FAR 13.5 Sole Source Justification - Over SAT_AMIA -_Redacted.pdf

VHAPG Part 813.5 Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items Attachment 1: Request for Sole Source Justification Template >SAT $7.5M under FAR13.5

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DEPARTMENTOF VETERANS AFFAIRS

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATIONUNDER SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL

ITEMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 13.5

Acquisition Plan Action ID: 36C776 23 AP 0342

Contracting Activity:

Department of Veterans Affairs Contracting Agency: Program Contracting Activity Central (PCAC) Organizational Activity: Office of Health and Informatics Procurement Title: AMIA Health System Membership Purchase Request: 776 23 2 3147 0003.

Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed: This procurement is for American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Corporate Partner Membership in accordance with FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items and specifically FAR 13.501 Special Documentation Requirements, where acquisitions conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6, but still require a justification using the format of FAR 6.303 2.

The Department of Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of Health Informatics (OHI), intends to purchase a firm fixed price contract with AMIA Health System Membership. This is an annual membership in which the period of performance is 1 , 2023, to 202 .

This is an allowable cost in accordance with FAR 31.205 43(a), Memberships in trade, business, technical, and professional organizations. It has been determined that the AMIA membership is of primary benefit to the government and is necessary to carry out job functions. The services described herein address the VA strategic goals, including enhanced employee engagement, and promote innovation and agile integration of technology into business operations. Exposure to leaders in the field of informatics and analytics enables rapid dissemination of best practices from internal and external sources and equips VA staff to utilize the latest technology, including cloud based analytics, throughout VA and delivery networks to better serve Veterans.

Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of Health Informatics (OHI), requires a Health System Membership to the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA).

AMIA serves as the professional home for informaticians from a variety of disciplines. AMIA members advance the use of health information and communications technology in clinical care and clinical research, personal health management, public health and population health, and translational science with the ultimate objective of improving health.

Through the Health Systems Membership, the VA will have the opportunity to collaborate across agencies in the traditional spheres of academia and research, but also in applied aspects of the healthcare informatics field. Health System Members may also be involved in AMIA's advocacy, strategy, and public policy initiatives.

These activities are executed through various membership units with AMIA. AMIA serves as the professional home for informaticians representing research, academia and industry and a vast array

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Attachment 1: Request for Sole Source Justification Template >SAT $7.5M under FAR13.5 of disciplines, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, health information managers, biomedical and software engineers, computer scientists, medical librarians, and many others.

The organization provides members access to free and reduced cost accredited education programs providing Continuing Medical Education (CME)/Continuing Education Units (CEU) for professionals requiring such credits for maintenance of professional licensure. AMIA has had and continues to enjoy a direct role in advancing the professional field of informatics and analytics unlike any other organization. AMIA spearheaded the development of a new Clinical Informatics Board Certification for physicians and is presently addressing an Advanced Health Informatics Certification to be made available to other professionals serving in these roles. They have also participated with the Department of Labor, Office of Personnel Management and VA to address appropriate job codes for the profession nationwide, working within and outside of the federal government.

Obtaining AMIA 10x10 Certification is required for Medical Informatics professionals. Corporate membership in AMIA also allows VA instructors to provide training, to VA staff, on health information systems and health informatics services, as they relate to VA care, and to issue AMIA 10x10 Certificates to any VA staff completing the VA sponsored Health Informatics Certificate Program. This benefit will be available to any VA staff completing the program with no limitations on the number of certificates issued. These competencies and skills are of paramount importance to VA in order to effectively address the Secretary of Veteran Affairs priorities with respect to Electronic Medical Record Modernization as well as developing interoperable systems in support of the MISSION Act. The Mission Act streamlines and improves VA’s community care programs, providing Veterans better customer service when receiving community care.

AMIA is also unique in that it affords corporate members the opportunity to participate in the Industry Partnership Council which is comprised of private sectors well as state and federal government organizations. The council affords VA opportunities to participate in public private partnerships and projects addressing innovation and education in informatics and analytics.

