Request for Information (RFI)

1. RFI Number: HT9426-27-LBA-02-RFI

2. RFI Title: Severe Ocular Surface (SOS) Support and Training Services

3. Agency: United States Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR)

4. Office: U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) / Defense Health Agency (DHA)

5. Contracting Office: Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity (DHACA), 808 Schreider Street, Fort Detrick, MD 21702

6. Location: Site 1: Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) – Joint Base San Antonio, Texas and Site 2: St. Elizabeth Hospital, Edgewood, Kentucky

7. Background:

Ocular surface injuries can occur during combat operations and may result in visual disability that adversely affects warfighter readiness and long-term quality of life. Severe ocular surface injuries, including chemical, thermal, blast-related, and other complex anterior segment injuries, are difficult to manage and often require prolonged, highly specialized medical and surgical care.

This program will develop and sustain military capability to recognize, treat, and manage patients with severe ocular surface injuries throughout the continuum of care.

The program will provide structured clinical education, surgical training, virtual consultation, and standardized educational resources for military eye care providers.

The effort will strengthen the Military Health System’s ability to care for patients with severe ocular surface injuries, including patients requiring ocular surface stem cell transplantation and long-term postoperative management.

This capability will be developed through in-person clinical and surgical training for military corneal surgeons; weekly virtual case consultations with subject-matter experts in ocular surface disease; interdisciplinary training for ophthalmologists, optometrists, and nursing personnel; and development of an educational module for military eye care providers that addresses recognition, initial management, referral, and long-term care of severe ocular surface injuries.

8. Objective and Purpose: The main objectives are summarized as follows:

Objective 1: Train four military corneal surgeons in ocular surface stem cell transplantation techniques and associated preoperative and postoperative management through recurring in-person clinical and surgical training.

Objective 2: Train four military corneal surgeons in the evaluation, treatment planning, and preoperative and postoperative management of severe ocular surface injuries through weekly virtual case consultations with ocular surface experts.

Objective 3: Train an interdisciplinary group of military eye care personnel—including one nurse, one optometrist, and military ophthalmology subspecialists—in the recognition and preoperative and postoperative management of severe ocular surface injuries through weekly virtual consultations with ocular surface experts.

Objective 4: Develop a standardized educational module for military eye care providers. The module will include didactic instruction, clinical case examples, and surgical videos designed to improve recognition of severe ocular surface injuries; guide initial management; identify appropriate referral criteria; and support longitudinal patient care.

9. Information Requested in Capability Statement:

• Describe the company’s ability to provide structured clinical education, surgical training, virtual consultation, and standardized educational resources for military eye care providers.

• Provide the company’s experience.

• Describe the company’s expertise in the areas of Severe Ocular Surface injuries, including chemical, thermal, blast-related, and other complex anterior segment injuries.

10. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: The NAICS code for this potential action is: 611430 – Professional and Management Development Training

11. Response Due Date: Interested parties should submit their RFI response electronically by 9:00 am Eastern on 13 November 2026 via e-mail to Lindsey Arthur at lindsey.b.arthur2.civ@health.mil and Justin Pickett at justin.h.pickett.civ@health.mil.

12. Instructions to Responders:

12.1 The Government appreciates responses from all capable and qualified sources.

12.2 The Government welcomes input and will accept questions pertaining to this RFI;

however, the Government reserves the right to answer or not answer all questions pertaining to this RFI. Only one set of questions per vendor will be accepted. Telephone requests will not be entertained.

12.3 The subject header of the e-mail for submission of questions and/or the RFI response shall be: HT9426-27-LBA-02-RFI.

mailto:lindsey.b.arthur2.civ@health.mil mailto:justin.h.pickett.civ@health.mil

12.4 Interested firms should submit a response (Capability Statement) that demonstrates the Offeror’s capabilities identified in this RFI. The Capability Statement shall not exceed five (5) typed pages; additional sheets for cover page, table of contents, tables, and charts will not be counted toward page limitation.

12.5 Fill in the below table when responding to this Sources Sought / RFI.

Question Answer RFI Number Company Name Company Address Point of Contact Phone Number E-mail Address Tax Identification Number (TIN) Cage Code

DUNS

Company Web Page Company Location(s) Company is / is not a Small Business Company is / is not SAM Registered Other Classifications (e.g. 8(a), HubZone, Woman-Owned, Veteran-Owned, Service- Disabled Veteran-Owned)

If 8(a), date that the company graduates from the program.

13. Disclaimer and Important Notes:

In accordance with Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul (RFO FAR) 15.101, "Early exchanges with industry," this RFI is for information and planning purposes only, at this time, and shall not be construed as a solicitation or obligation on the part of the USAISR. The purpose of this RFI notice is to gain market knowledge.

This RFI is not expected to be a Request for Proposal or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach. The Government is not obliged to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the responses received.

The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its responses are complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's solution. Responders are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received, or to provide feedback to respondents regarding any information submitted.

After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published on SAM.gov. At this time, no solicitation exists; therefore, please do not request a copy of the solicitation. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. It is the responsibility of any potential vendor to monitor SAM.gov for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.

Responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

14. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in submitted responses. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).

Original Point of Contact (POC): Lindsey Arthur, lindsey.b.arthur2.civ@health.mil mailto:lindsey.b.arthur2.civ@health.mil