36C24C26Q0012.docx

SUBJECT*

Elsevier Contract Consolidation

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

Regional Procurement Office, Central 1639 Medical Center Parkway Suite 204 Murfreesboro TN 37129

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Andrew Allen Andrew.Allen6@va.gov 216-447-8321

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS

POSTAL CODE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

DESCRIPTION

Sources Sought Notice

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Program Contracting Activity Central (PCAC) is in the process of planning a requirement in which a contractor will be required to provide Elsevier Contract Consolidation. Please see Statement of Work document.

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-3, “Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes” This Sources Sought/Request for Information (SS/RFI) is for information and planning purposes only at this time and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Although the terms "proposal" and/or "Offeror" may be used in this SS/RFI, any response will be treated as information only.

Complete responses to this notice will assist the VA in determining any potential set-aside for the requirement. Not providing all information requested in response to this notice may result in the VA being unable to determine a vendor potentially capable of satisfying the requirement and, subsequently, if the “rule of two” criteria is not met, a specific set-aside category may not be decided by the Contracting Officer. To qualify as a small business under a small business set-aside contract, the offeror must be considered a small business under the NAICS code assigned to the procurement.

Requirements:

See attached Draft Statement of Work (SOW) and list of journals requesting.

The Government anticipates soliciting a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP), single award, contract with a base period of performance of 12 months and four (4) twelve (12) months option periods.

Submittal Information:

Contractors having ability to provide the listed titles in its entirety shall provide the following:

· Company Name and Address:

· Point of Contact (POC)

· Name:

· Email Address:

· Phone Number:

· UEI Number:

Mark if your firm is eligible for participation in one of the following small business programs. If so, please indicate the program:

[ ] yes [ ] no - Small Business (SB) [ ] yes [ ] no - HUBZone [ ] yes [ ] no - Small Business 8(a) [ ] yes [ ] no - Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) [ ] yes [ ] no - Women-Owned (WO) Small Business [ ] yes [ ] no - Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) [ ] yes [ ] no - Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) [ ] yes [ ] no - Large Business [ ] yes [ ] no - Other (please specify)

Please answer the following questions:

· Are you an authorized reseller of Elsevier Contract Consolidation?

· If yes, you must provide signed documentation supporting your authorization such as a notice from EBSCO stating your company is an authorized reseller. The documentation shall be no more than two years old.

· Does your company offer this service via a General Service Administration (GSA) contract?

· If yes, provide the contract number or attach the contract to the response.

· Is your company able to comply with Limitation on Subcontracting requirements, such as VAAR 852.219-75 for an SDVOSB set aside or FAR 52.219-14 for small business set aside? Please explain.

Note: Do not include Proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information in responses.

In addition to providing the information requested above, responding companies are encouraged to include any relevant information to confirm the company’s ability to meet the requirements outlined in this request.

It is requested that the above information be provided no later than Friday, July 03, 2026, 10:00AM EST. Responses should be emailed to Andrew Allen at Andrew.Allen6@va.gov All Email Correspondence for this project must reference the Sources Sought Number, Project Identifier and Project Title in the subject line of the email. Example: Sources

Sought Notice: 36C776-23-AP-2477 Various eJournals . No phone calls will be accepted.

RESULTS INFORMATION: Sources Sought responses will not be returned, nor will respondents be notified of the Government's evaluation of the information received. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this Sources Sought.

DISCLAIMER:

This Sources Sought Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought Notice.

Sources Sought Notice: 36C776-26-AP-1461

Elsevier Contract Consolidation

Page 1 of

STATEMENT OF WORK

ELSEVIER CONSOLIDATED PACKAGE

March 2026

1.0 Introduction:

Summary of Needs: Contract Start Date TBD

Elsevier products needed (18 products):

ClinicalKey ClinicalKey for Nursing Clinical Skills (and Connect Fee) base modules, plus:

Perioperative Skills package Respiratory Skills package Ambulatory Skills package Mental/Behavioral Health Skills package Home Health Care package STATdx Mosby's Preceptor Course Mosby's Preceptor KIT Mosby’s Perianesthesia Nursing Mosby’s Perianesthesia Knowledge Inventory Tool Emergency Nurse Orientation Emergency Nurse Orientation Knowledge Inventory Tool Mosby’s ECG Interpretation 3.0 Mosby’s ECG Interpretation 3.0 Knowledge Inventory Tool (KIT)

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) requires an existing commercial off-the-shelf web based, Elsevier consolidated package of products to support physicians, nurses and radiology/imaging staff (product list – see above) that will be made available throughout the VHA healthcare system.

