JA - VISN 8 Radimetrics - Redacted.pdf

VISN 8 Radimetrics System Maintenance, Control Number VA-26-00010736 Technical Support, Volume License Expansion

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: The Radimetrics software has been in use since 2018 in VISN 8, and is a proprietary radiation dose management platform developed, owned, and exclusively supported by Bayer Healthcare. Bayer Healthcare is the only contractor with the requisite system knowledge, technical training, and access to the proprietary code needed to provide comprehensive technical and maintenance services for the Radimetrics platform. The Radimetrics system is integral to VISN 8’s operations, providing a structured workflow in which a local Radimetrics pre-processor at each facility receives DICOM exam files, extracts patient and exam data from DICOM tags, and transmits radiation dose information to the VISN 8 Enterprise Radimetrics server. This centralized server serves as a unified repository, supporting systemwide analytics, reporting, and compliance efforts. The enterprise server is also integrated with PowerScribe 360 and VA’s Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA), facilitating direct inclusion of dose data in exam reports and ultimately in the patient’s VA electronic health record.

The Radimetrics system provides a centralized, enterprise-wide, multi-site workflow that allows all participating VISN 8 facilities to monitor, aggregate, and analyze patient radiation exposure and implement dose management initiatives.

In addition, the system’s web-based administrator and end-user portal enables configurable management and reporting for authorized staff, including Picture Archiving and Communication System administrators, Radiation Protection Officers, and clinical managers, giving them secure access to real-time dose metrics and configuration tools. Each participating facility’s pre-processor operates on a local virtual server for rapid and local processing of large exam studies, ensuring reliability and timely inclusion of new imaging modalities.

Since Bayer Healthcare alone possesses the proprietary rights, technical resources, and support infrastructure necessary for maintaining, updating, and expanding the system’s complex architecture—including pre-processors, enterprise servers, and integrated interfaces—no other source can deliver the full scope of support services required to ensure uninterrupted and effective operation within VISN 8. This includes providing ongoing technical services, such as remote monitoring, workflow configuration, user and protocol management, and addressing evolving imaging and data requirements as VISN 8’s exam volumes increase. Bayer Healthcare’s services ensure new or replaced modalities are both properly identified and protocol-mapped to maintain accurate dose tracking, alerting, and regulatory compliance. The Radimetrics software licensing model is volumetric, requiring tailored license expansions based on projected year-over-year growth rates for CT/IR and DR exams. Bayer Healthcare is uniquely positioned to provide these annual volumetric expansions, with optional tasks included in the procurement for increases to 450,000 CT/IR exams and 500,000 DR exams, respectively, as VISN 8 is projected to exceed current licensing thresholds within the contract period. Bayer Healthcare is also solely qualified to perform necessary interface upgrades or modifications to maintain interoperability with evolving clinical systems such as PowerScribe and VistA, as well as manage and update up to 14 highly specialized interfaces critical to enterprise data flow. The use of any radiation dose management solution other than the currently deployed system would necessitate extensive redevelopment of interfaces with the PowerScribe dictation and reporting platform, along with full reintegration of all ionizing radiation-producing modalities into a completely new system. VISN 8 has already invested approximately two years in configuring and integrating all modalities with Radimetrics, followed by detailed categorization and calibration for accurate radiation dose capture and reporting. This process required significant effort and coordination by Biomedical Engineering and PACS administrators, representing a substantial organizational investment. A forced replacement of the existing system would result in the absence of a functional Radiation Dose Management capability during critical phases of requirements development, solicitation, evaluation, and implementation of a new solution. Furthermore, the time and resources required to redeploy and reconfigure every imaging modality into a replacement system would severely disrupt operations. The redevelopment of these interfaces is estimated to be required for up to 2 years and cost at least , not to mention the lost reporting of Radiation Doses to patients during the replacement time. These duplicative costs would not be recovered through competition.

Based on these unique technical requirements and proprietary dependencies, only Bayer Healthcare can fulfill the Government’s requirements for maintaining, upgrading, and expanding the Radimetrics radiation dose management system currently deployed across all VISN 8 facilities. Competition for these services is not possible, as no other contractor possesses the combination of proprietary access, product knowledge, or specialized technical capacity to perform the required services. Failure to procure this will result in the failure to properly collect the radiation data from Imaging exams and reporting those radiation doses in the Electronic Medical Record as required by the Joint Commission.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in the market research section of this document. This effort did not yield any additional resources that could meet the Government’s requirements. There is no competition anticipated for this acquisition. Additionally, the proposed action will be synopsized on the Contracting Opportunities Page in accordance with FAR

5.201. Any proposals that are received shall be evaluated.

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

8. Market Research: Based on market research conducted in May 2025, it was determined that Bayer Healthcare is the sole source capable of providing continuous maintenance and technical support services for the Radimetrics Radiation Dose Management system currently deployed across all seven VISN 8 facilities. Maintenance and technical support are critical to ensuring consistent system operation and enabling prompt corrective actions in the event of system malfunctions.

The Radimetrics system functions by extracting radiation dose information from DICOM formatted imaging exams, integrating the dose data into patient records, generating Radiation Dose Reports for inclusion in diagnostic reports via PowerScribe, and aggregating data on a VISN 8-wide Enterprise Radimetrics server for reporting and analytics. Although other contractors offer radiation dose management solutions, no one possesses familiarity with the Radimetrics software environment required for repair, update, or licensing services of the installed system within VISN 8. Contractor alternatives lack the technical capability to safely maintain interfaces with PowerScribe or the VISN 8 enterprise server, posing risks of data corruption, system interruption, and potential delays in care delivery to Veterans.

The Government’s technical experts specifically inquired with Bayer Healthcare regarding the availability of Radimetrics licensing and support services through distributors or third-party providers. Bayer confirmed that it does not authorize or provide maintenance and technical support services through any intermediaries;

such services are exclusively available directly from Bayer Healthcare. No viable alternatives for maintenance, licensing, or support services exist for the proprietary Radimetrics software in use. Bayer Healthcare provided a sole source letter to the acquisition team on August 19, 2025, stating that they are the sole source and distributor for this software.

The Technology Acquisition Center issued a Request for Information (RFI) on September 8, 2025, via the SAM.gov website to ascertain if there were any other sources that could meet the Government’s requirements. No vendors responded to the RFI. Based on this market research the Government’s technical experts have determined that Bayer Healthcare LLC is the only source that can meet the Government’s requirements.

9. Other Facts: None

10. Technical and 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 historical pricing and comparison the Independent Government Cost Estimate.

12. Procuring Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. This contract action exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, but does not exceed $750,000, therefore, the certification required by FAR 6.304(a)(1) serves as the Contracting Officer’s approval.