JA OVER SAT Emergency Radiology Services Redacted.pdf

This is a Request for Sole Source Justification (J&A) document from the Department of Veterans Affairs for a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract award to Polaris Imaging, LLC for comprehensive professional diagnostic radiology interpretation services at VA Maine Healthcare System (VA Maine HCS) in Togus, Maine.

The contract is valued at $3,645,000.00 for a one-year performance period and will be awarded without full and open competition under the Unusual and Compelling Urgency authority (RFO 6.103-2). Services required include onsite coverage, remote daytime teleradiology services, and remote evening/after-hours coverage across multiple modalities: general diagnostic/plain film interpretation, computed tomography (CT) interpretation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) interpretation, ultrasound interpretation, nuclear medicine/positron emission tomography (PET) interpretation, interventional radiology, and professional supervision of applicable diagnostic imaging modalities. All services must comply with VA, Joint Commission, and American College of Radiology (ACR) standards, and the contractor must interface with VA's Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and VistA Imaging infrastructure. All interpreting radiologists must maintain current board certification through the American Board of Radiology (ABR) or equivalent certifying organization and satisfy VA credentialing and privileging requirements.

The justification documents that VA Maine HCS recently lost two diagnostic radiologists unexpectedly within two weeks, eliminating its capability to meet required standard-of-care turnaround times for diagnostic imaging interpretation across its Emergency Department, inpatient units, and outpatient clinics. The document establishes that Polaris Imaging, LLC's principal radiologist is currently credentialed and privileged at VA Maine HCS and actively providing services through an existing fee-basis arrangement, making it the sole available qualified source capable of meeting the Government's immediate requirement without unacceptable delays or patient safety risks. The contracting officer has determined anticipated costs to be fair and reasonable based on GSA Multiple Award Schedule pricing, ICSP independent government cost estimates, local physician compensation benchmarks, and current market feedback.