36C10G20Q0021-020.pdf

HoverJack Air Assisted Lifting Devices

Justification For Other than Full and Open Competition

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Acquisition Operations

Strategic Acquisition Center 10300 Spotsylvania Ave, Suite 400 Fredericksburg, VA 22408

2. Description of Action: The proposed sole source brand name only action is for a Firm-Fixed-Price Requirements type contract for the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Devices and its associated equipment with D.T. Davis Enterprises, Ltd., 4482 Innovation Way, Allentown, PA, 18109-9404 or any authorized distributors. The period of performance will be for one-year with two 12-month option periods.

3. Description of Supplies or Services: The HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device allows caregivers to safely lift patients who have fallen without gathering a lift team. It has a weight capacity of 700 pounds for stairwell evacuations and 1200 pounds for vertical lifts to accommodate most patients of size. The HoverJack consists of four chambers that are inflated sequentially to lift patients from the floor to bed or stretcher height in a supine position, maximizing patient comfort and minimizing the risk of injury to both patient and caregivers. The air-assisted lifting method can lift patients in a flat supine position that is suitable for stabilized post-fall patients or for CPR at every level in places where wheeled equipment cannot be used. Once the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device is inflated, the HoverMatt air transfer mattress can be used with the same air supply unit for safe and easy lateral patient transfer to a bed or stretcher.

The brand name items required for this action for the three years are as follows:

Estimated

QTY

Part Number Nomenclature

600 HJ32T 32” Air-Assisted Lifting Device without Evacuation Capability 600 HJ32EV 32” Air-Assisted Lifting Device with Evacuation Capability 300 HJ3902T 39” Air-Assisted Lifting Device without Evacuation 300 HTAIR 1200 Adjustable-Speed Air-Assisted Lateral Transfer Air Supply 300 AIR 400G Single Button High Speed Air-Assisted Lateral Transfer Air Supply 300 HJC-200 Cart for HoverJacks (Universal) 300 HMC-U Cart for HoverMatts and HoverTech Air Supply 300 HJBSC-200 Battery Cart for HoverJack and HoverTech Air Supply

The total estimated value of the proposed action is $ (inclusive of options).

4. Statutory Authority: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1(c), “Only One Responsible Source and no Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements, Application for Brand-Name Descriptions.”

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: The D.T. Davis Enterprises, Ltd. HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device is a unique design that is unlike any other air assisted lifters on the market. The HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device allows caregivers to safely lift patients who have fallen without gathering a large lift team. VA staff are not permitted to lift more than 35 pounds of patient weight in a good position, or 10-20 pounds from the floor. A 140-pound person, who is small for the VA population, would thus require people if they split the weight evenly. Transfer boards and sheets do not reduce the weight and are not considered safe for two people to lift.

The HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device also permits patients to be maintained in a flat position which allows for CPR at each stage in the lifting process, while also providing protection of injured body parts. Once the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device is inflated, the HoverMatt air transfer mattress can be used with the same air supply unit for safe and easy lateral patient transfer to a bed or stretcher.

The following design features are unique to the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device:

a. The only other air-assisted lift being advertised, by Patient Positioning Systems (PPS), is made in China and is not for sale in the United States.

b. Ability to lift a patient in flat, fully supported position from the floor to the full height of a power-drive stretcher or locked-down mental health bed, up to 29 inches. Floor-based lifts do not have this flat, fully supported position without a very carefully fit sling and a very specific attachment.

c. Ability to lift a patient from the floor and transfer onto a bed that has no space underneath for legs. Floor-based rolling lifts cannot transfer onto the mental health beds, which have solid bases that are bolted to the floor. Floor-based rolling lifts might be able to reach a corner but cannot put someone’s center of mass near the center of the bed and risk dropping the patient or tipping the lift because of the angles necessary.

d. The height is adjustable with the required firmness that allows CPR at each of four heights. The individually inflated sections allow CPR to be done at each of four phases during the lift, which is necessary for recovery of unresponsive patients.

e. The air supply has adjustable speeds, which allow for slower inflation to ensure patient is lifted in the right position and is not further injured. This adjustable air supply is mandatory for the head raising capability of the evacuation version.

f. The air supply and battery cart allow the HoverJack to be used far away from outlets in parking lots or lawns/sidewalks or other large open spaces.

g. The evacuation HoverJack version provides a head raising section with securement and straps to allow evacuation down stairs for patients weighing up to 700 pounds. Alternate equipment such as stair chairs only allow 500 pounds.

