Q505--Locum Gastroenterology (GI) Physician Services MSO-2026-

Amendment / Modification

This amendment addresses vendor questions and updates Section E.1.G.1.a and E.1.G.1.b.

• Section E.1.G.1.a and E.1.G.1.b have been updated.

• The requirement for Letters of Intent (LOIs) has been removed (see updated Section B.c.iii).

• The solicitation due date has been extended due to the removal of the LOI requirement and to accommodate the credentialing and privileging process.

• The start date is now flexible and will be updated based on the credentialing and privileging process, rather than a hard June start date.

• Patient Volume: Approximately 10 outpatient procedures per day per provider. Inpatient consults range from 5-10, with 1-10 procedures.

• Endoscopic Procedures: Daily average of 10 procedures per provider.

• Advanced GI Procedures: Not a requirement, but a desirable skill.

• Consult Mix: Predominantly inpatient care, with no specific outpatient/inpatient ratio provided.

• Call-Back Events: Approximately four per month, with an average of once per week requiring on-site attendance for urgent/emergent endoscopies.

• Credentialing Timeline: Estimated at two to three weeks.

• Physician Privileges: Active IM board certification is not required, but GI board certification is necessary. Case logs in Gastroenterology are sufficient.

• CV Submission: Personal contact information on CVs should not be redacted, as it may be used for patient review lookup.

• Caseload: Anticipated Gastroenterology caseload is 10 outpatient procedures per day, 5 days a week, 4 weeks per month.

• Anesthesia vs. Sedation: Approximately 60% of procedures require anesthesia, and 40% require moderate sedation. This may vary based on anesthesia provider availability.

• All formal communications, including requests for clarification, must be submitted in writing via email to Carlos Jaquez, Contracting Officer, at carlos.jaquez@va.gov by 2:00 PM ET on March 31, 2026. Telephone, fax, and oral questions will not be accepted.

Amendment / Modification

This amendment addresses questions and answers submitted by potential offerors regarding solicitation 36C25726Q0159.

Specifically, it clarifies the following:

• Incumbency: This is a new contract; there is no incumbent.
• Contract Value: The minimum and maximum contract values will be updated post-award to better reflect market rates for Gastroenterologists.
• Current VA Staffing: There are currently three (3) full-time VA Gastroenterologists at the Audie Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital.
• Call Rotation: Inpatient attendings will be assigned to the inpatient service for one-week intervals. The frequency will depend on the number of physicians secured, potentially ranging from every four weeks to more frequent.
• Daily Schedule: The anticipated daily schedule for locums includes both consults and procedures. The volume of procedures will vary based on the type of consult.
• Typical Procedures: Procedures include EGD (diagnostic, biopsies, banding, foreign body removal, PEG placement, bleeding treatment, dilation), flexible sigmoidoscopies, and colonoscopies (diagnostic, bleeding treatment, polypectomy, colonic decompression).
• Inpatient Rounding: Provider will be responsible for inpatient rounding.
• ERCP/EUS: These procedures are not required.

This amendment primarily provides clarification through a Questions & Answers format. The original solicitation terms and conditions remain in full force and effect, except as modified by these answers.

No changes to proposal deadlines or submission requirements are indicated. Offerors are reminded to acknowledge receipt of this amendment.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for Board Certified/Board Eligible Gastroenterology (GI) Physician Services to be provided on-site, on-call, and callback to beneficiaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) at the Audie L. Murphy VA Medical Center. The acquisition is unrestricted.

• Provision of comprehensive Gastroenterology services, including clinic appointments, inpatient consultations, and endoscopic procedures (e.g., colonoscopy, EGD).

• Services must meet or exceed national standards set by the American College of Gastroenterology and the American College of Physicians.

• Key personnel must be Board Certified/Board Eligible in Gastroenterology and possess current BLS/ACLS certifications.

• Strict adherence to VA Directives, policies, and procedures regarding patient care, medical records, privacy (HIPAA), and infection control.

• Contractor personnel must undergo credentialing and privileging by the VA.

• Specific training requirements include ACLS/BLS, Active Threat, Blood Administration, EHR, Government Ethics, Hospice and Palliative Care, Military Sexual Trauma, Moderate Sedation, Patient Abuse, Patient Rights, Patient Safety, Violence Prevention, Prevention of Workplace Harassment, Suicide Prevention, Infection Control, MRI Safety, and VA Core Values.

