AN42--Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine

This intent to sole source announcement is posted in accordance with FAR 5.2Â - Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Washington DC Office has an acquisition need for continued services and seeks a sole source acquisition strategy. The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Washington DC Office intends for this acquisition to be purchased in accordance with FAR 6.302-1 Only one responsible source will satisfy the agency requirements.

Background Information/Purpose.

The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (hereafter DC WRIISC ) in Washington, DC is a national post-deployment health resource for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The WRIISC develops and provides post-deployment health expertise to Veterans and their health care providers through clinical programs, education and risk communication, and research.

HOME serves Veterans and their families as the leader and authority on health outcomes of military exposures through science, policy, education, and communication. HOME is a trusted team that Veterans and stakeholders rely on as a definitive source of information on military exposures.

HOME consists of four interrelated programs one of which is the WRIISC. The WRIISC thus requires the service expertise of a not-for-profit organization that provides scientific support related to military medicine and veteran health in support of this reorganization to leverage expertise acquired in the prior contract and apply it towards the new duties of these new workforce demands. In addition, WRIISC requires that the organization provides the support and administrative capabilities to allow WRIISC staff to maintain their scientific and clinical focus to achieve their goals for Veteran healthcare.

The organization must have extensive experience managing clinical research in the military/veteran community with expertise in recruiting and hiring research personnel and knowledge of the Washington DC VA Medical Center. Specifically, the WRIISC is interested in maintaining capabilities in the form of staffing of a Health Coach to assist Veterans with making better health choices through lifestyle changes; an Associate Scientific Director, who will support the Research Director and Director at the WRIISC in scientific planning and research portfolio management; and an Epidemiologist with expertise study design and statistical methods. A Senior Education and Risk Communication Advisor (SERA), a doctorate level medical professional, will contribute strategic expertise in risk communication to enhance HOME outreach.

Unique Qualifications

The WRIISCÂ seeks to continue the employment of several essential contracted employees that were listed in the existing contract 36C24524P0481Â Henry Jackson Foundation (HJF) to maintain essential support in roles staffed by personnel with unique expertise in military health research, including complex occupational exposures experienced by Veterans. Based on previous market research, HJF has been identified as the only organization in the region capable of recruiting, training, and retaining staff with specialized experience in war-related health concerns. Retaining these employees capitalizes on government resources invested in their initial training, security clearances, and acquisition of specialized military health knowledge, ensuring government efficiency and mitigating the risk of delays in services vital to Veterans.

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HJF support has been essential to our program s compliance with mandates set forth by the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act as well as encounter impairment in the ability to support critical modernization efforts to promote virtual and in-person approaches to meet the health needs of Veterans with complex occupational and novel situational exposures. HJF staff were direct contributors to a significant achievement of the DC WRIISC: On September 3, 2024, following peer review and concurrence from over ten VA programs, the Under Secretary of Health, Shereef Elnahal, officially designated the Complex Exposure Threats Center of Excellence (CETCE) as a new Veteran Health Administration (VHA) Center of Excellence (COE). CETCE is focused on complex emerging exposure health threats and is VHA s dedicated team for addressing the health needs of Veterans with complex exposure occupations. Without continued involvement of these contractors, implementation of the new program s mission will be harmed and Veterans seeking answers related to their complex exposure concerns will be forced to wait for an undetermined amount of time.

HJF displays a proven track record in providing researchers for Brain Health Behavior, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Treatment, and Physiological Research underscores their commitment to advancing the mission of the WRIISC and ensuring the well-being of Veterans. One of the unique features is HJF s Recruiting and Human Resource teams that have demonstrated understanding of the DC VA Medical Center (DC VAMC) onboarding procedures to ensure new hires are adequately prepared to lessen the time and cost burden of hiring. HJF offers expert support for visa applications and immigration regulations to expand the applicant pool ensuring qualified candidates are identified within the current competitive market. HJF's previous experience in supporting WRIISC, including their success in maintaining continuity of key personnel and adherence to training and privacy requirements. The substantive duplicate costs associated with the lengthy time required for new training, background investigation, tier 1 clearance, and onboarding would be incurred unnecessarily if the contract were awarded to another entity.

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Furthermore, HJF's familiarity with VA policies, research requirements, and operational procedures of VHA has produced expedited assimilation with changing initiatives at the WRIISC. Their demonstrated success in maintaining continuity of key personnel with experience in managing complex research projects mitigates the risk of disruptions or delays in critical deliverables. The average length of service for HJF employees is five years, higher than the average retention time in the science and technology industry. Retaining these employees capitalizes on government resources invested in their initial training, security clearances, and acquisition of specialized military health knowledge, ensuring government efficiency and mitigating the risk of delays in services vital to Veterans.

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HJF s proven record of supporting WRIISC s mission, combined with their unique expertise in military health research and their familiarity with the WRIISC and CETCE structures, makes them the only practical and qualified choice for this contract. Awarding this contract to HJF under FAR 13.5 allows the VHA to continue delivering critical services to Veterans while advancing research efforts without interruption, meeting strategic growth objectives under the PACT Act.

Award information

The contract shall be awarded as a firm-fixed-price contract. The Government anticipates the Independent Cost Estimate to be comparable with the follow-on Contract No 36C24524P048, past procurement history, market conditions, and critical experience required for this contract to justify fair and reasonable pricing. The period of performance shall be for one base period and four optional periods. Option periods are exercised as required and are not guaranteed. The Period of Performance reads as follows:

Base Period (Award date): 4/01/2025 3/31/2026

Option Period 1: 4/01/2026 3/31/2027

Option Period 2: 4/01/2027 3/31/2028

Option Period 3: 4/01/2028 3/31/2029

Option Period 4: 4/01/2029 3/31/2030

For any additional information or questions, please contact the Contracting Officer: Robert O Keefe Jr. Robert.okeefejr@va.gov