The attached head raising section on Evacuation HoverJacks makes it possible to keep patients with respiratory compromise on the lift as long as needed in a safe/comfortable position.

h. The HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device provides variable widths (32” or 39”) which provides the ability to fit through doors and supporting more of an obese patient’s body. For facilities with doors of limited width, this is a necessity.

i. The HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device comes with a teflon coated bottom and handles which allows for short-distance transport by sliding versus having to be lifted. This is necessary to allow the patient to be moved around a space safely while providing enough stability to allow for patient transfer onto or off the jack.

HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device with Evacuation Capability:

HoverJack, 32” Air Assisted Lifting Device with Evacuation Capability--- In the event of a patient fall, the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device with Evacuation Capability inflates to gently lift the patient from the floor to bed or stretcher height in a supine position. This version of the HoverJack can also serve as a vertical or horizontal evacuation device, making it particularly useful for areas that need to evacuate people of size as well as lifting fallen people from the floor. There are evacuation sleds and chairs, but none of them also lift, and the 700-pound capacity is unique for evacuation.

This HoverJack version consists of four chambers that are inflated sequentially and is designed to lift patients from the floor to bed or stretcher height in a supine position, maximizing patient comfort and minimizing the risk of injury to both patient and caregivers. It allows caregivers the ability to perform safe and efficient stairwell evacuations while keeping the patient in a supine position. Adjustable air chambers inflate to provide a stable and comfortable surface for patients, while easily navigating doorways and narrow spaces. The Teflon® coated bottom allows caregivers to effectively transport the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device with Evacuation Capability across rough surfaces and down stairwells.

The following design features are unique to the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device with Evacuation Capability:

It minimizes the number of staff members needed to safely lift patients who have fallen because it requires less physical effort than the manual lifting that is required on many lifts to connect the patient sling to the lift. Floor lifts with wheels require you to pull the patient out to the place where the lift can reach them. And if you’re lifting with any floor-based lift, especially from a flat position, you must manually lift the legs and maybe also the head/upper torso of the individual to get the lift legs under a part of the person.

The air-powered lift and air-powered lateral transfer combination can be used where wheeled lifts cannot be used, including use with Mental Health bolted-down beds and stretchers or beds with bases that are too low to accommodate wheels underneath.

This HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device with Evacuation Capability does not require the use of a sling which has to be properly fitted to the patient; by contrast, wheeled lifts require the right size and type of sling in order to avoid patient fall or injury.

The lifting height can be controlled through individual chamber inflation, allowing for a variety of surface heights. Total lifting height accommodates the full range of powered stretchers.

After each chamber is inflated, the surface is hard enough to allow CPR.

Safety features such as self-sealing inflation valves prevent air from escaping without requiring a cap and the quick-release deflation valves allow for the rapid lowering of a patient.

The cross-over chest straps, dual lateral body straps and foot-end pouches provide patient security during evacuation. The HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device with Evacuation Capability is designed with a big zipper compartment to completely cover the patient and a bunch of heavy-duty belts like seatbelts in order to keep the patient from sliding off the top while it’s at an angle.

It features an inflatable head-end wedge which facilitates adjustable positioning to improve patient’s breathing and comfort. Some patients, particularly those of size or with respiratory difficulties, must be sitting up at about a 30-degree angle in order to breathe. Flat positioning for an extended period is problematic, which is why the wedge is important if you’re keeping someone on it for a longer time than just the lift and transfer.

Handles are specifically designed to allow multiple staff to evacuate a patient down stairs, including at least two handles on each end in addition to the side handles.

