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Contract Opportunity

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT announcement only. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposal or quote and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Responses to this Sources 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 businesses capable of providing the following:

Roman Catholic Priest Services for the Wichita VA Medical Center
*** See Statement of Work below for details ***
If this is within your capability, please respond with the information below:
Company Name
Address
Point of Contact
Phone, Fax, and Email
UEI number
GSA Contract (as applicable)
Interested firms are reminded that in accordance with FAR 4.12, prospective contractors shall complete electronic annual representations and certifications to be considered for award. In addition, FAR 4.11 states that prospective contractors shall be registered in the System for Award Management (www.SAM.gov) database. All Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) shall be verified in VetCert at https://veterans.certify.sba.gov

Point of Contact for this Sources Sought is:
veronica.flores@va.gov
(913) 946 - 1167
Department of Veterans Affairs
Network Contracting Office -15
3450 S. 4th Street Trafficway
Leavenworth, KS. 66048.Â

Statement of Work
for
Roman Catholic Priest Services

1. REQUIREMENT:
The Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas requires a contract priest to provide for the spiritual needs of Roman Catholic veterans. Spiritual needs include, but are not limited to, celebrating Mass, and providing the sacraments to the Roman Catholic patients.

2. BACKGROUND:
The Roman Catholic Priest shall provide Roman Catholic religious services on-site at the
Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center (VAMC), Wichita, Kansas. This contract will be for a base period of one year with four one-year option periods. If the contractor engages a subcontractor to fulfill contract requirements, then the contractor is responsible that any subcontractor meet the same requirement as the contractor to provide Roman Catholic religious services on site.

Site Location:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center
5500 E. Kellogg Drive
Wichita, KS 67218-1607

3. TASKS/DELIVERABLES:
A. Provide Pastoral Counseling Patient Visit- per assigned/requested/ authorized visit due to patient or family request for a Catholic Priest and documentation in CPRS (if approved, per paragraph M of this document), and any needed communication with the Chaplain Service Team.
B. Provide requested sacraments (such as Anointing of the Sick, Confession, and/or Holy Eucharist) during patient visit: per assigned/ requested/ authorized visit with a patient or family of the patient which does not entail a full pastoral counseling encounter.
C. Provide Mass Sunday mornings and major holy days - per scheduled/authorized/worship service/ceremony/Mass (this includes setting up the service, dismantling and clean up afterwards of chapel), to be documented in CPRS, and any needed communication with the Chaplain Service Team.
D. Consult with professional staff regarding the total welfare of any patient.
E. In a time of need or emergency, as determined by VA, the Contractor agrees to provide the services within this Statement of Work, and to be available during call-back hours as necessitated by the needs of the VA. It is the contractor s responsibility to provide a schedule of whom to contact for call requests at the beginning of each pay period. The contractor may, under contractor s supervision, authorize other individuals to manage the call schedule and may arrange for other priests to cover needed services. Any person acting under this contract shall be promptly reported to a member of the Chaplain Service team for record keeping. If a priest under the contractor is so requested, the chaplain on call will place that call on behalf of the patient. Call-back hours may occur at any time when a Catholic chaplain is not on duty at the facility. This may occur between 12:00am and 11:59pm on any given day.
F. The contractor shall maintain a schedule of the week s Masses and will provide this information to the Chaplaincy Service Team. On a monthly basis the contractor shall provide the Chaplain Service Team an assignment schedule notifying which priest(s) are assigned to preside at which Masses.
G. If Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) are engaged, the contractor shall advise the Wichita VAMC Chaplain Service Team on maintaining monthly schedules for the approved volunteer Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. The contractor shall advise the Wichita VAMC Chaplain Service Team on communication, training, and oversight of all Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (if used). The contractor shall advise on the training of any new such volunteers to ensure maintenance of professional standards.
H. As the reposed Eucharist in the tabernacle depletes, additional Hosts shall be consecrated either on or off site for replenishment by the contractor. The contractor shall assure proper upkeep of the tabernacle area, including any cleaning that is needed.
I. The contractor shall ensure the maintenance of all necessary Catholic supplies (hosts, wine, candles, vestments, etc.), and maintain appropriate chapel care. The contractor shall communicate with the chaplaincy team to identify and have reordered all sacramentals, reading materials etc. for veteran s worship needs. The contractor shall not be responsible for ordering and/or paying for these sacramentals or worship aids.
J. The contractor shall maintain professional standards and dialogue with veterans and VA Staff.
K. The contractor on duty for the day, if a Mass is scheduled, will conduct the Mass, will assist in set-up and take down of the chapel and will serve the altar and/or read the day s readings. These persons should be trained to do such service in a reverent manner.
L. To ensure proper care and cleanliness of the Mass linens, the contractor shall maintain the laundering and ironing of these linens.
M. Contractor shall chart in patient records only after completing required training and receiving approval from the Wichita VAMC to do so.
N. The Contractor shall ensure that all contract personnel participate in Dole VAMC-defined orientation procedures for newly assigned contract personnel to include regulation specific to the profession or class to which he belongs, and Dole VAMC and VHA policy and procedures. Contract personnel shall be required to take several small training courses, provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs, prior to starting their contract. These trainings shall be provided via the internet, on TMS, and will include facility-specific training. Contractor shall complete all mandatory privacy training required by the VA on or before individual organizational due dates.
O. Contractor shall follow safe work practices and procedures, including the use of appropriate equipment, and any required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) item.
P. Contractor shall Recognize and report unsafe and unhealthful conditions, initiating prompt corrective action within their authority, and promptly reporting work-related injuries or illnesses to supervisory personnel.
Q. Contractor shall speak courteously and respectfully to all customers. Contractor shall use a calm and even tone of voice and demonstrate positive body language. Contractor shall respond to customer requests and follows up. Contractor will greet others with a smile, acknowledge the presence of others, and use appropriate salutation. Contractor shall interact with medical center staff in a professional and courteous manner to facilitate the accomplishment of the medical center goals and mission.
4. QUALIFICATIONS:
A. Contractor must be ordained as a Catholic priest.
B. Contractor must possess endorsement from Archdiocese of the Military Service, USA to provide services at the Dole VAMC.
C. Contractor must live within one hour commuting time of the Dole VAMC while on call.
5. MONITORING PROCEDURE:
This contract will be monitored by the following procedures:
A. Time and attendance logs will be provided and completed by contractor/subcontractor for all services. Time and attendance logs will be submitted to the Chief, Chaplain Service for submission of payment.
B. The Contracting Officer Representative (COR) will have oversight of the assignment or coordination of work locations.
C. Contract performance will be monitored by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).
D. The Government reserves the right to accept or reject any Contractor provided personnel who have demonstrated problems with conduct, performance, punctuality, or similar issues.

6. CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION:
A. Unless otherwise specified, all financial, statistical, personnel and/or technical data, which is furnished, produced or otherwise available to the Contractor during the exercise of this contract are considered confidential and proprietary information and shall not be used for the purposes other than performance of work under this contract. None of the above information shall be released by the Contractor without prior written consent of the VAMC POC.
B. Contracted employee shall follow all HIPAA regulations.

7. INVOICE/BILLING:
A. Invoice requirements and supporting documentation: Supporting documentation and a properly prepared invoice must be submitted no later than the 15th workday of the following month of services rendered. If the COR refuses an invoice due to incorrect billing, subsequent changes or corrections to the monthly invoice shall be resubmitted by the vendor with a corrected invoice. In addition to information required for submission of a proper invoice in accordance with FAR 52.212-4 (g), all invoices must include:
Name and Address of Contractor
Invoice Date and Invoice Number
Contract Number and Purchase/Task Order Number
Date of Service
Total price
8. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS:
A. Contractor Personnel Security Requirements. All contractor employees who require access to the Department of Veterans Affairs computer systems shall be the subject of a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication of the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement prior to contract performance.
(1) Position Sensitivity The position sensitivity has been designated as Low Risk.
(2) Background Investigation The level of background investigation commensurate with
the required level of access is NACI.
B. Contractor Responsibilities:
(1) Background investigations must be completed using OPM/VSC background checks.
(2) The contractor shall prescreen all personnel requiring access to the computer systems to
ensure they are eligible for employment and can read, write, speak, and understand the
English Language.
C. The C&A requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required.

9. VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Language for Inclusion into Contracts, as appropriate (VA Handbook 6500.6/Appendix C):
1. GENERAL
Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security.

2. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS
a. A contractor/sub-contractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, subcontractors, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order.
b. All contractors, subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with
VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for contractors must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures.
e. The contractor or subcontractor must notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor s employ. The Contracting Officer must also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to an unfriendly termination.
3. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE
a. Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the contractor/subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1).
c. Prior to termination or completion of this contract, contractor/subcontractor must not
destroy information received from VA, or gathered/created by the contractor in the course of
performing this contract without prior written approval by the VA. Any data destruction done on
behalf of VA by a contractor/subcontractor must be done in accordance with National Archives
and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records
and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures,
applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media
Sanitization. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above
have been met must be sent to the VA Contracting Officer within 30 days of termination of the
contract.
d. The contractor/subcontractor must receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use,
disclose and dispose of VA information only in compliance with the terms of the contract and
applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and
policies. If Federal or VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies
become applicable to the VA information or information systems after execution of the
contract, or if NIST issues or updates applicable FIPS or Special Publications (SP) after
execution of this contract, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to implement the
information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies in this contract.
f. If VA determines that the contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for VA to withhold payment to the contractor or third party or terminate the contract for default or terminate for cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 12.
g. If a VHA contract is terminated for cause, the associated BAA must also be terminated and appropriate actions taken in accordance with VHA Handbook 1600.01, Business
Associate Agreements. Absent an agreement to use or disclose protected health information,
there is no business associate relationship.
j. Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the contractor/subcontractor may use and disclose VA information only in two other situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) with VA s prior written approval. The contractor/sub-contractor must refer all requests for, demands for production of, or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA contracting officer for response.
k. Notwithstanding the provision above, the contractor/subcontractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. 5705, confidentiality of medical quality assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. 7332, confidentiality of certain health records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or infection with human immunodeficiency virus. If the contractor/subcontractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above-mentioned information, that contractor/subcontractor shall immediately refer such court orders or other requests to the VA contracting officer for response.
6. SECURITY INCIDENT INVESTIGATION
a. The term security incident means an event that has, or could have, resulted in
unauthorized access to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action that breaches VA security procedures. The contractor/subcontractor shall immediately notify the COR and simultaneously, the designated ISO and Privacy Officer for the contract of any known or suspected security/privacy incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in system(s) to which the contractor/subcontractor has access.
b. To the extent known by the contractor/subcontractor, the contractor/subcontractor s notice to VA shall identify the information involved, the circumstances surrounding the incident (including to whom, how, when, and where the VA information or assets were placed at risk or compromised), and any other information that the contractor/sub-contractor considers relevant.
c. With respect to unsecured protected health information, the business associate is deemed to have discovered a data breach when the business associate knew or should have known of a breach of such information. Upon discovery, the business associate must notify the covered entity of the breach. Notifications need to be made in accordance with the
executed business associate agreement.
7. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES FOR DATA BREACH
a. Consistent with the requirements of 38 U.S.C. §5725, a contract may require access to
sensitive personal information. If so, the contractor is liable to VA for liquidated damages in the event of a data breach or privacy incident involving any SPI the contractor/ sub-contractor processes or maintains under this contract.
b. The contractor/subcontractor shall provide notice to VA of a security incident as set forth in the Security Incident Investigation section above. Upon such notification, VA must secure from a non-Department entity or the VA Office of Inspector General an independent risk analysis of the data breach to determine the level of risk associated with the data breach for the potential misuse of any sensitive personal information involved in the data breach. The term 'data breach' means the loss, theft, or other unauthorized access, or any access other than that incidental to the scope of employment, to data containing sensitive personal information, in electronic or printed form, that results in the potential compromise of the confidentiality or integrity of the data. Contractor shall fully cooperate with the entity performing the risk analysis. Failure to cooperate may be deemed a material breach and grounds for contract termination.
c. Each risk analysis shall address all relevant information concerning the data breach, including the following:
(1) Nature of the event (loss, theft, unauthorized access).
(2) Description of the event, including:
(a) date of occurrence;
(b) data elements involved, including any PII, such as full name, social security number, date of birth, home address, account number, disability code;
(3) Number of individuals affected or potentially affected;
(4) Names of individuals or groups affected or potentially affected;
(5) Ease of logical data access to the lost, stolen or improperly accessed data in light of the degree of protection for the data, e.g., unencrypted, plain text;
(6) Amount of time the data has been out of VA control;
(7) The likelihood that the sensitive personal information will or has been compromised
(made accessible to and usable by unauthorized persons);
(8) Known misuses of data containing sensitive personal information, if any;
(9) Assessment of the potential harm to the affected individuals;
(10) Data breach analysis as outlined in 6500.2 Handbook, Management of Security and
Privacy Incidents, as appropriate; and
(11) Whether credit protection services may assist record subjects in avoiding or mitigating the results of identity theft based on the sensitive personal information that may have been compromised.
d. Based on the determinations of the independent risk analysis; the contractor shall be responsible for paying to the VA liquidated damages in the amount of $ _______ per affected individual to cover the cost of providing credit protection services to affected individuals consisting of the following:
(1) Notification;
(2) One year of credit monitoring services consisting of automatic daily monitoring of at least 3 relevant credit bureau reports;
(3) Data breach analysis;
(4) Fraud resolution services, including writing dispute letters, initiating fraud alerts and
credit freezes, to assist affected individuals to bring matters to resolution;
(5) One year of identity theft insurance with $20,000.00 coverage at $0 deductible; and
(6) Necessary legal expenses the subjects may incur to repair falsified or damaged credit
records, histories, or financial affairs.

