glucose Management System software to include maintenance, software updates (software updates are improvements or bug fixes to existing software purchased by Hines VAMC), software upgrades, technical support, and use/lease of licenses as defined herein. Minimum of 23 ICU beds require software. 36C25219P0145 Overview: The Glucose Management System is a comprehensive clinical approach for controlling blood glucose levels for critically ill patients in hospitals. The system primarily applies to patients receiving continuous nutrition and receiving insulin intravenously. This system is applicable to any patient with elevated blood glucose, with or without diabetes. Purpose: Hyperglycemia is a common problem in patients in the ICU s, leading to increased morbidity and mortality, increased length of stay and increased cost. The challenge of controlling blood glucose for critically ill patients is adapting the dosing to the patient s changing response to insulin, the adverse effect of high blood glucose on the immune system, and the risk of low blood glucose causing harm to the patient. We presently have a complex insulin drip protocol that we use at Hines to achieve glucose control, but have had significant problems with achieving glucose control in a timely manner and is associated with significant episodes of hypoglycemia which can be harmful to patients. The Glucose Management System is a computer program that automatically adjusts the insulin drip dosing hourly to achieve glycemic control more rapidly with far fewer instances of hypoglycemia. This has been proven to improve patient safety, decrease morbidity and mortality in the ICU, reduce hospital acquired infections, reduce acute renal failure, quicker conversion to subcutaneous insulin as well as decrease length of stay and costs. A number of studies have shown that there is actual cost savings associated with institution of a policy of good glycemic control in hospitalized patients. This is because the incremental cost of intensive glycemic management is more than offset by savings due to decreased time in ICU, decreased time on ventilators, decreased use of other resources such as antibiotics, dialysis, blood transfusions, and decreased hospital length of stay. The Contractor shall submit with his/her signed quote the following information in order to be given full consideration for award. Manufacturer s name of software - include version etc. Copies of brochures and/or literature as well as a detailed description of software capabilities. Complete list of items included. * Note: This contract shall include the use of the software as well as the maintenance and upgrades as noted in the Overview above and as further defined below. This agreement or any resulting contract shall not include any other equipment, accessories and/or additional features which may be available from the contractor. Services to be provided by the Contractor shall include the following: License for use at up to 23 client workstations for each solution and at nurse station workstation Ongoing Software Maintenance Application Service and Support System Upgrades Contractor shall provide initial training on the use of the glucose management system to VA staff and also provide training material for staff needing training thereafter. Telephone support shall be provided at no additional cost Compatible with VA provided server as per the following Specifications: Software shall meet the following VA furnished server and workstation specifications: Minimum hardware required is Wyse Thin Client running Windows CE (and allied Citrix servers) or PC with 256 MB RAM, 10 GB hard drive, Windows 2000 or newer, except at nurse s station for the EndoTool Home PC should be 30 GB hard drive and Windows XP Pro and Windows 7. EndoTool does not require dedicated hardware and can co-exist with other software. EndoTool database to be installed as SQL database on a hospital server running Microsoft SQL 2000 or newer. 1.1. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE. Contractor shall furnish all necessary services, including parts and labor (remote and/or on site as needed), to maintain the System in good working condition for the consideration set forth in the Supplies/Services and Prices/Costs Section of this solicitation. Contractor shall respond to all service calls as further defined in Paragraph 1.3. This contract shall include but not be HOURS OF COVERAGE. The period of coverage 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday (excluding federal holidays) for all on- site services which may be required. In addition, the contractor shall respond via phone and/or other acceptable electronic communication within one (1) hour after notification to the Contractor s technical support department during normal working hours. Notwithstanding, Technical Support shall also be available 24/7 at . Federal Holidays observed by the VAMC are: New Year s Day January 1st Martin Luther King s Birthday Third Monday in January President s Day Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Juneteenth June 19th Independence Day July 4th Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Veterans Day November 11th Thanksgiving Day 4th Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25th 2. SERVICE DELIVERY SUMMARY. Performance Objective SOW Para Performance Threshold Operational Up-Time System is in proper working order and maintained according to manufacturer recommendations. 1.1. and 1.3. The system is operable and available 95% of normal operating hours. 