On behalf of the entire VA Acquisition Workforce, it is with great pride that we announce the winners of the Achievement in Contracting Excellence (ACE) Award and Honorable mention winners for 2001!

The following is a brief synopsis of the team projects that were awarded the ACE and Honorable Mention Honors for 2001!   Congratulations go to:

VISN 11 consists of seven medical centers located in Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Detroit and Saginaw, Michigan, Indianapolis and Ft. Wayne/Marion, Indiana, and Danville, Illinois.   The Lower Michigan Acquisition Center (LMAC), located at the Detroit medical center, was tasked with the development and implementation of a complex home oxygen contract to meet the needs of veterans throughout the geographical area of VISN 11.

Dedicated team members from various disciplines were selected based on their expert knowledge to formulate clear requirements for the home oxygen solicitation and contract.   Technical evaluation factors were developed and rated by the team members.   The process was complex given the recent requirements set forth by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).   Most of the evaluation factors were developed and based upon the contractor's ability to meet or exceed JCAHO requirements, as well as reflecting the VISN 11 mission, vision and values. The team members were geographically disbursed which required a high level of communication via telephone conferences, exchange mail, and face-to-face meetings.   The efforts, level of commitment, and cohesiveness displayed by the team were indicative of a truly integrated effort within a VISN.   The team initially rated each medical center's needs on an individual basis, and then analyzed the benefits of having one VISN-wide contract.   The resultant contract, with an aggregate contract dollar estimate of 18 million dollars, has been well received by the VISN 11 medical centers to date.   This contract has a cost savings of $1.3 million.
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The Secretary of Veterans Affairs delegated to the Head of Contracting Activity, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Roseburg Healthcare System (VARHS), Roseburg, Oregon, and authority to enter into an Enhanced Use Lease for a Single Room Occupancy Facility at VARHS, Roseburg, Oregon.   On July 28, 2000, VARHS entered into a 75-year lease of real property with the Housing Authority of Douglas County, Oregon, which has resulted in the construction of a 64-unit low-income housing facility on VA grounds.   This project is named Orchard Knolls.

Under the terms of the lease, VA collects no monetary payments.   Instead, veterans referred for housing at Orchard Knolls are given priority for up to half (32 units) of the project's capacity.   The Housing Authority of Douglas County, Oregon, is responsible to finance, design, construct, and manage the facility.   All occupants will pay rent, and all occupants must be low income.   As part of the lease arrangement, the facility will be drug, alcohol, and firearms free, and all residents are required to be in transition to a different setting.   There is a minimum 6-month lease period, and a maximum stay of 2 years.   After the priority given veterans, preference is given to residents under case management by one of the local area agencies dealing with homeless transitions.

This project will provide a minimum of 11,680 bed/days per year for homeless veterans (32 room x 365 days/year).   If 10 percent of these bed/days replace hospital stays for the veterans, our anticipated savings is $584,000 per year (11,680 bed/days x $500/day).

Studies show that veterans make up 71 percent of the single homeless population.   A large number of the homeless veteran population consists of substance abusers with no suitable living spaces in which to reside after recovery.   This project will provide 32 eligible homeless veterans a place to reside while continuing their recovery program.   As a result this project, we anticipate an increase in new enrollments.   A study conducted in 1998 at VARHS demonstrated that on any given day 32 percent of patients discharged would become homeless.   This project provides an opportunity to eliminate this situation.   The VARHS, in collaboration with the leadership of several community agencies and local Government in Douglas County, developed a unique approach to meet the needs of homeless individuals.   The development of this project will provide a stable and safe transitional housing approach to reduce homelessness in the community.
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