Q301--VISN 4 Dosimetry Services

Active

Contract Opportunity

In accordance with FAR 10, Market Research, responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to the Sources Sought Notice. The purpose of this announcement is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VISN 4, 1010 Delafield Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15215, is seeking potential sources capable of providing Dosimetry Services for multiple medical centers per the Draft Performance Work Statement below.

Please include the following information in your response:
Company name
Address
Contact person name, phone number and email address
UEI #
Business size/classification/type (i.e. 8a, Hubzone, SDVOSB, VOSB, etc.)
Capability statement that indicates ability to complete performance
NAICS code-if different than provided
PSC Code-if different than provided

Responses to this Sources Sought Notice should be submitted directly via email to jefferson.mann@va.gov. Responses that only include generic marketing material and do not provide for capability to meet requirements may not be considered. Responses must be received no later than 4:00 pm ET, 05/12/2025. No solicitation document is available at this time. This notice is simply for Market Research Purposes only. The VA will not reimburse any potential contractors for any costs associated with this Sources Sought Notice.

Performance Work Statement
Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Heath Administration
Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 4
1010 Delafield Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15215
TITLE: VISN 4 Dosimetry Services

PURPOSE: To establish terms for dosimetry program as required by 10CFR20.1201, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and The Joint Commission.

Locations and Contact Information:
See Attachment A

Description of Services
The contractor shall provide dosimetry supplies, monitoring, and reporting services to Veterans Affairs Medical Centers within VISN 4 to safeguard staff from harmful radiation exposure during the course of their job performance.

Intent:
Provide required personnel dosimeters for employees located at the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers listed at Attachment A. For purposes of this contract, the terms personnel dosimeter is an individual monitoring device that requires processing to determine the radiation dose and that is used by Veteran Affairs Medical Centers to comply with 10CFR20.1201, with other applicable provisions of Title 10 Chapter 20, and with conditions specified in the license.

Statistical dosimetry reports shall be provided monthly, quarterly, and annually.

The cost of the contract should be presented in terms of the total annual cost and expressed as the cost per badge type, according to the number of each badge type. No additional charges will be incorporated or expected, with the exception of non-returned or damaged badges and holders, and emergency readings. Credit will be given for all fees assessed for lost/late badges, upon return of same.

The selected dosimetry vendor service company shall have a well-established and demonstratively successful means of providing the goods and services described in these specifications. This document contains specifications for both the dosimetry devices and the dosimetry service.

The vendor must be National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) certified. The dosimetry vendor must be able to demonstrate and provide the licensing and specific requirements listed upon request.

Terms of Contract:
This Contract is for a five-year Firm-Fixed Price Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity type Indefinite Delivery Contract (IDC) with a Period of Performance of 07/01/2025-06/31/2030.

Individual task orders will be placed against the IDC on an as needed basis.

Prior year estimates of badge requirements listed by facility at Attachment B.

The minimum guaranteed value to be ordered against the IDC will be $10,000.

The maximum order value of the IDC shall not exceed $800,000.00.

REQUIRED TASKS: The dosimetry device and service requirements are as follows:

The selected vendor shall supply necessary personnel monitoring devices of a NVLAP certified type or combination of types.

Whole Body devices (Body Badges), including fetal monitoring devices:
shall be capable for detection of beta, gamma, x-ray, and neutron-thermal/fast
Assigned Monthly devices/reported
Assigned Quarterly devices/reported
Extremity devices (Ring Badges):
shall be capable for detection of beta, gamma, and x-ray
Monthly devices/reported
Quarterly devices/reported
Form 5 Report (per person)
Prepaid Return Labels for return of dosimeter devices
Participation set up
Additional Dosimeters
Single site shipping
Multiple site shipping
Late/unreturned whole body dosimeter
Late/unreturned extremity dosimeter

Initial set up includes a holder for each body badge, and approximately 10% spare holders.
Contractor will be responsible for including historical reporting levels and information into all new reporting for this contract.

B. The devices shall be supplied according to the following specifications:

1. As required by federal law specified in 10CFR20.1501, personnel dosimeters must be processed and evaluated by a dosimetry processor--
Holding current personnel dosimetry accreditation from the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and
Approved in this accreditation process for the type of radiation or radiations included in the NVLAP program that most closely approximates the type of radiation or radiations for which the individual wearing the dosimeter is monitored.

