Sources Sought: Optometrist Services to be provided at the Woodrow Wilson Keeble Memorial Health Care Center, Sisseton, SD.

Sources Sought: Optometry Services to be provided for 12 months at the Woodrow Wilson Keeble Memorial Health Care Center (WWKMHCC), Sisseton, SD. Sources Sought Notice Number: IHS-SS-26-1525158 This Sources Sought Notice is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation or commitment by the Indian Health Service. This notice is intended strictly for market research to determine the availability of Indian Small Businesses Economic Enterprise (ISBEE), Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE), or Other Small Businesses. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. The anticipated applicable NAICS code for this acquisition is 621320 Offices of Optometrists. 1.0 BACKGROUND The IHS is an agency within the Department of Health & Human Services and is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Indian Health Service provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 567 federally recognized tribes, in 35 states. The Indian Health Service Headquarters is located in Rockville, MD and then divided into twelve (12) physical areas: Alaska, Albuquerque, Bemidji, Billings, California, Great Plains, Nashville, Navajo, Oklahoma, Phoenix, Portland, and Tucson. The Great Plains Area Office (GPAO) works in conjunction with 19 Indian Health Service Units and Tribal Managed Service Units to provide health care to approximately 130,000 Native American located in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. WWKMHCC falls under the GPAO and provides medical care to approximately 7,000 tribal members living on the Lake Traverse Reservation. The Service Unit was built in 2007 to provide an expanded level of outpatient health care services specifically designed to meet the needs of our population. Services include: Behavioral Health, Community Health, Dental, Laboratory, Nutrition Services, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Public Health Nursing, Purchased & Referred Care Services, and Radiology. 2.0 OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this project is to provide uninterrupted Optometry services to the Optometry Department at WWKMMHCC. The Contractor shall utilize up to two (2) contract optometrists to deliver services that are compatible with the facilities, equipment, and operating capacity of the Indian Health Service (IHS) Medical Service Unit. The scope of care shall be equivalent to that typically provided in a rural civilian practice of similar size. 3.0 SCOPE Upon award, the Contractor shall locate, credential, and have available sufficient staffing to provide optometrist(s) coverage at the Service Unit during periods of permanent staffing absences. The Contractor(s) shall provide a full orientation of this scope of work to the Contract Optometrist prior to submitting the confirmation service agreement. The contract resulting from this solicitation shall: Be a non-personal health care services contract under which the Contractor is an independent contractor. Allow the Government to evaluate the quality of professional and administrative services provided, but retains no control over the medical, professional aspects of the services rendered (e.g., professional judgments, diagnosis for specific medical treatment). Require the Contractor to indemnify the Government for any liability producing act or omission by the Contractor, its employees and agents occurring during contract performance. Require the Contractor to maintain medical liability insurance, in the coverage amount acceptable to the Contracting Officer, which is not less than the amount normally prevailing within the local community for the medical specialty concerned. Require the Contractor to assume sole and exclusive responsibility for employee federal taxes, social security, unemployment insurance, and workman s compensation. Require the Contractor to provide daily compensation and travel reimbursements to each Contract Optometrist as appropriate. CONFLICT OF INTEREST. The Contractor shall not employ any person who is an employee of the United States Government if the employment of that person would create a conflict of interest. The Contractor shall not employ any person who is an employee of Health and Human Services (HHS) unless such a person seeks and receives approval in accordance with the Department of HHS. CONTINUITY OF SERVICES. The Contract Optometrist s services are considered vital to the Government and must be continued with minimal interruption. In order to minimize interrupted services, the Contractor shall exercise best efforts and cooperation to provide coverage during periods of permanent staff absences. In the event the Contractor is unable to fulfill the requirements for whatever reason; the government reserves the right to fulfill its need outside of this contract. A written confirmation from the contractor indicating the inability to fulfill the request is immediately required. The government s right to fulfill its need outside this contract(s) does not waive its right to the issuance of a cure notice nor does it waive its right to terminate. 4.0 CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS/ AND PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall possess the following: Ability to provide qualified Optometrist coverage within a timely manner (see CANDIDATE PRESENTATION); Ability to assist Contract Optometrists with completion of background investigation paperwork and credentialing in a timely manner to meet the established deadlines (see CANDIDATE PRESENTATION, PRIVILEGING REQUIREMENTS and CHARACTER INVESTIGATION - CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENT); Ability to provide clinically competent Contract Optometrists who can interact with patients and clinical staff in a customer friendly and culturally sensitive manner. Ability to provide Contract Optometrists who possess Electronic Health Record (EHR) experience. CONTRACT OPTOMETRIST REQUIREMENTS COMPUTER SKILLS. Computer efficiency is required with documentation completed using the Computerized EHR. ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT. The Contract Optometrists shall read, understand, speak and write English fluently, and communicate with sufficient clarity to be understood by personnel and patients. HEALTH REQUIREMENTS. The Contract Optometrists shall not have any work or health restrictions which interfere with the performance of their services. The Contract Optometrists shall provide proof of current immunizations status, including Hep B, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, Influenza, COVID, current PPD within the past year, and if positive, a chest x-ray confirming no active disease and review of symptoms. The list of immunizations must be submitted and reviewed by the Infection Preventionist/Employee Health Nurse prior to working. QUALIFICATIONS. Contract Optometrist shall Have a Doctor of Optometry degree from an educational program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) at the time the degree was obtained; Possess a current, active, unrestricted license to practice optometry from any of the 50 Unites States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia or a territory of the United States; Maintain continuing education/certification, and have a current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification; Have a one-year completion of a residency program in an institution accredited for such training; or one year of professional experience as an optometrist in the last 24 months; Must meet all credentialing and background investigation requirements (see PRIVILEGING REQUIREMENTS and CHARACTER INVESTIGATION). 5.0 TYPE OF ORDER The award for this service will be a firm fixed price non-personal service purchase order. 6.0 ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Period of Performance: 12 months from date of award 7.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Woodrow Wilson Keeble Memorial Health Care Center, Indian Health Service, 100 Lake Traverse Drive, Sisseton, SD. 8.0 REPORT(S)/DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE WORK SCHEDULE. Work shifts will typically be eight (8) hours and will be worked between the hours of 8:00am and 4:30pm with a one-half hour lunch break. The Contract Optometrist will provide care Monday through Friday, excluding government holidays. GOVERNMENT HOLIDAYS New Year s Day January 1 Martin Luther King s Birthday Third Monday in January President s Day Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Independence Day July 4 Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday October Veteran s Day November 11 Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday November Christmas Day December 25 The typical work week will be 40-45 hours per week. Work hours will be scheduled by the Optometrist Supervisor or designee to correspond to the needs of the facility and are subject to change. Up to thirty…