MQS Radiology Services J and A Redacted.pdf

Fair Opportunity Exception, Justification & Approval 1 of 4

DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY

NEM-CD

DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY

COMPONENT ACQUISITION EXECUTIVE (J-4)

7700 ARLINGTON BOULEVARD, SUITE 5101

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA 22042-5101

December 3, 2025

JUSTIFICATION FOR EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY PROCESS

PURSUANT TO FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION 16.505(b)(2)

FOR BRIDGE TASK ORDER UNDER MQS2-NG (RESTRICTED)

1. AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY: This Justification and Approval (J&A) is prepared by the Defense Health Agency (DHA), DHA Contracting Activity (DHACA), Healthcare Contracting Division – Northeast (HCD-NE). The requiring activity is the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD (WRNMMC), acquiring urgent and essential radiology and support services as described below for WRNMMC and in support of the Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center, Ft. Belvoir, VA (ATAMMC), and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Bethesda, MD (NICOE).

2. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF ACTION BEING APPROVED: A bridge task order is required under the Medical Q-Coded Services Support – Next Generation (MQS2- NG) multiple award contract for small business vendors (MQS2-NG (Restricted)) to ensure that essential Radiology Services continue uninterrupted during the pendency of a bid protest filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Pursuant to the Competition in Contracting Act, 31 U.S.C. sec. 3553(d), and FAR 33.104(c), performance under the protested task order must be suspended while the protest is pending. In accordance with 31 U.S.C. sec. 3553(d)(3)(A)(ii) and FAR 33.104(c)(1), the contractor must immediately suspend performance under the protested task order and suspend any related activities that may result in additional obligations being incurred by the United States under that order.

Under the circumstances, however, due to the lapse in appropriations the contractor-awardee, AIMS-USGP JV, LLC, had already transitioned in and was fully performing the task order for over a month by the time the protest was docketed.

Depriving WRNMMC, ATAMMC, and NICOE of such essential Radiology Services, even for a brief period, would immediately result in critical, adverse clinical impacts to patient care and significant harm to healthcare operations at the affected facilities and throughout the Military Health System (MHS) in the National Capital Region NCR). Therefore, immediate, interim contract coverage for Radiology Services was essential in order to avoid irrevocable harm to ongoing operations, continuity of care, and critical healthcare functions.

Accordingly, a short-term bridge task order, issued on a sole-source basis to the original task order awardee AIMS-USGP JV, LLC, is the only viable solution to maintain uninterrupted Radiology Services support while the protest is pending. This action ensures mission continuity, mitigates unacceptable operational risk, and protects the Government from significant harm that would result from any break in service, however brief.