Estimated Dollar Value: $378,121.60 (Base Year), Total w/ Option Years = $2,034,391.56

Period of Performance: /2023 through /202 {Base Year) /1 /2024 through /202 OY 1

/1 /2026 through /202 OY 3 /1 /2027 through /202 OY 4

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4. Statutory Authority Permitting Restricted Competition:

FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items. The statutory authority for applying the Simplified Procedures for Commercial Items of FAR 13.5 is 41 U.S.C. § 1901 and is implemented by FAR 13.106 1(b)(2) for restricting competition on this procurement. Competition is restricted on this procurement for the reason below:

(X) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or ServicesWill 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): These services are specific to one contractor. AMIA is the official and exclusive representative for the United States to the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA), which brings scientists, researchers, vendors, and consultants together from a global perspective to promote informatics in healthcare, bioscience, and medicine. Through AMIA, VA will be included in the dissemination and exchange of information through internal cooperation and collaboration on healthcare initiatives and research to ultimately, provide evidence based care to Veterans. Without an AMIA membership, VA will have no way of obtaining this information thereby being excluded from medical and clinical resources.

Additionally, AMIA is the sole vendor that can provide AMIA memberships and delegate VA with the ability to issue AMIA 10x10 certificates to VA personnel who receive training from VA personnel.

There are no other organizations that will allow VA staff to certify their employees with AMIA certificates. AMIA is the only organization that the VA has found during its market research that is able to demonstrate the ability to perform these functions.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable: Market research was conducted, a Notice of Intent (NOI) was published on Contract Opportunities at SAM.gov which stated any responsible source may submit a capability statement which shall be considered by the agency. The NOI was also emailed to all SDVOSBs and VOSBs under the VetBiz Vendor Information Pages (VIP) NAICS 813920 query. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government’s requirements. There is no competition anticipated for this acquisition.

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7. Determination by the CO that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable: AMIA has a published price list on their website. All pricing will be determined fair and reasonable prior to award by comparing the quoted price to the published pricing and the Independent Government Cost Estimate. Corporate Membership | AMIA American Medical Informatics Association

8. Description of theMarket Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons Market Research Was Not Conducted: As described in Section 6 above, market research, in accordance with FAR Part 10, was conducted by synopsis of the proposed acquisition, advising industry of the pending acquisition, and soliciting inquiries from interested parties.

The Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database was queried on November 30, 2022, in an attempt to locate Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) concerns utilizing NAICS code 813920. The search produced 205 results. All 205 vendors were emailed the notice of intent to sole source with an opportunity to provide a capability statement.

A notice of intent to sole source was posted to the Contract Opportunities SAM.gov portal on November 30, 2022, with a response date of December 7, 2022, at 10:00 am EST. This notice stated that any responsible source who believes it is capable of meeting the requirements may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency, only if received by the closing date and time of the notice. All responses received will be evaluated.

A search was conducted on SBA.gov utilizing NAICS 813920 and keyword healthcare to locate small businesses who may be able to fulfill the required service. The results concluded consulting services for healthcare and healthcare support services.

As a result of the techniques outlined above, one source responded to the notice of intent published on SAM.gov. The response was reviewed by the Contracting Officer in conjunction with program personnel. It was determined that this vendor cannot meet the specific need of the government’s requirement. The vendor’s capability statement provides services to improve a company’s virtual training experience but not training specific to healthcare or clinical informatics.

Considering the information provided by the market research efforts identified above, the Government has determined that only one source can perform the subject requirements. Therefore, it is recommended that the AMIA Corporate Membership Subscription is procured as a Sole Source from the American Medical Informatics Association in accordance with FAR 13.106 1(b)(2).

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition: Professional membership in an organization that is established to provide professional and educational development in informatics to VA employees meets an essential component of the Health Informatics Workforce Development Program and justifies the need to sole source to AMIA.

Further, this is in keeping with the OHI goal of recruiting, retaining, and rewarding a motivated, high quality workforce with the abilities, knowledge, and skills to support and sustain OHI’s mission and vision to provide informatics technologies that support better care and documentation, sophisticated analytic and measurement solutions, cognitive and clinical decision support, and business intelligence.