2. Written specifications shall be provided on dosimetry devices defining: (a) Minimum detectable reported dose: whole body badges shall have minimum detectability of 1 millirem for X and gamma ray and 10 millirem for beta particle (b) Energy discrimination capabilities including accuracy, precision, and (c) Maximum range of reported dose for the various energy ranges concerned, primarily:

a. Less than 100 KeV photons
b. 100 KeV through 250 KeV photons
c. Greater than 250 KeV up to and including Cs 137, Co 60
d. Photons from a 6/18 MeV external beam linear accelerator
e. Beta radiations

3. Dosimetry devices shall be routinely delivered to the customer by the 20th calendar day of each month preceding the next monthly or quarterly exchange date. Monthly and quarterly exchange dates are the first day of any month. If the devices are not received by the 20th calendar day, the vendor shall, at no cost to the Government, ship the devices in a manner to ensure delivery by the 3rd business day after notification by the Government.

4. The delivery of dosimetry devices is required within 7 calendar days of record creation for additions of new personnel or additional badges for existing personnel, unless a rush shipment is requested. The creation of a single record shall automatically provide all individual dosimetry devices for the current month and all subsequent months. When a rush shipment is requested, the dosimetry device(s) shall be received within 3 calendar days of record creation.

5. Shipping packages shall be reusable for return of the devices to vendor. Return shipping labels shall be supplied by the vendor.

6. The dosimetry devices, including additions, shall be provided in presorted and individually packaged and labeled packages in accordance with the criteria ( account or series ) established by the Government s Radiation Safety Officer ( RSO ) at the time of setup.

7. Primary sorting and distinction will include unlimited series separation by groups of users. Series coding shall be alphanumeric.

8. Minor transactions regarding the vendor service including, but not limited to, user additions, deletions, changes, inquiries, etc., shall be between the Government s RSO or designee and the vendor.

9. Shipments shall include individual printed packing lists for each group of users. The individual packing lists shall include the numerical order of the dosimeters.

10. Dosimetry devices shall provide obvious, distinct, color coding for easy special purpose identification while being worn. Dosimeter colors shall alternate with each wear period. Above and below apron badges will also be color coded for easy identification.

11. The vendor shall provide a method for calculating and reporting Effective Dose Equivalent or Effective Dose automatically for designated badge wearers.

12. Requirement for Webster Calculations to be conducted for Cardiac Catheterization Lab employees.

13. Badges shall be identified with clearly visible printed word "Collar", Chest , or "Waist" or other clear, descriptive nomenclature, to aide in proper wear positioning.

14. The ring badge shall have at least three sizes, be waterproof, have a permanent label, and be capable of withstanding cold sterilization. The ring badges shall be color coded for alternate months.

15. Body badges shall be waterproof and have a permanent label.

C. The vendor system shall have capability such that the Government will be able to at a minimum:

Add, transfer, or delete personnel
Add additional badges to existing personnel
Review records (wearer, badge type, frequency, dose history, etc.)
Summarize results (exposure levels, ALARA, etc.)
Review exposure histories per entire account
Review exposure histories for an individual
Add lifetime cumulative dose for an individual
Add current year dose for an individual
Reactivate wearers and badges
Assign spare badges
List unreturned badges
Download data files for unreturned badges
Download data files for badge readings (exposures for specified periods)

D. The Medical Center RSO or designee shall be notified by telephone or email if any of the following occur:

NVLAP accreditation is rescinded in any of the required categories listed above.
The Contractor revises their Quality Assurance practices in such a way as to decrease the effectiveness of a NVLAP accredited program.
The Contractor modifies the dosimeter in such a way as to invalidate its NVLAP accreditation.
Any dosimeter indicates > 5000 mrem.

Additionally, the Vendor shall:

ensure that dosimeters are zeroed prior to shipment,
apply for, obtain and maintain any certifications required by governing federal, state, or local agencies
participate in performance evaluation programs required by federal, state, or local agencies,
comply with the requirements of an approved quality assurance program plan,
provide VA the current revision of the quality assurance program plan, if requested,
provide VA with sufficient QC and calibration data to assure that analytical results of dosimetry
are accurate and analyzed within the established envelope of quality, if requested,
provide the value of the Lc / MDA, in the same units as results (mrem),
provide the signature of the person responsible for the quality of the report or his/her designee and read the dosimeters on an as needed basis.

