Office of Acquisitions - VA ACE Award Program - 2004 ACE Award Recipients
ACE Award
Recipients (2004)
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 2004!
The following is a brief synopsis of the team projects that were awarded the ACE and Honorable Mention Honors for 2004! Congratulations go to:
2004 ACE Winner
The National Acquisition Center's Drug Repackaging Initiative Team.
The team is being recognized for the following initiative. The Drug Repackaging Initiative Team was responsible for creating an efficient supply source to fulfill critical patient care needs for hard to locate and fill pharmaceutical drug items for VA customers. VA's large pharmaceutical drug demand with varying manufacturer production cycles had resulted in pharmaceutical shortages and occasionally disrupted the delivery of quality patient care. The new initiative created a drug repackaging and distribution process that supplies just-in-time, high-volume, generic pharmaceuticals.
Previously, the lowest pricing under Federal Supply Schedule contracts was $0.65 per capsule. As a result of the new initiative, pricing was reduced to $0.38 per capsule--an immediate 41% savings. These savings translate into an instantaneous increase in direct patient care dollars without service cutbacks and staff reductions. Through negotiated savings in both wholesale purchase price and direct repackaging and shipping costs, within a 1-year period, the Drug Repackaging Initiative realized $55 million in cost avoidance for the Veterans Health Administration.
Team Members
Steve Thomas
Joseph Carizolino
Sandra Mubach
Carole O'Brien
Gloria Peper
Donald Kathan
1st Honorable Mention- The Contract Catalog Search Tool Team
The team is being recognized for the following initiative. The Contract Catalog Search Tool Team was responsible for a process change that allows Federal facilities to quickly and easily browse medical/surgical and pharmaceutical products and services available under Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts. The Catalog Search Tool provides VA and other Federal Government customers with a tool that permits quick access to contract pricing information and meets the VA business goal of a searchable catalog containing all medical items awarded. Cost savings are realized in the reduction of time spent by VA contracting officers responding to informational requests and by VA purchasing staff in conducting market research. Also, decreased operating costs in open market purchases are achieved by assisting purchasers in locating negotiated FSS pricing and contract terms, along with enhanced marketability of VA FSS contracts to other Government agencies.
2nd Honorable Mention - The National Cemetery Team
The team is being recognized for the following initiative. The National Cemetery Administration Team performed a pilot project at five national cemeteries to streamline and decentralize the ordering and inscribing process for headstones and markers. The cemeteries participating in the pilot project included the Riverside National Cemetery , Willamette National Cemetery , Dallas-Ft. Worth Cemetery , Ft. Custer National Cemetery , and Florida National Cemetery .Under the old system, national and state veteran cemeteries placed orders for an inscribed headstone or marker through National Cemetery Administration's Centralized Contracting Division (CCD). The CCD would process the order and send it to a vendor to complete production of the inscribed headstone or marker. When completed, the vendor would deliver the finished headstone or marker to a loading dock and contact a pre-selected Government carrier. The new system is decentralized at the five national cemeteries to allow cemetery directors to place inscription orders directly with a pre-selected inscription vendor. The new process has significantly reduced the cost of marking graves while significantly improving customer service. As a result of the contracting and process changes, the five cemeteries had a total cost avoidance of $804,226.
3nd Honorable Mention - VISN 9 Home Oxygen Services Team
The team is being recognized for the following initiative. The Home Oxygen Team was responsible for coordinating and developing a solicitation that incorporated consistent and timely quality services to veterans within the care of VISN 9 medical centers. Faced with the difficulties of a virtual environment, the contracting team streamlined the communicative process by promoting the use of electronic correspondence to develop a VISN-wide requirement. This process eliminated unnecessary travel and time, freeing up the core team to carry out its primary duties without disruption. The services requirement was carefully analyzed by the contracting team to ensure a complete understanding of the veterans' needs and to ensure past performance deficiencies were eliminated by incorporating up-to-date standard industry practices. The present multiple award contracts, which totaled $25,212,919, have resulted in a cost avoidance of over $5.7 million.
The National Acquisition Center's Drug Repackaging Initiative Team.
The team is being recognized for the following initiative. The National Cemetery Administration Team performed a pilot project at five national cemeteries to streamline and decentralize the ordering and inscribing process for headstones and markers. The cemeteries participating in the pilot project included the Riverside National Cemetery , Willamette National Cemetery , Dallas-Ft. Worth Cemetery , Ft. Custer National Cemetery , and Florida National Cemetery .Under the old system, national and state veteran cemeteries placed orders for an inscribed headstone or marker through National Cemetery Administration's Centralized Contracting Division (CCD). The CCD would process the order and send it to a vendor to complete production of the inscribed headstone or marker. When completed, the vendor would deliver the finished headstone or marker to a loading dock and contact a pre-selected Government carrier. The new system is decentralized at the five national cemeteries to allow cemetery directors to place inscription orders directly with a pre-selected inscription vendor. The new process has significantly reduced the cost of marking graves while significantly improving customer service. As a result of the contracting and process changes, the five cemeteries had a total cost avoidance of $804,226.
The team is being recognized for the following initiative. The Home Oxygen Team was responsible for coordinating and developing a solicitation that incorporated consistent and timely quality services to veterans within the care of VISN 9 medical centers. Faced with the difficulties of a virtual environment, the contracting team streamlined the communicative process by promoting the use of electronic correspondence to develop a VISN-wide requirement. This process eliminated unnecessary travel and time, freeing up the core team to carry out its primary duties without disruption. The services requirement was carefully analyzed by the contracting team to ensure a complete understanding of the veterans' needs and to ensure past performance deficiencies were eliminated by incorporating up-to-date standard industry practices. The present multiple award contracts, which totaled $25,212,919, have resulted in a cost avoidance of over $5.7 million.