3. GENERAL INFORMATION. QUALITY ASSURANCE. The government shall periodically evaluate the contractor s performance in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. GOVERNMENT REMEDIES. The contracting officer shall follow the requirements of FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions for Commercial Items, for contractor s failure to correct nonconforming services. QUARTERLY REPORT REQUIREMENT. The Contractor shall provide a quarterly report of glucose value for each patient by unit for each month with range in mg/dl. The report should include raw numbers for each patient or summary of the mean, median, standard deviation, total number of patients. The report must be provided to the COR, Philip Chiaramonte. ON-SITE SERVICES. The Contractor shall be required to contact Philip Chiaramonte, COR, or designated alternate at the Hines VA Hospital at the conclusion of work performed on the system if required on site. This checks in/out is mandatory. When the service is completed, the Field Service Engineer (FSE) shall document services rendered on a legible report document and submit the report documents as requested to the COR. ALL reports shall be submitted to the equipment user for an acceptance signature and to the COR for an authorization signature . If the COR is unavailable, a signed, authorized copy of the report shall be sent to the Contractor after the work can be reviewed (if requested or noted on the ESR). Contact persons: PAYMENT. Invoices shall be paid in arrears. Invoices must include, at a minimum, the following information: Contract no., Purchase Order No., brief description of service, and location. ADDITIONAL CHARGES. There shall be no additional charge for time spent at the site (during, or after the normal hours of coverage) awaiting the arrival of additional FSE and/or delivery of parts. COMPETENCY OF PERSONNEL SERVICING EQUIPMENT. Each respondent must have an established business, with an office and staff. The staff includes a "fully qualified" FSE and a "fully qualified" FSE who shall serve as the backup. "Fully Qualified" is based upon training and on experience in the field. For training, the FSE(s) has successfully completed a formalized training program, for the equipment identified in the statement of work. For field experience, the FSE(s) has a minimum of two years of experience (except for equipment newly on the market) with respect to scheduled and unscheduled preventive and remedial maintenance, on equipment/software defined herein. The FSEs shall be authorized by the Contractor to perform the maintenance services. All work shall be performed by "Fully Qualified" competent FSEs. The Contractor shall provide written assurance of the competency of their personnel and a list of credentials of approved FSEs for each make and model the Contractor services at the VAMC. The CO may authenticate the training requirements, request training certificates or credentials from the Contractor at any time for any personnel who are servicing or installing any VAMC equipment. The CO specifically reserves the right to reject any of the Contractor's personnel and refuse them permission to work on the VAMC equipment. If subcontractor(s) are used, they must be approved by the CO; the Contractor shall submit any proposed change in subcontractor(s) to the CO for approval/disapproval. IDENTIFICATION, PARKING, SMOKING, AND VA REGULATIONS. The Contractor's employees and/or subcontractors approved by the COR shall wear visible identification at all times while on the premises of the VAMC. Identification shall include but not be limited to a company identification card, which shall include the company name, employee name, title, and a photograph of the employee. All employees of the Contractor or Subcontractor providing services to the Government must wear a company uniform identified with the company name and/or logo. Uniforms must be neat and clean at all times while working the VA premises and shall be approved by the COR. Possession of weapons is prohibited. Enclosed containers, including tool kits, shall be subject to search. Violations of VA regulations may result in citation answerable in the United States (Federal) District Court, not a local district, state, or municipal court. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to park in the appropriate designated parking areas. Information on parking is available from the VA Police Section. The VAMC shall not invalidate or make reimbursement for parking violations of the Contractor under any conditions. Smoking is prohibited inside any buildings at the VAMC. Possession of weapons is prohibited. Enclosed containers, including tool kits, shall be subject to search. Violations of VA regulations may result in citation answerable in the United States (Federal) District Court, not a local district, state, or municipal court. Any interior or exterior doors that must be unlocked to gain access shall be kept locked during the performance of work unless it results in the creation of a safety hazard. In those instances the Contractor is responsible to take necessary actions to maintain the same level of security prior to gaining access/performing work. Should any other devices need to be unlocked like an entry gate, those devices must be locked immediately upon entry or exit. At no time shall the Contractor allow any person into a locked area or loan keys/access cards to another person. Contractor may be held in default for failure to comply with this requirement and subject the Contractor and employees to contract and other legal remedies. Due to the nature of working at a Government facility, the Contractor's staff shall be required to sign in and out each day at a designated location determined by the COR. The Contractor agrees that none of its officers or employees shall use or reveal any research, statistical, medical, or security information, which may be obtained during the performance of the work or as a result their presence on Government premises without the written consent of the Government Smoking is prohibited inside any buildings at the VAMC. Possession of weapons is prohibited. Enclosed containers, including tool kits, shall be subject to search. Violations of VA regulations may result in citation answerable in the United States (Federal) District Court, not a local district, state, or municipal court. 