VHA’s goal is to ensure uniform availability of high quality, clinical knowledge-based resources across the VHA system to improve clinical decision making.

Brief description of each item included in this contract:

ClinicalKey – search engine that includes access to full textbooks, journals, guidelines and multimedia. Contains published content of 650+ Full-text Journals, 950+ Full-text Books, 250+ procedure videos, 70,000+ Medical and Surgical Videos, practice guideline and much more.

Clinical Key for Nursing - offers 125+ Full-text Books, 70+ Full-text Journals, Evidence-based Nursing Monographs, Lab values, nursing scales, videos, images, clinical practice guidelines, evidence-based content and care planning tool

Clinical Skills - provides evidence-based skills and procedures for nurses. Each of the Clinical Skills specialty packages focuses on a unique set of nursing tasks specific to that area of care.

Connect Fee - represents the cost associated with linking content within the Elsevier Performance Management (EPM) learning environment and giving hospital systems the ability to integrate with HR systems, TMS for the VA.

STATdx - a point-of-care diagnostic decision support system for radiologists.

Mosby’s Preceptor + Knowledge Inventory Tool (KIT) – a set of online preceptor training tools to prepare preceptors to effectively and competently orient new nurses through 15+ interactive (course) and 85-question assessment aligned with course content (KIT).

Mosby’s Perianesthesia Nursing + Knowledge Inventory Tool (KIT) - provides comprehensive, evidence-based education designed to prepare nurses for perianesthesia care across the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases. The program includes interactive modules, case-based learning, and assessment components that align with national standards and best practices. The Knowledge Inventory Tool (KIT) features an 85-question assessment that helps measure learner competency and identify knowledge gaps related to perianesthesia nursing.

Emergency Nurse Orientation + Knowledge Inventory Tool (KIT) - foundational and advanced training for nurses new to emergency care environments. The orientation program integrates clinical scenarios, evidence-based practices, and procedural guidelines specific to emergency nursing. The KIT includes an 85-question assessment aligned with the course content to validate learner understanding and readiness for independent practice.

Mosby’s ECG Interpretation 3.0 + Knowledge Inventory Tool (KIT) - delivers an interactive, self-paced learning experience that strengthens nurses’ competency in recognizing and interpreting cardiac rhythms. The program includes updated ECG interpretation modules, practice exercises, and case-based examples that reflect real-world clinical situations. The KIT includes an 85-question competency assessment aligned with course objectives to measure knowledge retention and application.

Performance Period: One (1) year award plus four (4) option years

1.1 Objectives

The desired goals of the nationwide provision of a package of commercial healthcare knowledge-based resources are as follows:

1.1.1 Providing access nationwide to the knowledge-based clinical healthcare information resources listed above will build on the enterprise-wide availability of knowledge-based resources in the National Core Collection of Online Resources available to all VA staff.

1.1.2 Improving clinical decision making at the point of care by ensuring a uniform availability to a subscription-based collection of high-quality resources.

1.1.3 Making these healthcare knowledge products available through CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System) or the VA’s Electronic Health Record implemented at each facility, nationwide to ensure consistent access at the bedside for all VHA health professionals and staff.

2.0 Scope of Work:

2.1 The vendor will provide all sites on the VHA network with access to the web-based products listed above. Authentication will be through IP address validation on an enterprise basis, through referral URLs, or through a single sign on or federated authentication process.

2.2 An unrestricted number of simultaneous users are to have immediate access from any web-enabled computer within VHA. It is required that all authorized remote users with VPN access have access to the product.

2.3 Currently there are approximately 170 VHA medical centers providing remote access through Liblynx authentication service. Products should have technical capability to include Liblynx authentication for remote users.