• Standard infection control measures (TB, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, Influenza) are required.

• Compliance with IT security and privacy regulations is mandatory.

• Contract Type: Fixed-Price (FP), Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ).

• Period of Performance: Base Year (06-01-2026 to 05-31-2027) with four (4) Option Years.

• Estimated Maximum Contract Value: $17,500,000.00.

• Guaranteed Minimum Contract Amount: $17,500.00.

• Quotes must be submitted via email to carlos.jaquez@va.gov by the closing date and time.

• Evaluation Factors: Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Price.

• Technical Capability and Past Performance are considered equal in importance to Price and equal to each other.

• Key deadlines: Questions due by March 31, 2025, 2:00 PM ET.

• NAICS Code: 621111.

• Size Standard: Not explicitly stated but implied to be for small businesses based on typical solicitations.

• Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov.

• The solicitation incorporates numerous FAR and VAAR clauses by reference.

• Key attachments include Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan, Schedule of Services, and Contractor Rules of Behavior.

Memorandum

This memorandum establishes enterprise-wide bookable hour and appointment length standards for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to improve access to care and workload equity among providers. Facilities must adhere to these standards by November 30, 2022.

• Bookable Hours Standard: A minimum of 80% of a provider's total outpatient clinically mapped time worked must be bookable for in-person, telephone, or telehealth care. Exemptions may apply.

• Provider Exceptions: Facility-level decisions for modifications to the bookable hours standard require approval by the Facility Chief of Staff using the VHA Bookable Hours Provider Exceptions LEAF Form. A point of contact for this form is due by September 9, 2022.

• Appointment Lengths: Standardized appointment length ranges are to be applied for high-volume stop codes. These are maximums, and clinics may maintain shorter lengths if effective.

• Annual Clinic Review: Confirmation of meeting standards is required through the FY22 Annual Clinic Review process, extended to November 30, 2022.

• Provider Labor Mapping: Accurate provider labor mapping and Account Level Budget Cost Center (ALBCC) assignments are crucial for successful implementation.

• SharePoint Site: Resources are available on the "Bookable Hours and Appointment Lengths Standards" SharePoint site.

• Q&A Database: A database is available for submitting questions or viewing FAQs.

• Microsoft Teams Resource Room: Available August 15-26, 2022, for live support.

• Office Hours: Five-week series with subject matter experts beginning August 31, 2022, on specific dates and times (see document for details).

• Facilities adopting Cerner Millennium Electronic Health Record have an 8-week exemption prior to go-live and a 6-month exemption post-implementation.

• Bargaining obligations with National unions have been met; local bargaining related to these standards will not occur.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Contractor Conflict of Interest Certification Statement related to Solicitation 36C25726Q0159 for Locum Gastroenterology (GI) Physician Services. It requires contractors to certify whether they have any organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) concerning the services to be provided to the South Texas Veterans Health Care System.

• Contractors must indicate by checking a box whether:
  • Key personnel listed in the solicitation have no present or planned interests or conflicts of interest.
  • None of the employees listed have had a past interest or conflict of interest.
  • OR, a statement is attached describing all relevant facts concerning any past, present, or planned interests or potential OCI.
• If an OCI statement is attached, it must concisely describe all relevant facts and may include information on how the contractor's system or actions will avoid or mitigate conflicts.
• The statement requires the name, title, signature, and date of a certifying official.
• Quoters must also provide similar statements for any consultants and subcontractors identified.

This form is critical for bidders to complete and submit with their quote. Failure to properly address potential organizational conflicts of interest as required by this statement may impact the bid's eligibility or evaluation. Bidders must carefully review their organizational relationships and potential conflicts related to this solicitation and provide the required certification or detailed statement.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a contractor certification related to compliance with the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as amended. It requires contractors to certify their adherence to laws enforced by Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Department of Labor concerning non-immigrant foreign nationals working under contract for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

• Compliance: Contractors must certify they will not knowingly employ illegal aliens or foreign nationals in violation of their U.S. admission status.
• E-Verify: Contractors must comply with "E-Verify" requirements per "Executive Order 12989" and related regulations.
• Subcontractor Certification: Contractors must obtain similar certifications from their subcontractors.
• Consequences of Non-Compliance: Failure to comply may result in the prohibition of non-compliant foreign nationals from working at contractor sites servicing VA patient referrals, and may form the basis for contract termination for breach.
• Legal Disclaimer: False certification may subject the maker to prosecution under 18 U.S.C. 1001.
• Certification Fields: Includes spaces for signature, date, typed name and title, and company name.