3.8. PRE-WORK ORIENTATION. Contractors employees shall attend a pre-work, up to two (2) hours duration, orientation meeting at VAMC prior to the commencement of work on site. The VA shall schedule this meeting and shallinclude discussion of the following topics: Fire and Safety Infection control Disaster procedures Security Privacy Other The Contractor shall be responsible to ensure that Contractor s employees coming to the work site have attended pre-work orientation for the information required above. The Contractor shall be responsible to ensure Contractors and Sub-contractors employees providing work on this contract are: fully trained, completely competent, and approved by the VAMC to perform the required work. 3.9. DEFINITIONS/ACRONYMS: CO - Contracting Officer COR - Contracting Officer s Technical Representative IRM - Information Resources Management Maintenance. Services, which are periodic in nature and are required to maintain the Software and any equipment, which the contractor is responsible for. FSE - Field Service Engineer. A person who is authorized by the contractor to perform maintenance (corrective and/or preventive) services on the VAMC premises. VAMC - Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center G. VAH - Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital HHS/OIG: To ensure that the individuals providing services under the contract have not engaged in fraud or abuse regarding Sections 1128 and 1128A of the Social Security Act regarding federal health care programs, the contractor is required to check the Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (HHS/OIG), List of Excluded Individuals/Entities on the OIG Website (www.hhs.gov/oig) for each person providing services under this contract. Further the Contractor is required to certify in its proposal that all persons listed in the contractor s proposal have been compared against the OIG list and are NOT listed. During the performance of this contract the Contractor is prohibited from using any individual or business listed on the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities. HIPAA COMPLIANCE: Contractor must adhere to the provisions of Public Law 104-191, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the National Standards to Protect the Privacy and Security of Protected Health Information (PHI). As required by HIPAA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has promulgated rules governing the security and use and disclosure of protected health information by covered entities, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In accordance with HIPAA, the Contractor is NOT required to enter into a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with VA. INSURANCE: Worker compensation and employer's liability. Contractors are required to comply with applicable Federal and State Worker Compensation and occupational disease statutes. General Liability. Contractors are required to have Bodily Injury Liability Insurance coverage written on the comprehensive form of policy of at least $500,000 per occurrence. Property Damage Liability. Contractors are required to have Property Damage Liability insurance coverage of at least $500,000. REQUIREMENTS FOR REMOTE ACCESS The contractor shall be allowed remote access to VA computer systems in the performance of the contract. VA has stringent policies and procedures covering remote computer access therefore, the following responsibilities are outlined below. VA Responsibilities VA shall provide secure and reliable remote access to systems, applications, and information on the VA network to the contractor. VA shall provide firewall and antiviral software with updates to the contractor. VA shall provide security training to contractor s current employees and new employees as needed. After contract award, VA reserves the right to inspect contractor s facilities, installations, operations, documentation, computers, records and databases. Contractor Responsibilities The contractor shall ensure adequate LAN/Internet, data, information, and system security in accordance with VA standard operating procedures and contract terms and conditions. The contractor shall install VA provided firewall and antiviral software on all networks and/or individual computers accessing VA network. The Contractor is responsible for the installation and testing of all required patches to ensure the security of the system. Contractor shall report any security violations or attempted violations or any unanticipated threats or hazards immediately to the COR. Contractor shall house their computers in such a way that reduces the risks from environmental threats and hazards. Contractor shall protect their computers from unauthorized access, use or removal. Contractor s computers shall be configured to provide protection from malicious code and unauthorized access. All remote connections to VA network must be through Office of Cyber and Information Security (OCIS) authorized configurations and access points. Contractor s remote access sessions through the Internet or other networks must be conducted using VA s remote access Virtual Private Network (VPN) service. Upon termination or expiration of contract, contractor shall sanitize all computer equipment used in performance of this contract according to VA standards and guidelines. Contractor equipment shall also be sanitized when transferred or disposed of. Sanitization shall ensure that all confidential information is rendered totally unrecoverable. Contractor shall notify the COR immediately when their employee(s) no longer require access to VA computer systems. Contractor shall not publish or disclose in any manner details of any safeguards either designed or developed by the Contractor and/or subcontractors under this contract or otherwise provided by the VA without prior written approval by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall require that employees sign VA Computer Access Agreements, follow VA guidelines to create strong passwords, do not divulge access codes or passwords, safeguard all sensitive information, and follow all privacy requirements. The Contractor