Attach I - JA - Restricting Competition OR Booms - Redacted.pdf

Effective Date: 12/30/2025 Page 1 of 4 Revision: 02 Acquisition ID No. 36C250-26-AP-3378

Department of Veterans Affairs

Justification and Approval for Restricting Competition IAW FAR 12.102(b) For

Commercial Acquisitions Valued over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), but less than $9 Million

Acquisition Plan Action ID: 36C250-26-AP-3378

1. Contracting Activity:

Network Contracting Office (NCO) 10 260 East University Avenue Second Floor, Suite 100 Cincinnati, Ohio 45219-2637

Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center 1481 W. 10th Street Indianapolis, IN 46202-2803

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed:

Instrument booms are essential to safe and effective medical surgical procedures. The booms currently used in operating room (OR) 9 and 10 are in disrepair, past their useful life and can no longer be maintained by the manufacturer. The booms are not fit for purpose and no longer function as needed. The joints of the existing booms have mechanically seized and can no longer be manipulated for access during preparation, performance, or clean-up following surgical procedures. The lubricant seals have deteriorated and are leaking causing a serious risk to patient safety during procedures and an overall risk to the sterile environment needed. These circumstances have resulted in many operating room closures requiring procedures to be rescheduled.

The four booms in OR 9 and three booms in OR 10 (including various accessories) must be replaced. New video cameras are also necessary as OR 9 is used extensively for training.

A contract to Skytron, LLC (“Skytron”) is contemplated to remove the existing booms and replace them with new booms, support equipment and accessories.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs:

This requirement includes the removal of the damaged booms, installation of replacement booms, installing additional viewing screens, and video integration to existing viewing systems. The booms for this requirement are the Freedom Booms series by Skytron. The agency needs booms of varying types, including two equipment/monitor booms, two monitor/camera booms, two anesthesia booms, and one extended Aurora 4 surgical light boom. The required viewing screens include six 31-inch Medical Displays, six 75-foot extension cables, two OptikView 50-inch Professional Grade displays and mounts, and two Skyvision Ascend video controllers. All items are a one-for-one replacement with existing equipment, with exception of the two OptikView which are new.

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Acquisition ID No. 36C250-26-AP-3378

The OR consists of ten separate rooms each configured for specific types of procedures.

OR 9 is used for training. In this room the ability for personnel to view procedures is limited due to the non-functioning camera and monitoring systems on the current booms. The current booms limit training due to the malfunctioning of video monitoring systems and inoperability of surgical lights. This equipment has far exceeded its operable lifecycle, and the manufacturer no longer supports servicing or replacement of existing parts. Closing of OR 9 due to these conditions impairs the training of surgical staff, poses a risk to patient safety, and adversely impacts veterans access to care.

OR 10 is commonly used for operations requiring the use of the Da Vinci 5 Surgical system.

This is a robotic-assisted surgical platform that is used for specific types of procedures.

When OR 10 is closed due to the conditions cited, procedures must be rescheduled and/or relocated. When procedures are rescheduled, veteran care is postponed, when procedures are relocated, OR staff are limited in the efficacy of their procedures due to the specific equipment required.

The estimate for this contract is The estimated time to manufacture and deliver the equipment is 120 days, and the time required for installation is 90 days. The total expected performance period is 210 days.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Restricting Competition:

FAR 12 provides policies and procedures to streamline the acquisition of commercial products, including commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) items (a subset of commercial products), and commercial services in accordance with 41 U.S.C. 1906, 1907, and 3307 and 10 U.S.C. 3451-3453. It also implements the simplified procedures authorized by 41 U.S.C. 1901-1903, 1905, and 3305. The authority to restrict competition for acquisitions valued over the SAT, under FAR 12.102(b), is located at 41 U.S.C. §1901.

Competition is restricted on this procurement for the reason below:

(X) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements

( ) Unusual and Compelling Urgency ( ) Industrial Mobilization, Engineering, Developmental or Research Capability or

Expert Services ( ) International Agreement ( ) Authorized or Required by Statute ( ) National Security ( ) Public Interest

5. Demonstration that the Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or Nature of the

Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited Above (applicability of authority):

The Skytron Freedom Boom series of products is currently used in eight of the ten operating rooms (OR 1 – 8). The cameras and medical gas monitoring systems of these rooms connect to the Ascend video integration and medical gas monitoring systems. It is essential to the agency that any new booms fully integrate with the existing monitoring systems.