Bidders must understand and be prepared to complete and submit this certification. It outlines critical legal and compliance obligations related to employment eligibility for personnel working on VA contracts, particularly concerning foreign nationals. Failure to comply with these requirements can have significant consequences, including contract termination.

Other / Unclassified

This document outlines the "Contractor Rules of Behavior" for individuals performing services under contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It details the terms and conditions regarding access to and use of VA data, information systems, and sites. Key areas covered include:

• General Terms and Conditions: Emphasizes no expectation of privacy in VA systems, consent to monitoring and audits by VA personnel and law enforcement, and prohibition of unauthorized access or misuse of Federal Government systems, with potential for criminal, civil, or administrative penalties.
• General Rules of Behavior: Establishes standards for contractors, including proper account management, authorized system and data usage, restrictions on using non-VA equipment for sensitive data, prohibition of exploiting system controls, and requirements for password protection and information security (e.g., FIPS 140-2 validated encryption).
• Additional Conditions for Non-VA IT Resources: Specifies requirements for connecting to the VA network, prohibits remote access from public computers, and restricts simultaneous VA and non-VA network connections unless authorized.
• Subcontracting: States that subcontractors must adhere to the same security requirements.

This document is critical for potential bidders as it defines the security, privacy, and acceptable use policies that contractors and their personnel must adhere to when working with VA data and systems. Understanding these rules is essential for compliance and successful performance under any VA contract. It highlights the strict security protocols and potential consequences for non-compliance, which bidders should consider when assessing their capabilities and resources for this opportunity.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a worksheet for collecting past performance information from references for the Gastroenterology Physician Services opportunity. It is designed to help assess a quoter's likelihood of successfully performing on the contract.

• Factor 2 – Past Performance: Assesses relevancy, recency, and confidence/success.
• Contract Details: Requires legal name(s) of the entity, contract number(s), dates of performance, and geographic location.
• Reference Information: Asks for the name, phone number, and email of a verifier at the reference entity.
• Service Verification: Confirms if the contract involved providing the same or similar services within the last three years.
• Quality Control Plan: Description of the quoter's plan for meeting contract requirements.
• Contingency Plan: Details the plan for replacing key personnel to maintain services.

Bidders must use this worksheet to gather detailed information from their references. This information will be used to demonstrate their past performance capabilities to the government. Completing this accurately and thoroughly is crucial for the evaluation of this factor.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a fillable Schedule of Services for Locum Gastroenterology (GI) Physician Services, associated with RFQ 36C25726Q0159. It outlines the estimated quantities and types of services required over a five-year period, including a base year and four option years.

• Services: Includes on-site GI Physician services, on-call GI Physician coverage, and call-back GI Physician services.
• Locations: Services are to be performed on-site at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System.
• Time Period: Covers Base Year (04-01-2026 to 03-31-2027) through Option Year Four (04-01-2030 to 03-31-2031).
• Quantities: Estimated annual hours are provided for each service type (e.g., 9181 hours for on-site services, 3868 hours for on-call, 180 hours for call-back).
• Key Personnel: Fields are included for identifying key personnel, though no specific names or details are provided in this template.
• Costing: Columns for Unit Cost and Total Annual Cost are present, but all cost fields are currently populated with 0.0, indicating this is a template for bidders to fill in their pricing.

Bidders must use this schedule to provide their pricing for Locum GI Physician Services. It details the expected volume of services and the structure for pricing on-site, on-call, and call-back coverage. Bidders should carefully review the service descriptions and PWS (referenced within) to accurately complete the unit costs and total annual costs for each line item and option year.

Other / Unclassified

This document is a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) for Locum GI Physician Services (RFQ 36C25726Q0159). It outlines the systematic methods the government will use to evaluate the contractor's performance.