shall notify the contracting officer in writing of any subcontractors performing work under this contract that shall require remote access to VA computer systems. Contractors shall be held responsible for their subcontractors. All of the security and privacy provisions of this contract shall extend to any subcontractors. The Contractor shall adhere to the remote access requirements, and ensure that systems are properly configured, and appropriate security mechanisms and monitoring devices are up to date with best practices and technical standards. VA information including identifiable health information may not reside on contractor s systems or devices unless specifically designated and approved as appropriate under the terms of the contract. SECURITY TRAINING Due to increased emphasis on privacy and information security the contractor shall be required to complete the following: Privacy Training Contractor and their sub-contractors assigned to work under the contract are required to receive annual training on patient privacy as established by HIPAA statues. Training must meet VHA s and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Standards for Privacy of Individually-identifiable health information. Contractor shall provide documented proof of training to the contracting officer for all employees assigned work and/or having access to Protected Health Information annually. Information on fulfilling this training requirement can be found at https://www.ees-learning.net. For contractors and sub-contractors who do not have access to VHA computer systems, this requirement is met by receiving VHA National Privacy Training, other VHA approved privacy training, or contractor furnished training that meets the requirements of the HHS standards. Rules of Behavior for Automated Information Systems Contractor and their sub- contractors having access to VA Information Systems are required to annually read and sign a Rules of Behavior statement which outlines rules of behavior to VA Automated Information Systems. The Contracting Officer s Technical Representative (COR) shall provide, through the facility Information Security Officer (ISO), the Rules of Behavior to the Contractor for their facility. VA Cyber Security Awareness Training Contractor and their sub-contractors assigned to work under the contract are required to annually receive and document completion of VA training on Cyber Security. Contractor shall provide documented proof of training to the contracting officer for all employees assigned work annually. Information on fulfilling this training requirement can be found at https://www.ees-learning.net. d. As VA routinely reviews and updates policies and procedures covering contractor computer access, security requirements may change during the term of this contract and new polices and procedures may be implemented unilaterally during the term of this agreement. ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS Contracting Officer s Authority. The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to make or approve any changes in any of the requirements of this Contract, and notwithstanding any provisions contained elsewhere in this Contract and Order, the said authority remains solely within the Contracting Officer. In the event the Contractor makes any changes at the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer, the changes shall be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment shall be made in the contract price to cover any increase in costs incurred as a result thereof. Indemnification. The Contractor shall save and hold harmless and indemnify the Government against any and all liability claims, and cost of whatsoever kind and nature for injury to or death of any person or persons and for loss or damage to any Contractor property or property owned by a third party occurring in connection with or in any way incident to or arising out of the occupancy, use service, operation, or performance of work under the terms of the Contract and this Order, resulting in whole or in part from the acts or omissions of the Contractor, any subcontractor, or any employee, agent, or representative of the Contractor or subcontractor. Government s Liability. The Government shall not be liable for any injury to the Contractor's personnel or damage to the Contractor's property unless such injury or damage is due to negligence on the part of the Government and is recoverable under the Federal Torts Claims Act, or pursuant to other Federal statutory authority. d. Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA). UCITA is not applicable to the Contract or this Order. e. Software License and Maintenance/Support. Definitions. Licensee. The term licensee shall mean the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ( VA ) and is synonymous with Government. Licensor. The term licensor shall mean the software manufacturer of the computer software being acquired. The term Contractor is the company identified in Block 17a on the SF1449. If the Contractor is a reseller and not the Licensor, the Contractor remains responsible for performance under this Contract. Software. The term software shall mean the licensed computer software product(s) cited in the Schedule of Supplies (Page 2). Release or Update. The term release or update are terms that refer to a revision of software that contains defect corrections, minor enhancements or improvements of the software s functionality. This is usually designated by a change in the number to the right of the decimal point (e.g., from Version 5.3 to 5.4). An example of an update is the addition of new hardware. Version or Upgrade. The term version or upgrade are terms that refer to a revision of software that contains new or improved functionality. This is usually designated by a change in the number to the left of the decimal point (e.g., from Version 5.4 to 6). License. Grant of License and Term. See also Addendum, Performance work statement. Unless otherwise stated in the Schedule of