If the Government were to acquire booms from a source other than Skytron, unnecessary costs would occur. Installation of booms made by other manufacturers would require extensive demolition and construction efforts in OR 9 and OR 10, whereas new Skytron booms could be easily installed with existing ceiling supports. Further, video cameras from

Effective Date: 12/30/2025 Page 3 of 4

Acquisition ID No. 36C250-26-AP-3378 other manufacturers would not integrate with the existing Ascend video monitoring system, requiring the department to have two separate video monitoring systems. Additionally, other manufacturers’ medical gas monitoring would not integrate with the existing system, which would require the department to have two medical gas monitoring systems. Lastly, the facility has an existing service contract with Skytron to service, maintain and repair the booms, the Ascend video monitoring system, the medical gas monitoring system and other accessories and components in OR 1-8. The incremental cost of adding Skytron devices in OR 9 and OR 10 to the existing service contract would be more advantageous in terms of cost, administration, and effectiveness than a second separate stand-alone service contract for the other two rooms.

This is a brand name justification because there is only one responsible source able to meet the Government requirement. Like other highly specialized medical equipment manufacturers, Skytron has proprietary technologies that will not support or fully integrate with devices made by other manufacturers.

The Skytron Freedom line of products are essential to the Government’s requirement thereby precluding consideration of products manufactured by other companies.

Accordingly, Skytron is the only firm capable of providing the supplies and services described in paragraph three without the Veterans Health Administration experiencing substantial duplication of cost that could not be expected to be recovered through competition or unacceptable delays in fulfilling its requirement.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable:

The facility representatives considered other sources to provide the services of this contract action. Ultimately, other offers were not solicited due to existing conditions at the facility. No other manufacturer offers surgical booms that can integrate with Skytron equipment. Both OR 9 and 10 already utilize Skytron control systems for both Medical Gas and Surgical Lights. Without replacing these systems, which would incur a large cost to the government in addition to this contract action, the facility would not be able to effectively utilize any alternative surgical equipment.

7. Determination by the CO that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable:

The CO anticipates an award can be made at a fair and reasonable price. The program office has provided an IGCE to aid in that determination. Additionally, prior prices paid for the same or similar items are available if needed.

8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons Market Research Was Not Conducted:

Market research was conducted in accordance with RFO FAR Part 10. Research determined there are no small business concerns in any socio-economic category able to meet agency needs. The VA Rule of Two cannot be met and a set-aside is not appropriate.

The engineering team conducted market research of alternate sources of surgical boom equipment with the intent of determining the viability of their products interoperability with existing systems and infrastructure. This research determined that no other source could provide surgical booms able to integrate with existing facility infrastructure and control systems.

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Acquisition ID No. 36C250-26-AP-3378

Restricting competition to one responsible source is in the best interest of the Government.

The Buy American Act applies to this acquisition.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition:

None.

10. Listing of Sources that Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition:

Skytron, LLC.

11. A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any

Barriers to Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required:

No actions by the facility have been taken or are planned to overcome barriers to competition. It would be in the Government’s best interest to limit the cost of new construction as would be required when procuring new equipment at this facility. The medical center is intended to be fully replaced within the next twelve years. The operating lifecycle for surgical booms is approximately fifteen years. To fully or partially replace the existing surgical booms to accommodate alternative manufacturers would require demolition and construction of the ceiling support and installation of new electrical connections which would significantly increase acquisition cost and remove OR9 and OR 10 from service for months longer than if they were replaced with Skytron Freedom booms.

12. Requirements Certification:

I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a Bona Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Nathaniel W. Boyd Date Design and Construction Section Chief

Richard L. Roudebush VAMC

13. Approvals in accordance with FAR 6.104-2(a):

a. Contracting Officer or Designee’s Certification (required):

I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Luke A. Turner Date Contracting Officer

NCO 10

NATHANIEL

BOYD

Digitally signed by

NATHANIEL BOYD

Date: 2026.05.05 15:33:20 -04'00'

LUKE

TURNER

Digitally signed by LUKE

TURNER

Date: 2026.05.05 16:30:06 -04'00'

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