J065--Bedford VA Medical Center Hospital Bed Preventative Maintenance

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 has issued a Special Notice for a sole source preventative maintenance contract for Hill-Rom hospital beds at the Bedford VA Medical Center. This notice announces the government's intention to award a contract exclusively to Hillrom Services for comprehensive preventative maintenance and repair services on Baxter/Hill-Rom hospital beds. The contract encompasses maintenance of critical bed components including security fasteners, locking systems, electronic components, head and footboard functions, siderails, nurse call functions, electrical grounding, power supply, braking systems, and CPR assist features. The VA has determined that only certified Baxter/Hillrom technicians can perform these specialized services using original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. The contract is structured as a firm-fixed-price agreement with a base year valued at $107,117 and four option years, totaling an estimated $592,000 over the full contract period.

The purpose of this Special Notice is to inform the contracting community of the VA's sole source justification for restricting competition to Hill-Rom/Baxter due to their unique qualifications and exclusive access to specialized training, certified technicians, and OEM parts required for these specific hospital bed models. Contractors have until July 14, 2025, to respond to this notice, though the VA has already conducted market research through a sources sought notice and VetBiz search that yielded only one large business response deemed incapable of meeting requirements. The eligibility criteria effectively limit participation to Hill-Rom/Baxter authorized personnel who possess product-specific training for each bed model and access to proprietary parts and software upgrades. The contract will be awarded under FAR 13.5 Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, specifically invoking the "Only One Responsible Source" justification. The VA concluded that Hill-Rom/Baxter is essential for maintaining patient safety standards and that no other vendor can provide equivalent services without substantial cost duplication or unacceptable delays.