Supplies/Services, the software license provided to the Government is a perpetual, nonexclusive license to use the software. The license authorizes the Government to use the software in processing data for other federal agencies. If the licensed software requires a password (or license key) to be operational, it shall be delivered with the software media and have no expiration date. If the Government decides to outsource or contract its services, the Government may allow the outsourcer to use the licensed software solely to provide the services on its behalf. The outsourcer shall be bound by the provisions of this Contract relating to the use of the software. If the software is for use in a networked environment, as may be reflected by the number of servers or users described in the Contract, the license grant provided by the Contractor includes the Government s use of the software in such environment. Any dispute regarding the license grant or usage limitations shall be resolved in accordance with the Disputes Clause incorporated in FAR 52.212-4(d). If the Government purchases additional licenses, the terms and conditions for those additional licenses (including technical support and upgrades) shall be the same as agreed to in this Contract, unless negotiated otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties. If for any reason the contractor is unable to complete performance under this Contract or, if following the completion of this Contract the contractor ceases to provide support for any software described in this Contract, the contractor agrees to provide to Government any proprietary software or documentation that is relevant to the work performed under this Contract. This provision applies to any data that would be necessary for the maintenance and continued development of any automated information systems, including but not limited to, system source and object codes, supporting system software and all relevant documentation and source listings. This data shall be provided to the Government at no additional price within thirty (30) calendar days following work stoppage. If the Contractor is a reseller for the computer software being acquired under this Contract, it is permissible for the actual software manufacturer (Licensor) to deliver the software directly to the Government. The Government may install the software on hardware with dual core processor chips at no additional price. Pricing of the software is per processor or per CPU and not per core . The Government may also upgrade the hardware that the software is installed on at any time at no additional price; this includes, but is not limited to, upgrading to a processor with dual core chip technology. All limitations of software usage are expressly stated in the SF 1449 and Addenda. Software Technical Support and Upgrades See also Addendum, Performance work statement. Software technical support and upgrades are included at the agreed upon price. However, if additional charges are assessed during the license period as a result of negotiated changes in the license (e.g., CPU upgrades), the license fee shall be by mutual agreement of the parties and any dispute thereof shall be resolved in accordance with the Disputes Clause incorporated herein at FAR 52.212-4(g). If the Government desires to continue software license beyond the license period identified in this Contract, the Government shall issue a separate order or contract to renew annual support and upgrade license. Conversely, if an order or contract to renew software support and upgrade license is not received, no assumption by the Contractor shall be made that license has been renewed. Unless otherwise agreed, for any new additional software that may be licensed, the Contractor shall provide for software license in the first year of the license at no additional price. The Contractor shall provide software support services, which includes periodic updates, enhancements and corrections to the software, and reasonable technical support, all of which are customarily provided by the Contractor to its customers so as to cause the software to perform according to its specifications, documentation or demonstrated claims. Any telephone support provided by Contractor shall be at no additional price. The Contractor shall provide all support services in a timely manner in accordance with the Contractor s customary practice. However, prolonged delay in resolving software problems shall be noted in the Government s various past performance records on the Contractor. (h) If the Government allows the license to lapse and subsequently wishes to reinstate the technical support and upgrade license, any reinstatement fee charged shall not exceed the amounts that would have been charged if the Government had not allowed the license to lapse. g. Disabling Software Code. The Government requires delivery of computer software that does not contain any code that will, upon the occurrence or the nonoccurrence of any event, disable the software. Such code includes but is not limited to a computer virus, restrictive key, node lock, time-out or other function, whether implemented by electronic, mechanical, or other means, which limits or hinders the use or access to any computer software based on residency on a specific hardware configuration, frequency of duration of use, or other limiting criteria. If any such code is present, the Contractor agrees to indemnify the Government for all damages suffered as a result of a disabling caused by such code, and the Contractor agrees to remove such code upon the Government s request at no extra price to the Government. Inability of the Contractor to remove the disabling software code will be considered an inexcusable delay and a material breach of the contract, and the Government may exercise its right to terminate for cause. In addition, the Government is permitted to remove the code as it deems appropriate and charge the Contractor for consideration for the time and effort in removing the code.
