USAHCA_Sole_Source_Justification_under_13.501 _Redacted.pdf

Control Number: 16-HRCO-0011

For Official Use Only (See FAR 2.101 and 3.104-4)

(25 February 2016)

Sole Source Justification and Approval Under FAR 13.501

1. Contracting Activity: U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM), Health Readiness Contracting Office (Provisional) (HRCO-P).

2. Description of Action: This approval is for a new contract award and will be a firm-fixed price contract utilizing Defense Health Program (DHP) funds.

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The contractor shall provide qualified personnel, services, materials, equipment, and supplies necessary to support a group prenatal care (GPC) model within ten (10) volume-eligible Medical Treat Facilities (MTFs).This is a non-severable, non-personal services requirement which includes providing implementation, training and education, and metric and measurement plans. The contractor shall assess the MTFs and discuss the facility requirements for implementing and sustaining the GPC model. Services will include an initial facilities assessment to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in real time operation. In addition, the services required includes training in groups, basic and advanced facilitation, site approval for model fidelity and quality assurance, practice management and support tools and curriculum materials and supplies that support providers and patients. The total estimated value of the program is $459,590.00. The length of the program is three years, thus the period of performance shall not exceed 36 months with an additional 6 months for 52.217-8 – Option to Extend Services. The contract type will be firm-fixed price.

4. Authority Cited: It has been determined that only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements and the anticipated solicitation shall be other than full and open competition in accordance with 41 United States Code 1901 as implemented in Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.501(a)(1)(ii), sole source (including brand name) under the authority of the simplified procedures for certain commercial items.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: The proposed contractor is Centering Healthcare Institute, Inc.

(DUNS number 015529402), located at 89 S. Street, Suite 404, Boston, MA, 02111. Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI) is a non-profit organization that works closely with healthcare providers from all sectors to change healthcare by means of implementing the Group Prenatal Centering Model. With over two decades of experience implementing group health care prenatal programs, they have developed and sustained the Centering model in more than 425 practice sites and in some of the largest health systems in the world, to include Government Medical Treatment Facilities. CHI started in the 1990’s as one healthcare provider’s idea to provide more effective prenatal care to their patients.

Colleagues who learned about Ms. Rising’s groups started doing it too, and through word of mouth the demand grew for Centering facilitation trainings across the country. CHI has greatly advanced the field of maternal child health through evidence-based practices for dramatic improvements in maternal child health outcomes and

(See FAR 2.101 and 3.104-4)

(25 February 2016)

Group Pregnancy Care Model (GPC), OTSG – Falls Church, VA enhancement of the field’s goals for cost savings and better health. CHI has received numerous notorieties from various medical institutions, higher-learning educational facilities, journals and magazines and other news-related articles. CenteringPregnancy is a full service licensed group prenatal care program and has full proprietary rights to all training, materials, guides, books/literature, and associated program offerings. Proprietary rights are owned by the Centering Healthcare Institute Inc.; individual facility participation requires an authorized site approval and annual licensure in order to integrate the CHI CenteringPregnancy group prenatal care model within any approved site.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: In accordance with 41 U.S.C. 1708 and FAR 5.2, the proposed contract actions were synopsized as a Request for Information (RFI) on May 4, 2016 on the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE), FedBizOpps, and closed on May 16, 2016 for total of 14 calendar days.

a. Effective competition. Effective competition is not anticipated for this requirement. No responses were received and there were no contractors identified in the Interested Vendors list. One identified source, CHI has been identified as qualified and capable of providing services for this requirement.

b. Subcontracting competition. A subcontracting plan is not required in accordance with FAR 19.702(a)(1), in the fact that this negotiated acquisition is not expected to individually exceed $700,000.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: This is a brand new requirement for a multi-site acquisition for group prenatal care program services and therefore, previous records of actions competed are non-existent. As mentioned in the market research section below, the proposed contract actions were synopsized and there were no responses received. MEDCOM HRCO (P) will continue to conduct market research and will post additional Sources Sought and Requests for Information (RFIs) announcements through the GPE, FedBizOpps, to survey any future competition and programs available within this industry. This justification will also be made publicly available within 14 days after award IAW FAR 13.501(a) (iii).

