U099--Yoga Therapy

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT Yoga Therapy 1. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES The contractor shall provide yoga therapy to patient populations of Veterans at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC). Contractor’s personnel shall perform services via video teleconference (VTC). Contractor shall provide all access to the necessary resources to accomplish two-way, interactive, virtual platforms to offer online classes and individual sessions of live yoga therapy. VA will provide card reader equipment and permission to access the VA server for documentation in the patient record. Virtual classes will be conducted through the secure VA WebEx platform. The parties agree that contract personnel shall not be considered VA employees for any purpose and Contractor’s personnel will not perform any supervisory duties during the term of the contract. Only those services specified herein are authorized. Changes to the contract are not authorized unless in writing by the Contracting Officer. The contractor shall provide a point of contact with which the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) can coordinate and report problems between the hours of 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday through Friday excluding holidays, and between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekends. During normal administrative hours (7:30 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday excluding holidays), the Contractor shall coordinate with and report any problems to the COR. Outside of these hours, the Contractor shall coordinate with and report any problems to the Whole Health Clinical Director. 1.1 BASIC SERVICES: POSITION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES a. Yoga Therapist: Yoga therapists shall be certified through a program accredited by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT). IAYT yoga therapists obtain comprehensive training across a variety of medical contexts including diabetes, heart disease, trauma, pain, and prenatal care. The yoga therapist shall utilize this specialized knowledge to provide yoga therapy that is supportive of, and sensitive to, the clinical needs of the following patient populations. Veterans with Headaches. Yoga therapy (YT) will be performed in accordance with the standards of IAYT for Veterans with chronic headaches as part of the Integrative Headache Clinic (IHC) in Neurology. (1) Yoga therapist will provide 6 units per week of direct patient contact in the form of either individual yoga therapy sessions or group-based sessions for implementing yoga therapy treatment plans for Veterans enrolled within the Integrative Headache Clinic. Each session will consist of a maximum of 50 minutes of yoga therapy, including education on benefits of yoga for headaches, and instruction in yoga practices specific to the needs and ability of the individual Veteran. Session fees will include the therapist’s time spent documenting the visit in the VA’s electronic medical record. (2) The therapist will be available for 1 hour per week to conduct direct patient care support activities, including but not limited to: a) providing virtual consultation to DRAFT -- 1 of 10 -- members of the Whole Health and/or IHC team to ensure smooth coordination of Veteran care, b) conducting service planning meetings with the Whole Health and/or IHC, c) completing trainings in support of Veteran yoga therapy care. b. Yoga Therapist will observe the following responsibilities: (1) Maintain patient confidentiality and a safe patient care environment, including treating only patients whose physical activity readiness screening indicates readiness for at least moderate physical activity, and use of yoga practices demonstrated to be safe for individuals in generally good health. (2) The contractor shall provide patient-centered care by performing the following: • facilitate learning and application of yogic tools (e.g. breathwork, meditation, movement) in support of optimized functioning related to headaches or pregnancy • adapt yoga protocols to match Veteran’s ability and to support Veteran’s medical needs • educate Veterans regarding health benefits associated with yoga • collect and document pertinent data into the Veteran’s electronic medical record within required time frames (encounter entered same day as visit; note completed within 2 days of visit) • verify Veterans’ location at the start of each virtual session (location may be obtained at initial visit, and Veterans may be asked to notify instructor in subsequent sessions if their location has changed) • verify the presence and identity of any other individuals present at the time of the visit (e.g. spouse, other family member) • in the event of a medical emergency incapacitating the Veteran, contact emergency services on the Veteran’s behalf to be dispatched to their location (3) Contractor personnel shall always conduct themselves in a professional manner treating patient/residents, visitors, and staff in a courteous manner. Sustained allegations of patient/resident or coworker abuse, both verbally or physically, will result in immediate removal from the MEDVAMC, and will also be reported to the Contracting Officer. These incidents may result in that contractor employee not being eligible for continued contract performance with the MEDVAMC. (4) Contractor’s personnel will abide by the MEDVAMC Code of Ethical Behavior and Practice (MCP No. 11-012). (5) Dress apparel: Contractor personnel shall be required to dress in a professional manner and in accordance with MEDVAMC Medical Center Policy Memorandum No. 05-004, “Dress Code.” Given the nature of the work, exceptions will be made for parts b.1, b.3, b.4, and c.2. Exercise attire and tank tops are permitted as these are part of typical appropriate yoga attire. DRAFT -- 2 of 10 -- c. Yoga Supervisor/Point of Contact: Should any sub-contracted personnel provide part of the services outlined in this contract, the contractor shall designate a supervisory Point of Contact (POC) who shall be responsible for overall performan…