• Purpose: To detail what will be monitored, how, by whom, and how results will be documented.
• Government Roles: Defines responsibilities for the Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Officer's Representative (COR).
• Contractor Roles: Identifies placeholders for the contractor's Primary and Alternate Program Managers.
• Performance Standards: Lists specific performance requirements derived from the PWS, including clinical standards, qualifications, scope of practice, patient access, patient safety, licensing, training, and privacy/HIPAA compliance.
• Surveillance Methods: Details methods such as direct observation, periodic inspection, validated customer complaints, random sampling, and verification of contractor-provided documentation.
• Performance Ratings: Explains the CPARS rating scale (Exceptional, Very Good, Satisfactory, Marginal, Unsatisfactory).
• Documentation: Describes how performance will be documented, including the use of Contract Discrepancy Reports (CDRs) for unacceptable performance.

This QASP details how the government will measure and evaluate the contractor's performance against the contract requirements. Bidders should review the performance standards, acceptable quality levels (AQLs), and surveillance methods to understand the expected quality of service and how their performance will be assessed. This includes understanding the criteria for CPARS ratings and the process for addressing performance deficiencies via CDRs.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document announces a forthcoming solicitation for Locum Gastroenterology (GI) Physician Services to support the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at the Audie L. Murphy VA Medical Center in San Antonio, TX. The services are required for VA beneficiaries and will include on-site, on-call, and call-back duties.

• Provision of Board Certified/Board Eligible Gastroenterology Physician Services.

• Services to be provided on-site, on-call, and call back.

• The intended contract term is for one (1) base year with four (4) one-year option periods.

• Solicitation documents are anticipated to be available by the end of March or beginning of April 2026 via SAM.gov.

• Prospective quoters must obtain all amendments from SAM.gov.

• Quoters are responsible for reading the entire solicitation to understand the scope of work and terms.

• The solicitation will provide specific instructions for quote submission.

• Interested parties are encouraged to register their interest on SAM.gov.

• Questions will only be answered after the solicitation is posted and within the specified timeframe; telephone requests will not be accepted.

• This requirement is anticipated to be a 100% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-aside.

• Quotes from all capable and responsible SDVOSB sources will be considered.

• Firms must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database (https://www.sam.gov/).

• The applicable NAICS code is 621111 (Offices of Physicians, except Mental Health Specialists) with a size standard of $16 Million.

• The Product Service Code (PSC) is Q505.

• This is not a solicitation; it is a pre-solicitation notice.

• This is a new procurement; there is no incumbent contractor.

Sources Sought Announcement

This is a Sources Sought announcement, not a solicitation. Its purpose is to gather information on the capabilities of potential sources to provide Locum Gastroenterology (GI) Physician Services for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) at the Audie L. Murphy VA Medical Center in San Antonio, TX, and potentially the Kerrville VA Medical Center. The VA is conducting a market survey to determine if small business concerns (HUBZone, 8(a), SDVOSB, Woman Owned, etc.) can fulfill this requirement.

• Provision of four (4) to five (5) Board Certified/Board Eligible Gastroenterology (GI) Physician Services.

• Services must be provided on-site at VA facilities.

• Services are for beneficiaries of the VA and STVHCS.

• If a solicitation is issued, the government intends to award a Fixed Price Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract.

• The performance period is anticipated to be one (1) base year plus four (4) one-year options.

• Interested parties must submit a capability statement (Word or PDF, max 10 pages).

• The submission deadline is December 19, 2025, by 5:00 PM ET.

• Submissions should be emailed to Carlos Jaquez at carlos.jaquez@va.gov.

• Telephone inquiries will not be accepted.

• The VA is specifically looking to identify potential small business concerns.

• Firms must identify their business size under NAICS code 621111 (Office of Physicians, except Mental Health Specialists).

• Firms must provide socio-economic status and verification if claiming SDVOSB or VOSB.

• Organization Name, Address, SAM Unique Entity ID

• Point of Contact (name, title, contact details)

• Business size and socio-economic status

• Verification of SDVOSB/VOSB status if applicable

• Experience providing GI physician services to Federal, State, or private entities.

• This announcement does not obligate the government to award a contract or pay for information provided.

• No proprietary, classified, or sensitive information should be included.

• Respondents must be registered in SAM.gov.

• Monitor Contract Opportunities on SAM.gov for future solicitations.