DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

RESTRICTING COMPETITION USING SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES

FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH RFO 12.102

Acquisition Plan Action ID: 36C244-27-AP-0086

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Integrated Services Network 04

(VISN04). Network Contracting Office 4 (NCO4) provides contracting support to the Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN04 Office.

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed: The proposed action is the establishment of a new five-year, Firm-Fixed-Price Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide VISN 04 with a VISN-wide subscription license to MedBridge, a comprehensive clinical reference and teaching platform. This procurement is being conducted in accordance with RFO Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services, and specifically RFO 12.102, Restricting Competition. Because the acquisition will be conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures and exceeds the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), a justification is required pursuant to RFO 6.104.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs: VISN04 requires system-wide access to MedBridge, a subscription-based reference and teaching platform used by rehabilitation services across VISN04 medical facilities and Veterans Community Clinics, including offsite, remote, and mobile access.

The MedBridge platform provides:

- Continuing education (CE) and professional continuing education (PCE) modules

- Live webinars

- Certification preparation

- Compliance training

- Patient education and home exercise programming

- Secure mobile-based patient engagement tools

This content directly supports physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, audiology, and nursing practices across VISN04 in alignment with licensure, professional standards, and patient care requirements.

Period of Performance: 10/01/2026 – 09/30/2031 The estimated maximum value of this contract for five years is with a minimum of

. Estimated annual costs are

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Restricted Competition: RFO 12.102 Restricting Competition. The statutory authority for applying the Simplified Acquisition Procedures is 41 U.S.C. § 1901 and is implemented by RFO 12.102(b) for Restricting Competition using Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Commercial Products and Services. Competition is restricted on this procurement for the reason below:

(X) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will 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): VA Central Office’s discontinuation of the VA-wide Rehabilitation Reference Center contract enabled VISN 04 to evaluate alternative rehabilitation resource platforms. VISN 04 requires a unified, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary solution that supports licensure requirements and delivers high-quality rehabilitation care, including integrated home-exercise capabilities.

MedBridge Education, LLC is the only vendor capable of providing approved professional continuing education (PCE) across all rehabilitation disciplines in VISN 04. Practitioners in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Nursing are required to complete discipline-specific PCE to maintain licensure, and VISN 04 leadership mandates that these resources be readily available to all providers.

MedBridge uniquely delivers this full range of rehabilitation support through a single, integrated platform offering:

- A comprehensive library of CEU-accredited content

- Certification preparation modules

- Clinical exercise animations and reference material

- Integrated patient engagement and remote access

- Mobile app delivery of individualized home exercise programs

- Monitoring and adherence tools

- VISN-wide scalability in a single unified platform

Other platforms examined offered isolated features such as CE only, exercise only, limited discipline coverage, but none provided the combined full suite of required services.

Use of multiple vendors to replicate MedBridge’s capabilities would:

- Increase administrative burden

- Reduce clinical standardization

- Introduce avoidable errors

- Be less cost-effective

- Fail to meet VISN04 leadership’s requirement for unified home exercise and patient engagement tools

MedBridge is therefore the only responsible source capable of satisfying VISN04’s full rehabilitation platform requirements.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable: A sources-sought notice was posted on 07/15/2026 in accordance with RFO Part 5 to invite all potential vendors to express interest in supporting VISN04’s rehabilitation education and reference requirements. Two responses were received, however neither parties could confirm that they can provide the required education subscriptions or an equal.

The Knowledge Information Service staff also conducted supplemental market research after the Veterans Affairs Central Office discontinued the EBSCO Rehabilitation Reference Center national contract.

Although EBSCO later expanded its image library, VISN04 allied health staff and librarians determined after evaluating both platforms that MedBridge provided superior, more comprehensive rehabilitation content. Based on this assessment, MedBridge is the only platform capable of meeting VISN04’s full requirement. MedBridge further provided a sole-source letter confirming it is the exclusive provider of its proprietary integrated SaaS platform combining clinical education, patient engagement, and discipline-specific rehabilitation content.

7. Determination by the CO that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable: The Contracting Officer will determine price reasonableness prior to award using comparison with similar services procured at other Veterans Affairs locations. A review of historical pricing, and any other cost/price analysis methods deemed appropriate.

8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons Market Research Was Not Conducted: Knowledge Information Service staff evaluated alternatives after Veterans Affairs Central Office (VACO) discontinued the EBSCO Rehabilitation Reference Center contract. Although EBSCO added an expanded image library, VISN04 allied health professionals and librarians determined after directly comparing both platforms, that MedBridge’s platform is the only platform to provide all the content and resources needed. No other platform provided the full range of clinical education, patient engagement tools, and rehabilitation resources required.

The Contract Specialist (CS) contacted MedBridge to confirm whether MedBridge is proprietary and uniquely able to meet all requirements in the Statement of Need and whether MedBridge is a small or large business.

MedBridge provided a sole-source letter stating they are the exclusive provider of their proprietary, integrated SaaS education and patient-engagement platform. MedBridge also confirmed they are a small business.

CS also posted a Sources Sought notice to SAM.gov to seek out any potential vendors that may be able to provide the required subscriptions or something similar. Two responses were received, however neither parties could confirm that they can provide the required education subscriptions or an equal.

Based on market research and vendor confirmation, the CS recommends a sole-source award to MedBridge, Inc., as they are the only vendor capable of delivering all required content and functionality to VISN04.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition: No other facts to provide.

10. Listing of Sources that Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition: MedBridge Education, LLC provided the Mission Partner with a quote for a five-year contract renewal.

11. A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers to

Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required: Should the government’s requirement be changed for future needs, this requirement will be reevaluated and competed. As companies identify the need to expand into a virtual environment there may be future opportunities to explore competitive procurements in the future.

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a Bona Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Anne Parker Project Manager VISN 4 Logistics Procurement Hub

13. Approvals in accordance with the VHAPM Part 806.3 OFOC SOP:

a. Contracting Officer or Designee’s Certification (required): I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Benjamin Villasenor Contracting Officer Network Contracting Office 4, Commodities 1

b. One Level Above the Contracting Officer (Required over $350K but not exceeding $900K): I certify the justification meets requirements for other than full and open competition.

Holly Bricker Branch Chief Network Contracting Office 4, Commodities 1

ANNE PARKER Digitally signed by ANNE PARKER Date: 2026.07.28 14:08:30 -04'00'

BENJAMIN

VILLASENOR

Digitally signed by BENJAMIN

VILLASENOR

Date: 2026.07.29 10:13:36 -04'00'

HOLLY BRICKER

Digitally signed by HOLLY

BRICKER

Date: 2026.07.30 11:30:46 -04'00'