CIES LB CIES Compass JA FINAL_Redacted.pdf

Laurel Bridge CIES Compass Router

Control Number VA-25-00041657

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Office of Procurement, Acquisition, and Logistics Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way

Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. Description of Action: The proposed action is for a firm-fixed-price delivery order to be issued under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) for brand name Laurel Bridge (LB) Compass Router software licenses to support bi-directional imaging sharing activities for the Community Imaging Exchange Service (CIES) product among VA and multiple commercial image exchange gateway solutions.

3. Description of the Supplies or Services: VA Office of Information and Technology Product Delivery Service Health/Clinical Services has a requirement to purchase four

(4) (CIES) LB Compass Router software licenses and advanced support for custom actions, intended to augment VA’s current network. CIES is the centralized deployment of a commercial Digital Imaging Communication in Medicine (DICOM) bi-directional image sharing solution integrated with VistA, VistA Imaging (VI), and commercial Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (cPACS). CIES LB Compass Router software is installed in the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) instance of CIES and will be utilized for bi-directional routing of DICOM images and imaging reports between VistA and VI to multiple commercial Image exchange gateway solutions. The various commercial image exchange gateways shall provide connections to numerous 3rd party providers in accordance with requirements established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These licenses will automate the ingestion, distribution, tracking and access to imaging files among disparate clinical and enterprise imaging IT systems, and ensures that studies are delivered to the right provider at the right time. LB Compass also provides healthcare providers with a configurable and scalable workflow enhancing the interoperability and performance between PACS and other IT environments ensuring effective communication among systems. The software licenses will also provide VA with the following capabilities:

• Professional – Pro version with all core features enabled

• HL7 Routing for HL7 messages only

• Transport Layer Security v1.2

• Compression (transfer syntax) conversion

• DICOMweb services

Additionally, VA requires brand name LB services (Advanced Laurel Bridge Support) to assist with site configurations, debugging and testing activities during normal business hours. Specifically, the contractor shall provide remote installation assistance and ongoing support consulting services at the advanced professional level, and furnish the

Government with released updates of the LB Compass Router

The period of performance shall consist of a one (1) 12-month base period from date of award.

4. Statutory Authority: Pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.505(a)(4), the following brand name requirement is being justified and approved as an exception to fair opportunity under the statutory authority of Section 41 U.S.C. 4106(c)(2) as implemented by FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B), entitled “Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized”.

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: Based on market research, as described in Section 8 of this document, the only sources capable of providing the required brand name LB Compass software is LB itself or its authorized resellers. VA has also determined that limited competition would be available among authorized resellers for this effort.

LB Compass is the only brand name software that can continue to build upon VA’s existing DICOM router network. No other software will support the required interoperability functionality to provide automated communication with the deployed networks source code. For instance, while some other brand software may provide similar capability, none of them interoperate with the existing LB network, and therefore would fail to meet VA functional requirements such as automated forwarding of localized data (e.g., images, imaging reports, etc.) into the existing federated LB router network. The ability to process the forwarding of the localized diagnostic imaging data is an essential and critical need of VA OIT, as it provides the VA a single interactive infrastructure among the existing VA medical center(s) that uses this technology along with the OIT data centers supporting interoperability and improving security encryption functionality.

Further, only LB or its certified resellers can provide the required support services and ensure proper configuration and functionality, such as the ability to support integrating the AWS Textstract utility with the LB Compass router. No other source has the level of expertise needed with the advanced work processes and support services for the VA’s highly complicated diagnostic environments.

Therefore, in order to use an alternative COTS solution for like-capabilities, it would either:

1) Require a complete update/change to the existing router network utilized, or

2) Require manual exchange of information from the existing LB Router to the alternate product.

Either of these identified courses of action above would require (roughly) in excess of 2,000 labor hours and a minimum of $300,000 in expenditures for initial creation of a new environment and implementation of new workflow processes. This estimate is based on historical data. Additionally, VA would need to run both environments in tandem to ensure everything is successfully migrated to the new environment resulting in additional duplicative costs not captured above, nor further additional costs to the Government for any corrections/resolutions to the VA Medical Center based DICOM routers as a result.

Should VA be unable to procure the brand name LB Compass Router software and support services as proposed, there will be a negative impact to Veteran care with delayed health care services, diagnosis, and treatment. It will lead to the detriment of Veteran care, by leading to delays in imaging diagnostic services, impeding clinical workflows between VA and community Providers, and disrupting the viewing and sharing of Veteran imaging data required to make informed decisions for healthcare services.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted by identified VA experts, details of which are in section 8 of this justification. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government's requirements. However, the undersigned VA technical representative determined that limited competition is available among authorized resellers for brand name licenses, as well as software maintenance and support. In accordance with FAR 16.505(a)(4)(iii)(A)(1), this justification will be provided with the solicitation to all appropriate NASA SEWP V GWAC holders. Furthermore, in accordance with FAR 5.301, 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(D), and 16.505(a)(4)(iii), the award notice for this action will be synopsized on the Contract Opportunities website and this justification will be made publicly available within 14 days of award.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed.

8. Market Research: Market research was conducted by the VA technical experts in March, 2023 and recertified in February 2025 via searches through internet queries/search engines (Google) – for same/similar COTS software licenses supporting network (DICOM) routers and interactions/discussions with industry to identify issues encountered with utilizing heterogeneous collection of DICOM routers and software. Other vendors researched were commercial radiology Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) such as RamSoft, General Electric Medical Systems (Centricity PACS) Philips (IntelliSpace PACS), PacsCube, Agfa and Brit Systems as well as stand-alone DICOM Router software companies such as Ncompass, EMSOW, BridgeHead, G2 Deals and mphrX. Consistent with section 5 of this justification document, market research revealed no other router software will be interoperable with the current LB’s Compass routers, and consequently the currently installed VA network.

The Contract Specialist conducted additional market research, in January 2024, and identified three (3) contract holders that are resellers of the required brand name LB Compass router software licenses and support by utilizing the NASA SEWP V Market Research Tool. Of these three resellers, all three are verified Service-Disabled Veteran- Owned Businesses (SDVOSBs). There is reasonable expectation that limited competition exists on the NASA SEWP V GWAC, therefore this action will be set-aside to SDVOSBs on NASA SEWP V GWAC in Groups B, C, and D.

9. Other Facts: None

Control Number VA-25-00041657

10. Technical/Requirements Certification

I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in this justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

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 NASA SEWP V contract pricing that has already been determined to be fair and reasonable. In addition, price competition is expected amongst the NASA SEWP V contract holders which will further establish fair and reasonable pricing. Finally, price analysis shall be conducted by comparing the successful quote with the Independent Government Estimate.

12. Contracting Officer Certification/Approval

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