Somewhat similar items such as the Airpal, Evacusled, or PPS Glide don’t meet the needs of this requirement because unlike the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Devices they can’t lift a patient, in a lying position, vertically from the floor to the bed at incremental stages. Additional, CPR may be required at different heights and they only have the stability at the max height. Lastly, these systems are lateral transfer systems, not meant to be vertical lift systems.

Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in the market research section (Section 8) of this document. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government’s requirements. There is no competition anticipated for this acquisition as the manufacturer usually sells this equipment directly and at this time has no authorized distributors. Additionally, the proposed action will be synopsized on the Contract Opportunities webpage in accordance with FAR 5.102(a)(6) and the Justification and Approval will made available with the published solicitation in accordance with FAR 6.302-1(c). Any proposals that are received shall receive consideration and be evaluated as to the extent capable of meeting agency needs.

Actions to Increase Competition: To remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is required, the Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the market place that would enable future actions to be competed. However, all future requirements will be handled on a case-by-case basis to determine any future acquisition strategy.

Market Research: Market research revealed only one other air-assisted lifting device that could possibly meet the needs of this requirement; the PPS Lift. However, the PPS Lift is manufactured in China and not sold in the United States. Other patient lifting devices can’t meet the requirement; lifts on wheels were excluded from comparison because they cannot meet the same needs, especially for mental health and outdoor environments where wheels under surfaces do not work. No other product offered similar safety characteristics, such as the cushioned, head-raised position for evacuation and the ability of the air-assisted lifter to raise to the full 29-inch height that allows use with all stretchers. This product prevents manual patient handling in excess of 35 pounds which is disallowed by VHA Directive 1611. A Request for Information (RFI) was issued on August 9, 2019 with two validated responses; one from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Devices, D.T.Davis Enterprises Ltd. and the other from Endara Enterprises, L.L.C. a reseller.

The OEM has indicated that they currently have no authorized distributors and that they sell this equipment directly. Market research yielded no other sources for a comparable Air-Assisted Lifting Device that would warrant a full and open competition.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting this Justification: Patient Safety and positive clinical outcomes are critical in a hospital setting. Providing systems/equipment such as this HoverJack-Air Assisted Lifter to clinicians decreases the likelihood of adverse patient outcomes by offering a safe way to lift fallen patients with injuries off the floor without constricting or bending their position. The HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device with Evacuation Capability offers assistance and protection for vertical evacuation of patients weighing up to 700 pounds while other bariatric evacuation products have little or no padding and slide the patient down stairs on a sheet of hard plastic with belaying straps.

By contrast, the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Device with Evacuation Capability allows up to 4 people to assist with evacuation and offers air padding with adjustable firmness during and after evacuation as well as a head-raising section for those who cannot safely lie flat. The padding keeps the impact of the stairs from injuring a patient’s back and reduces the risk of the pressure injuries that could otherwise occur in an hour on a hard-plastic unpadded surface. It allows multiple people to share the load, which is necessary at high weights, and allows the patient to be in a position with head elevated so patients with respiratory compromise can breathe. Adjustable firmness helps to prevent pressure injuries. The ability to lift the patient to full height afterward means that they don’t have to be lifted when the evacuation is done, and they’re being transferred to a stretcher or bed to go somewhere else.

10. Technical and Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which is included in this justification, is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date

Project Manager

11. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable based on:

a. Comparison of the proposed prices to the historical prices paid, whether by the Government or other than the Government for the same or similar items; or

b. Comparison with competitive published price lists, published market prices of commodities, similar indexes, and discount or rebate arrangements; or

c. Comparison of proposed prices with an Independent Government Cost Estimate.

12. Determination of Best Value: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Contracting Officer Date

Approval

In my role as the Procuring Activity Competition Advocate, based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the acquisition of the HoverJack Air-Assisted Lifting Devices and the associated equipment in the estimated total amount of $ on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the statutory authority cited in paragraph 4 above, subject to availability of funds, and provided that the property and services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Date

23 Jan 2020____________________ _______ SAC Advocate for Competition Strategic Acquisition Center Department of Veterans Affairs Competition Advocate Tracking Number DJ013