2.4 When applicable, the vendor shall provide the ability to create and maintain durable Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to provide support for direct access to specific content.

2.5 All site content and support of the web site is the responsibility of the contractor. This includes tech support to VHA users nationwide.

2.6 The products shall be accessible 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.

2.7 System downtime is minimal and VA project manager is notified when such occurs.

3.0 Information Scope

3.1 General Content Requirements

The product package should include:

3.1.1 Knowledge-based information covering healthcare, nursing practice, clinical procedures, radiology image references, and clinical decision-making.

3.1.2 Information that reflects current practice issues, evidence-based guidelines, and clinical best practices to support clinical decision making at the point of care.

3.1.3 Related patient education material, where applicable.

4.0 Information Quality

4.1 Quality Standards

4.1.1 Information shall be accurate, authoritative, evidence-based, and clinically relevant.

4.1.2 Authors and sources shall be recognized subject experts in their respective clinical fields, with clearly identified credentials and affiliations.

4.1.3 “Best practice,” evidence-based information, and treatment practice guideline information shall be included with current evidence levels identified where applicable.

4.1.4 Content policies for determining validity and standards for inclusion of clinical material shall be clearly described and made available to VA upon request.

4.1.5 Clinical content shall be reviewed and updated by subject matter experts annually or as new evidence emerges, whichever is more frequent.

5.0 Content Currency and Maintenance

5.1 Updates and Current Editions

5.1.1 As applicable in the products listed above, books should be maintained with the most current edition available. Updates to existing books shall be provided to VA at no additional cost within 60 days of commercial release.

5.1.2 As applicable in the products listed above, journals should be maintained with the most current issues available with no embargo period. Journal content shall be available for access within seven (7) days of publication.

5.1.3 Videos, clinical procedures, and multimedia content shall be updated to reflect current clinical standards and best practices, with major updates provided annually.

5.1.4 When new Elsevier products are released that fall within the consolidated package scope, availability to VA shall occur within sixty (60) days of commercial release at no additional cost during the contract period.

6.0 Compliance and Accessibility

6.1 Regulatory and Accessibility Compliance

6.1.1 The product shall comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards for all functionalities. Vendor shall provide accessibility compliance documentation upon request.

6.1.2 The product shall be accessible via a variety of personal mobile devices, including current versions of Apple iOS and Android operating systems, with functionality maintained across device types, unless there is a compelling reason that this cannot be provided.

6.1.3 All content and interfaces shall support keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility.

6.2 User Data and Privacy

6.2.1 Vendor shall collect only the minimum user data necessary for system administration, access control, and usage reporting. User data shall not be used for any commercial purposes, marketing, or sold to third parties.

6.2.2 The VA shall have the right to access all user data, access logs, and usage reports without requiring individual user consent.

6.2.3 The system shall provide the ability to create personal accounts, as applicable to each product.

6.2.4 For Clinical Skills components and any other products listed above that support continuing education credits, the system shall support Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) at no additional cost to the Government or the individual authorized end-user.

6.2.4.1 The system shall allow authorized users access to Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) materials.

6.2.4.2 The system shall provide the ability to receive CNE credit.

6.2.4.3 The system shall have the ability to track CNE credit.

6.2.4.4 The system shall have the ability to report CNE credit.

6.2.4.4.1 To the individual CNE recipient.

6.2.4.4.2 To the government for training and credentials tracking purposes.

6.2.4.5 The system should provide access to user CNE history

6.2.4.6 CNE transcripts will be owned by CNE earners.

7.0 Usage of Images

7.0.1 The vendor shall permit free use for educational purposes of all pictures, graphics, diagrams, and images contained within the product

8.0 Training and Implementation Support

8.0.1 The contractor shall offer comprehensive training services to VA staff at no additional cost.

9.0 Additional product requirements for Clinical Skills

9.1 The Clinical Skills packages included in this package should have skills that have been adapted or created with the following in mind:

· General (Med/Surg) Nursing Skills: adapted from Perry & Potter: Clinical Nursing Skills & Techniques

· Critical Care Skills: developed in cooperation with AACN and adapted from the Procedure Manual for Critical Care

· Maternal Newborn: reviewed and updated by clinical experts

· Neonatal Skills: clinical expert authors

· Behavioral Health Skills: clinical expert authors

· Oncology: developed in cooperation with Oncology Nursing Society

· Emergency Nursing Skills: developed in cooperation with Jean Proehl and adapted from Proehl: Emergency Nursing Procedures

· Pediatric Skills: adapted from AACN Procedure Manual for Acute and Critical Care

· Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Skills: reviewed and updated by A.S.P.E.N.

