SAM #36C26226Q1138

VA seeks off-site medical transcription services for VISN 22 network

The Department of Veterans Affairs, NCO 22 Contracting Office, is seeking comprehensive off-site medical transcription services for all VISN 22 VA facilities. - Government Buyer: - Department of Veterans Affairs - NCO 22 Contracting Office - Scope of Services: - Remote transcription of a wide range of medical reports, including discharge summaries, operative reports, progress notes, radiology reports, and compensation and pension exams - Contractor must provide all personnel, equipment, software, management, and secure toll-free communication lines - Services must be performed entirely within the United States by U.S. citizens - Secure connectivity and interface with VA's VISTA system required - Strict turnaround times for different report types - HIPAA and VA compliance for confidentiality and security of Protected Health Information - Quality control and verification standards emphasized - Equipment Requirements: - Dictation equipment accessible via toll-free telephone lines for simultaneous dictators at each facility - Encrypted storage and secure handling of medical data - Notable Requirements: - All transcription and verification must be completed domestically - Contractor must ensure secure, VA- and HIPAA-compliant systems - Monthly invoicing in arrears; potential Blanket Purchase Agreement structure - No specific OEMs, vendors, products, or part numbers are named in the solicitation.

Description

Off-Site Medical Transcription Services This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. Responses to this source sought must be in writing. The purpose of this sources sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HubZone and other Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the services described below. Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) company name (b) address (c) point of contact (d) phone, fax, and email (e) DUNS number (f) Cage Code (g) Tax ID Number (h) Type of small business, e.g. Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran-owned Small Business, 8(a), HUBZone, Women Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, or Small Business HUBZone business and (i) must provide a capability statement that addresses the organization’s qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below. I. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE SCOPE OF WORK: The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, materials, management, labor, tools, facilities, software, transportation, communication, and all other necessary elements required for the satisfactory performance of the project titled Off-Site Medical Transcription Services, for all facilities located within the VISN 22 Veteran Affairs network. Services shall be performed by respective contractor personnel from a remote location(s) as established by the contractor. The method of communication between the customer and the contractor shall be established by the contractor, who shall be responsible for the continuity, performance, security, and maintenance of established system(s). Contractor shall submit the proposed system and all necessary guidance to the Contracting Officer, no later than 15 calendar days before implementation, for formal government acceptance. All transcription and verification must be performed in the United States of America. There are NO exceptions. Definitions/Acronyms: Contracting Officer (CO) - The representative of the VA who has the authority to enter, administer, terminate, modify, approve changes, or otherwise represent and bind the VA in all matters arising under or relating to this contract. Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) - The contracting officer may delegate one or more VA employees who will be responsible for monitoring the technical performance of the contractor. A copy of the COTR delegation shall be provided to the contractor after award. HIPAA - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. STAT - Report needs to be transcribed and uploaded quickly, generally due to a patient being admitted to the hospital or being transferred to another health care facility. Turn-Around-Time (TAT) - TAT is the difference in time between the time the author hangs up at the conclusion of dictating into the contractor’s dictation system, and the time the contractor's completed transcription arrives in the appropriate destination at VA. The VA may implement a program that automatically calculates this difference. VA records - In this solicitation, VA records include the dictated (voice) record and the transcribed report (text), as well as any paper copy or storage medium for voice or text. Visible Black Character (VBC) - A VBC is defined as strikeable and visible characters including printed letters, numbers, symbols, and punctuation marks, excluding formatting. All visible black characters can be seen with the naked eye. Under this contract, VBC is the ONLY acceptable unit of measure for billing and payment purposes. VistA - Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture. Veterans Information Systems Technology Architecture (VISTA) - The VA's proprietary computer system running on Alpha computers utilizing Windows NT and Open M (MUMPS) by InterSystems. 2. PERFORMANCE SERVICE SCHEDULE: Contractor shall provide on-demand off-site medical transcription services 24 hours daily, 365 days per year. A qualified transcriptionist shall be readily available to ensure standard and STAT turnaround times and complete tasks on time. Federal Holidays observed include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Services shall be performed accordingly, with the specified time frames always applicable. 3. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS: Dictated material shall include a high incidence of technical/medical terminology requiring knowledge of specialized vocabulary across various medical fields including, but not limited to: Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, General Medicine and Surgery, Gynecology, Hematology, Neurology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Psychiatry, Pulmonary Disease, Radiology, Urology, and Vascular Surgery. Contractor shall provide and maintain connectivity means, including a toll-free number with unlimited 24-hour access to all sites. All external communication systems must be secure, VA-compliant, and HIPAA-compliant. Equipment and software shall be configured, installed, and maintained at contractor’s expense, with information provided to site ISO and IRM upon request. Medical reports to be transcribed include discharge summaries, operative reports, history and physical reports, telephonic authorizations, examinations, pathology reports, progress notes, radiology reports, and other medical and administrative reports as required. Security and integrity of patient information shall be maintained in accordance with all applicable regulations. Violation of confidentiality may result in contract termination. Quality control procedures may be examined at any time during the contract. All activities shall adhere to VA’s Quality Management Program. The contractor shall perform functions ethically and legally, avoiding conflicts with Federal and State guidelines. Any conflicts shall be reported to the COTR or Contracting Officer for resolution. Neither VA nor the contractor shall be responsible for delays caused by events beyond their control. Services and schedules may be modified upon mutual consent. Estimated report breakdowns per facility are detailed, e.g., NMVAHCS, Albuquerque: Discharge summaries (39.5%), Compensation and Pension Exams (39.5%), etc., with similar details for other facilities. Material is dictated by clinicians with various accents, speech, tone, and enunciation, requiring contractor adaptation. The contractor shall have processes to accommodate staff and resident changes, and shall assign a Project Manager with full authority to supervise and train personnel, available during normal business hours. Services shall be performed entirely within the United States, with personnel being U.S. citizens. 4. EQUIPMENT: The contractor shall provide dictation equipment with toll-free access, with specific capacities per facility, e.g., Albuquerque NMVAHCS - 25 simultaneous dictators, Amarillo AVAHCS - 16, etc. Responsibilities include establishing, maintaining, and covering costs for toll-free lines. Equipment shall interface with VISTA, supporting batch uploads via VA VPN, and accommodate online data entry when necessary. Software for transmission to VISTA includes Microsoft Word/Windows in ASCII format, with training provided as needed. Dictation confirmation numbers shall be provided, and provisions for transcribing from tapes or disks are included, with secure mailing and data entry procedures. Storage of VA Protected Health Information shall be on encrypted PCs, with data wiped after use. 5. DELIVERY OF SERVICES: All documents shall conform to facility-specific VA formats, with changes as needed. Abbreviations are restricted, and specific turnaround times are defined for different report types, e.g., STAT reports within 2 hours, history and physicals within 4 hours, etc. Reporting requirements include status updates at specified times, delivery logs, daily transcribed report listings, and optional web-based access for monitoring. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: The contractor shall provide status updates, delivery logs, and daily reports, with options for web-based monitoring. Quality standards include random sampling, error definitions, and penalties for significant errors or upload mistakes. Turnaround time and quality issues are monitored, with discounts applied for delays or errors, and strict confidentiality and security measures are enforced. 7. QUALITY STANDARDS: Reports must meet professional quality standards. VA staff will monitor a sample of reports monthly. Significant errors include those that alter report meaning, incorrect or omitted terminology, and unauthorized abbreviations. Errors may result in payment reductions. Upload standards and privacy violations are strictly enforced, with penalties for incidents. TAT discounts apply for delays beyond specified times. Proofreading and spell checking are required, with corrections made promptly at contractor’s expense. 8. EQUIPMENT FAILURE: The contractor shall ensure uninterrupted transcription services, with prompt communication of delays or failures. Backup systems are required, and delays due to equipment failure beyond the contractor’s control shall not be penalized. The government may procure services elsewhere if necessary. 9. RETENTION: Dictation remains available for 60 days; transcribed reports are archived for 12 months and then purged. Dictation logs are retained for 12 months. All media containing VA reports shall be securely erased after 12 months, with certification of destruction. 10. INVOICING: Billing shall be monthly, in arrears, based on visible black character (VBC) counts, with detailed documentation. Each task order will have a spending limit, with monthly reports on VBC totals and remaining funds. 11. CONFIDENTIALITY: The contractor shall comply with the Privacy Act, HIPAA, FISMA, and VA policies. A Business Associate Agreement shall be executed. Confidentiality of patient data, personnel names, report contents, and other sensitive information shall be strictly maintained. Personnel shall undergo background investigations and security clearances as required. Contractor personnel shall not perform services outside the U.S., and subcontracting requires prior approval. Security requirements are detailed in VA Handbook 6500.6. 12. TRAINING: The contractor shall ensure personnel are fully trained and competent, providing start-up training, updates, and ongoing education. All personnel shall complete VA privacy and security training before access and annually thereafter. 13. HIPAA: A Business Associate Agreement shall be executed in accordance with 45 CFR 164.502(e). 14. TASK ORDERS: Each facility may issue its own task orders based on dictated reports recorded into the contractor’s system. 15. SYSTEM ACCESS: Remote access to VA systems must be through the One-VA VPN, with security requirements completed prior to access. 16. SECURITY APPENDIX CLAUSES: The contractor and personnel shall adhere to all applicable laws, regulations, standards, VA directives, and handbooks regarding information security, including VAHB 6500.6 App B and C, concerning system security and certification planning.

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