Q502--Short Term Heart Transplant for the Salt Lake City VA Health Care System

The contract provides offsite heart transplant and ventricular assist device (VAD) technician services to the Salt Lake City VA Health Care System through a sole-source agreement with the University of Utah, authorized under 38 U.S.C. § 8153 due to the unique and irreplaceable capability of the affiliated institution to deliver these specialized cardiac services within the VISN 20 network. The base performance period runs from May 1, 2026, to October 31, 2026, with an exercisable option extending services through April 30, 2027, to ensure continuity of care for veterans without requiring long-distance travel. The contract utilizes a firm fixed price indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (FFP IDIQ) structure with an all-inclusive per-procedure payment model covering hospital and professional fees, organ acquisition, VAD equipment, and up to a 10-day inpatient stay, along with per diem costs for extended stays. Services are delivered at the University of Utah’s facility in Salt Lake City, with acceptance occurring at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, ensuring seamless integration between the two entities. The University of Utah’s clinical team, meeting or exceeding VA credentialing standards, is the sole source capable of performing these complex procedures, and no competitive bidding was pursued due to statutory authority and lack of alternative providers. The contracting officer for the Network Contracting Office 19 in Greenwood Village, Colorado, oversees the agreement, with no formal line-item pricing, award amount, or invoicing system specified in the documentation. Special requirements include administrative mitigation of organizational conflicts of interest through reassignment of procurement responsibilities and adherence to VA Directive 1663 and VAAM M806.303 for clinical quality. No packaging, marking, preservation, security clearance, or socioeconomic set-aside requirements are applicable, and the contract does not include formal evaluations, ratings, or trade-off analyses, relying instead on the statutory justification for non-competitive award.