· Respiratory Care Skills: clinical expert authors

9.2 Each of the Clinical Skills packages shall contain:

· Quick sheet (key steps)

· Extended text (clinical focus) with

· Special considerations

· References

· Patient Teaching or health education resources written at an appropriate patient reading level

· Documentation

· Complications

· Indication of levels of evidence

· PDF chapter of the book (when applicable)

· Supplies list

· Step-by-step video or animated demonstrations for the full procedure, with voice-over & closed captioning Illustrations

· Online test

· Checklist

· User can quickly/easily navigate to any area within the skill. Each section can be printed.

9.3 Clinical Skills shall allow individual VA facilities to:

· Upload an eLearning courses

· Upload their own content

· Generate reports

9.4 Customization

9.4.1 In addition, in the Clinical Skills modules included in this contract, the skills shall be customizable if desired, such that vendor updates do not overwrite customized skills. Audit trails of changes are kept for reference. The customizability shall include the ability to:

· Change text

· Add/delete demonstrations, images

· Link to policies, etc.

· Add unlimited number of Skills

· Inactivate any Skills that are not needed

· The “Notes” tab shall allow text to be added without being counted as a customization

9.5 Vendor Reports of Clinical Skills Updates

9.5.1 The vendor shall prepare and forward a monthly clinical skills report that includes new content for clinical skills, inactivated clinical skill items, and/ or title changes made to all applicable skills covered by this contract. In the event new skills include continuing education, the amount of CE provided by that skill shall also be provided.

10. Requirements for Mosby’s Preceptor Course and Knowledge Inventory Tool

10.1. Specifically applicable to the portion of this contract that is regarding the Mosby’s Preceptor Course and Knowledge Inventory Tool, the following shall be included in a VA-wide license for unlimited use by VA staff.

CE Hours: 24.22 Total Lessons: 15

• Role of a Preceptor

• Teaching/Learning Process: Learning Styles

• Teaching/Learning Process: Adult Learning Principles & Competency Development

• Teaching/Learning Process: Cultural Influences

• Competency: Domains of Learning & Performance

• Competency: Novice to Expert Continuum & Performance

• Communication: Effective Skills

• Communication: Feedback and Managing Conflict

• Critical Thinking I: Understanding Critical Thinking and the Role of the Preceptor

• Critical Thinking II: Promoting and Developing’

• Precepting in Action: Assessing and Setting Goals

• Precepting In Action: Developing & Implementing a Coaching Plan

• Precepting in Action: Evaluating Performance

• Supporting the Preceptee: The Learning Environment

• Supporting the Preceptee: Assignments & Time Management

Mosby’s Preceptor Knowledge Inventory Tool (Kit)

· 85 question exam to identify gaps in nurses’ knowledge. Uses exam results to identify appropriate Mosby’s Preceptor lessons for addressing those gaps, and, when using Elsevier Performance Manager, automatically assigns those lessons to learners.

· Target Audience: RN –direct care nurses, educators and managers engaged in orientation Allied health professionals engaged in orientation

· Total Lessons: 1

· Knowledge Inventory Tool with Lesson Assignment

· Knowledge Inventory Tool without Lesson Assignment

10.2 The contractor shall provide monthly reports to VHA point of contact on the following:

Deliverable 10.2.8 Contractor will ensure quarterly VA Preceptor Usage Report (VISN, facility and user) and Evaluation Survey (defined as satisfaction/meeting objectives) are provided to ONS so that it can track who has taken the preceptor training, monitor ongoing satisfaction, and content meeting objectives. In addition, a designated ONS representative will be given administrative privileges to the training website to obtain real-time usage/satisfaction-achieving course objectives reports.