E. The vendor shall automatically provide permanent records archiving.

F. The vendor shall ensure timely response to customer inquiries by assigning a specific representative who shall be accessible during regular working hours through a toll-free phone system.

G. The vendor shall provide emergency processing of dosimetry devices when requested. This processing shall be completed within 24 hours of receipt of the device by the vendor. The RSO or designee shall be notified of the processing results by telephone or email within 24 hours of receipt of the device by the vendor.

H. Veterans Affairs Medical Centers shall not be charged for shipping costs associated with the following activities:
Duplicate shipments of dosimetry devices.
Rush shipments of dosimetry devices (2nd day delivery) associated with but not limited to, personnel additions, transfers, or provision of additional spare badges.
Priority shipments of dosimetry devices when devices are not received as specified.

I. The Veterans Affairs Medical Centers shall not be charged for the following:
Set up, transfer, deletion, or reactivation of a monitored individual.
Incorporation of results from secondary site exposure
Series or group separation (i.e., new series or account).
Complete computer system capabilities as stated including access time (Medical Center owned or vendor provided equipment).
Training of personnel to adopt vendor's service, if necessary.
Adjustment of dose record by Radiation Safety Officer.
Up to 10% extra holders per year, if requested.

J. The vendor shall invoice quarterly 30 days in-arrears through Tungsten Network.

II. Other Requirements:

No presorting of the dosimetry devices by the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers shall be required prior to returning the dosimetry devices to the vendor.

The vendor shall provide a means of tracking all unreturned dosimetry devices, including whole body and extremity badges. The periodic (monthly, quarterly) reports shall list all individuals on the account or series, whether or not the monitor was worn or returned, and indicating, where appropriate, any monitors which were issued but not worn or not returned for the period of the report.

The vendor shall automatically provide printed and electronic updates of records which have had a dose adjustment made by the RSO.

The vendor shall provide a means of maintaining current year dose and lifetime cumulative doses for individuals as requested by the RSO.

Complete dosimetry reports shall be routinely provided to the RSO. A second copy of each report, with any specified omissions such as sex, social security number, and date of birth, shall be provided upon request and issued, if requested, for shipment directly to user groups.

The dosimetry reports shall include a separate fetal dose estimate for all identified pregnant personnel. (as requested)

The average shipping time of the completed exposure reports shall not exceed 30 calendar days after receipt of the exposed dosimetry devices by the vendor.

The vendor shall automatically provide printed copy wear period, annual summary, and annual statistical summary reports for each account. These summaries shall include a listing by user groups, of every person badged at any time during the year. Other information provided for each listing shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
Group or series number.
Badge number and type.
Annual and lifetime dose.
Social security number.
Date of birth.
Sex.
Deep dose and shallow dose for each monitoring period.
Extremity dose.
Internal dose reported by Radiation Safety Officer.
Total Effective Dose Equivalent.
Data on all currently issued devices regarding late returns, unreturned, and deleted devices.
Webster calculations

The vendor shall provide individual termination summary reports for each individual removed from an account upon request.

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)
The Government intends to utilize a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) to monitor the quality of the contractor s performance. The oversight provided for in the orders and in the QASP will help to ensure that service levels reach and maintain the required levels throughout the contract term. Further, the QASP provides the POCs with a proactive way to avoid unacceptable or deficient performance and provides verifiable input for the required Past Performance Information Assessments. The QASP will be finalized immediately following award and a copy provided to the Contractor after award. The QASP is a living document and may be updated by the Government as necessary.

Attachment A
Veterans Affairs Medical Centers

1. Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs Healthcare System
University Drive C
Pittsburgh, PA 15240

2. Butler Veterans Affairs Medical Center
353 North Duffy Road
Butler, PA 16001

3. Lebanon Veterans Affairs Medical Center
1700 South Lincoln Avenue
Lebanon, PA 17042

4. Wilkes-Barre Veterans Affairs Medical Center
1111 East End Blvd
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711

5. Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Healthcare System
3900 Woodland Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Attachment B
Previous Year Total Usage by Medical Center
*Estimates Only*
Â
Quarterly
Whole Body
Monthly
Whole Body
Quarterly
Extremity
Monthly
Extremity
Form 5
Pittsburgh
1867
Â
36
Â
456
Butler
80
Â
Â
Â
17
Lebanon
635
87
79
48
162
Wilkes-Barre
Â
Â
Â
1488
120
Philadelphia
2172
7272
212
804
600
TOTAL
4754
7359
327
2340
1355

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