8. Market Research: Market research was conducted IAW FAR 8.002, FAR 8.004 and FAR Part 10 for this procurement. Other market research tactics conducted ranged from historical data, the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS), basic internet searches, and synopsis of proposed contract actions IAW FAR 5.2 through FedBizOpps. IAW FAR 8.002, there were no services defined by this requirement on the Procurement List maintained by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled and there were no services defined by this requirement on the Federal Prison Industries, Inc. IAW FAR 8.004, this specific requirement’s needs could not be identified on the Federal Supply Schedule/General Services Administration. Based on historical data on similar contracts, the requiring activity identified CHI as a suggested source in supplying the U.S. Army Medical Command with Group Prenatal Care.

Historical data has found that CHI was identified on a separate contract as the awarded contractor on contract award W81K02-13-P-0103 for the amount of $50,669.00. This requirement was administered by the U.S. Army Health Contracting Activity (Provisional) ( USAHCA (P)), Regional Contracting Office – Pacific (Provisional) (RHCO-P(P)), Tripler Army Medical Center. The Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) indicated that the actions on this award were not competed, however, access to the contract files were inaccessible to our

(25 February 2016)

Contracting Office. In reviewing the FPDS, CHI has been implemented in other Government agencies to include the Department of Health and Human Services, and The U.S. Navy.

The internet supplied many medical articles supporting the topic of Group Prenatal Care; most articles written were from highly notarized medical journals and publications. Several of the articles identified a particular source for Group Prenatal Care, which was Centering Healthcare Institute, Inc. (CHI). Market research has determined that there is one known source available for a full-concept GPC program. Also, further results found that sources for similar programs and affiliations are non-profit organizations which are considered “other than small business entities” and/or “large business entities”, thus socio-economic factors are not applicable to this service requirement. In addition, market research has identified one known responsible source to offer services for a full-concept group prenatal care program, Centering Healthcare Institute, Inc. (CHI). The proposed contract actions were synopsized as a Request for Information (RFI) on May 4, 2016 on the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE), FedBizOpps, and closed on May 16, 2016 for total of 14 calendar days. No responses were received and no contractors were identified on the Interested Vendors list. A separate synopsis was announced on August 29, 2016 and closed on September 1, 2016, as an Intent to Sole Source IAW FAR 13.501(a) (iii);

no responses were received.

9. Interested Sources: There were no responses received to the RFI and no contractors were identified in the Interested Vendors list. To date, only one source has been identified in being able to provide the required services for this multi-site requirement, which was Centering Healthcare Institute, Inc. (CHI). The Government will consider any quotes received.

10. Other Facts: Discuss any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition, such as the following:

a. Procurement history. Reasonable efforts to retrieve the following items from computer records, contract files, competition advocate office files or other sources are expected:

(1) Contract numbers and dates of the last several contracts for these same requirements. Not applicable.

(2) The competitive status of these actions. Not applicable.

(3) Authority previously cited if less than full and open competition was used. Not applicable.

(4) If a justification was prepared to support the procurement made before this one, a summary of the contents of paragraph 7 of the justification for that procurement and an explanation of the results. Not applicable.

(25 February 2016)

(5) If any prior contract for this requirement was accomplished using full and open competition, include a detailed explanation of the changed circumstances causing this action to now limit the sources. Not applicable.

(6) An explanation of any unusual patterns that may be revealed by the history, e.g., several consecutive, urgent buys. Not applicable.

(7) If a justification was prepared to support the procurement made before this one, briefly describe the circumstances justifying the procurement and whether there have been any significant changes. Not applicable.

b. Other facts. Provide any other facts necessary to justify limiting competition that were not previously stated. There are no other facts to be considered at this time.

(25 February 2016)

11. Technical Certification: I certify 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.

6 Sep 2016

Signature: Date:

Typed Name: Title: Chief, Woman’s Health Service Line

12. Requirements Certification: I certify 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.

6 Sep 2016

Typed Name: Title: Chief, Woman’s Health Service Line

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable in accordance with (IAW) FAR 15.404-1(b)(2) using price analysis techniques. As part of the basis, certified cost or pricing data is not required per FAR 15.403-1(b)(3).

08 Sep 2016

Typed Name: Title: Contracting Officer

(25 February 2016)

14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

08 Sep 2016

Typed Name: Title: Contracting Officer