R605--Notice of Intent to Sole Source: APIC Manual Text Online Subscription

Notice of Intent to Sole Source:

APIC Manual Text Online Subscription

Introduction:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Program Contracting Activity Central (PCAC) intends to issue a sole source contract to the Association for Professionals Infection Control Inc (APIC) for the APIC Manual Text Online Subscription.

Justification:

The rationale behind the value of this manual is that VHA National Infectious Diseases (NIDS) Program Office has identified the APIC Text as an authoritative, up-to-date resource, relevant to the needs of ensuring infection prevention and control information is easily accessible for patient care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all healthcare services providing patient care and how they approach infection prevention and control practices. The APIC Text will support patient caregivers and help them navigate the many challenges brought by this time.

Background:

The VA requires subscription-based access to a comprehensive core collection of knowledge-based information (clinical journals, databases, medical information) that facilitates the practice of evidence-based medicine to ensure the highest quality of patient care. The Library Network Office (LNO) maintains the National Core Collection of Online Resources on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs and makes those resources available for use at all medical centers, community out based clinics (CBOC), VISNs and Program Offices. The centralized purchase of these resources began in 2010 to guarantee that equal access to high quality clinical information/resources is available to improve clinical decision making at the point of care by insuring the uniform availability of a core collection of knowledge-based

information.

This request is for the purchase of an Institutional subscription to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Online Text of Infections Control and Epidemiology, an online resource manual that the VA National Infectious Diseases Program Office requires.

Submittal Information:

As stated above, this is an Intent to Sole Source. However, any responsible source who believes it is capable of meeting the requirement may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency, only if received by the closing date and time of this notice. A determination not to compete the proposed requirement based upon the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government.

Responses to this notice are due on or before April 28, 2021 at 11:59AM EST, to Lamonte Jones via email at Lamonte.Jones@va.gov.

All responses must include the following information: Company name, Cage code, Dun & Bradstreet number, Company address, Point of contact name, Phone number, Fax number, GSA contract (if applicable) and email. The subject line for correspondence should clearly display: APIC Manual Text Online Subscription .