8. SECURITY CONTROLS COMPLIANCE TESTING
On a periodic basis, VA, including the Office of Inspector General, reserves the right to evaluate any or all of the security controls and privacy practices implemented by the contractor under the clauses contained within the contract. With 10 working-days notice, at the request of the government, the contractor must fully cooperate and assist in a government-sponsored security controls assessment at each location wherein VA information is processed or stored, or information systems are developed, operated, maintained, or used on behalf of VA, including those initiated by the Office of Inspector General. The government may conduct a security control assessment on shorter notice (to include unannounced assessments) as determined by VA in the event of a security incident or at any other time.

9. TRAINING
a. All contractor employees and subcontractor employees requiring access to VA information and VA information systems shall complete the following before being granted access to VA information and its systems:
(1) Sign and acknowledge (either manually or electronically) understanding of and
responsibilities for compliance with the Contractor Rules of Behavior, Appendix E relating to
access to VA information and information systems;
(2) Successfully complete the VA Cyber Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior
training and annually complete required security training;
(3) Successfully complete the appropriate VA privacy training and annually complete
required privacy training; and
(4) Successfully complete any additional cyber security or privacy training, as required for VA personnel with equivalent information system access.
b. The contractor shall provide to the contracting officer and/or the COTR a copy of the
training certificates and certification of signing the Contractor Rules of Behavior for each applicable employee within 1 week of the initiation of the contract and annually thereafter, as
required.
c. Failure to complete the mandatory annual training and sign the Rules of Behavior
annually, within the timeframe required, is grounds for suspension or termination of all physical
or electronic access privileges and removal from work on the contract until such time as the
training and documents are complete.

10. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
A. Contract Administration/Performance Monitoring: After award of contract, all inquiries and correspondence relative to the administration of the contract shall be addressed to the Contracting Officer (CO). The Contracting Officer is ___________________
B. CO Responsibilities: The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to approve changes or modify any of the requirements of this contract. The Contractor shall communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters pertaining to contract administration. Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to make commitments or issue any modification to include (but not limited to) terms affecting price, quantity, or quality of performance of this contract.
C. COR and/or designee Responsibilities: The COR and designee for this contract will be Chaplain Paul Castillo. Where the SOW is written COR, this includes designee as well.
D. The COR shall be the VA official responsible for verifying contract compliance. After contract award, any incidents of Contractor noncompliance as evidenced by the monitoring procedures shall be forwarded immediately to the Contracting Officer. The COR will be responsible for monitoring the Contractor s performance to ensure all specifications and requirements are fulfilled.
E. The COR will maintain a record-keeping system of services. The COR will review this data monthly when invoices are received and certify all invoices for payment by comparing the patient s name, contractor daily rate, and number of days documented on the VA record-keeping system with those on the invoices. Any evidence of the Contractor's non-compliance as evidenced by the monitoring procedures shall be forwarded immediately to the Contracting Officer.

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