R--Practice Greenhealth Subscription for VA Medical Centers

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION 1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity and specific identification of the document as a "justification for other than full and open competition." Agency: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Contracting Activity: Contracting Officer: Mark A. Edzards VISN 15 Contracting Office 4101 S. 4th Street Traffic way Leavenworth, Kansas 66048 2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved. This justification and approval is for a firm-fixed price, membership/subscription service with Practice Greenhealth, 12355 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 680, Reston, VA 20191, a non-profit organization. 3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency's needs (including the estimated value). Membership 139 VHA facilities in Practice GreenHealth's network, to include access to health care related environmental and green initiative resources, as well as personal interactions with private sector health care industry partners to allow for cross feed on health care specific innovative solutions to environmental compliance issues, energy conservation, green construction, and pollution prevention. The cost is $52,125.00 per year. The total amount for a base and 4 option years is $260.625.00. 4. An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition. 6.302-1 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or service will satisfy agency requirements. 5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited. EO 13514 and 13423 requirements necessitate the need for the VHA to improve our knowledge and find more innovative ways to implement pollution prevention programs that target hospital specific wastes and toxic chemicals to continue in improving on our current waste and toxic reduction efforts. We also need to become aware of the latest technologies for "sustainable buildings" and offer our facilities avenues to enhance their awards programs. The sole vendor for providing a health care specific technical forum with cross feed of information from the regulated hospital community on a national scale is Practice Greenhealth, a non-profit owned business and collaborative effort consisting of Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E), the Green Guide for Health Care, and the Healthcare Clean Energy Exchange. This organization offers its members a full range of tools, resources, forums, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to engage the healthcare design, construction and operations sectors in creating safe and healthy healthcare environments. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes these organizations in their Partnership for Sustainable Healthcare (PSH) program which recommends H2E and Practice Greenhealth as the healthcare industry source for environmental sustainability and waste and toxic reduction resource clearinghouse. The purpose in continuing this membership and subscription includes access to health care related environmental and green initiative resources, as well as personal interactions with private sector health care industry partners to allow for cross feed on health care specific innovative solutions to environmental compliance issues, energy conservation, green construction, and pollution prevention. The service also includes phone consult, conference call participation, conference attendance, web list serve online discussions and document sharing with other subscribers, and research tools and resources. Subscribers also have the opportunity to participate in environmental awards programs for their efforts in pollution prevention, waste reduction, improved energy efficiency, and toxic hazard reduction, which will help our agency employ incentive and award programs for exceptional performers in implementing the goals of the EO. Numerous VA facilities are active with Practice Green health, have been awarded Environmental Excellence Awards, and utilize their services to assist in developing sustainable practices at their facilities. A VHA wide subscription to the partnership program will allow all VAMCs to utilize these services at a 50% discounted group rate saving approximately $52,000 annually over the cost of individual subscriptions at each medical center. 6. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, including whether a CBD notice was or will be publicized as required by Subpart 5.2 and if not, which exception under 5.202 applies. A notice of intent to award a sole source action was published to FBO. 7. A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable. Practice GreenHealth has published list prices for their membership rates. See http://www.practicegreenhealth.org/community/facility/. Their offer to the VHA is $750.00 per facility, is 50% below their standard facility rate, and 25% below their lowest published discounted rate for a health system membership. Based on the above it is the opinion of the contracting officer that the offer represents a fair and reasonable price. 8. A description of the market research conducted (see Part 10) and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted. Market research included review of commercially offered training, support services, and, EPA recommended industry partners. In addition, a search of the VetBiz database for NAICS code 813312 returned seven results, but none provided the requested services . 9. Any other facts support the use of other than full and open competition. None. 10. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition. None. 11. A statement of actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required. Research for other equivalent services has been ongoing during the current subscription to this service, but this has proven to be the only source that targets all the products and services to the hospital industry. . 12. Contracting officer certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the contracting officer's knowledge and belief. I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and that this procurement action is made in good faith with regard for the public interest. Date: February 18, 2011 Mark A Edzards Contracting Officer