Women's Health Initiative Field Centers Extension

Women's Health Initiative Field Centers Extension The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute intends to negotiate, using a limited competition method, among the 40 active Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Field Center contracts identified herein. More specifically, the contractors under consideration include the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (N01-WH-24152), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (N01-WH-22110), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (N01-WH-32100), University of Minnesota (N01-WH-32101), University of Iowa (N01-WH-32102), University of Alabama at Birmingham (N01-WH-32105), Wake Forest University School of Medicine (N01-WH-32106), Northwestern University (N01-WH-32108), Brigham & Women's Hospital (N01-WH-32109), Emory University (N01-WH-32111), University of Pittsburgh (N01-WH-32112), University of California at Davis (N01-WH-32113), University of Arizona at Tucson (N01-WH-32115), University of Tennessee (N01-WH-32118), Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island (N01-WH-32119), State University of New York at Buffalo (N01-WH-32122), University of California at Irvine (N01-WH-42107), George Washington University (N01-WH-42108), Stanford University (N01-WH-42109), Baylor College of Medicine (N01-WH-42110), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (N01-WH-42111), Ohio State University Research Foundation (N01-WH-42112), University of Nevada at Reno (N01-WH-42113), Kaiser Permanente (N01-WH-42114), State University of New York at Stony Brook (N01-WH-42115), University of Massachusetts at Worcester (N01-WH-42116), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (N01-WH-42117), Wayne State University School of Medicine (N01-WH-42118), Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University (N01-WH-42119), Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (N01-WH-42120), Kaiser Permanente (N01-WH-42121), Medicine College of Wisconsin at Milwaukee (N01-WH-42122), Medstar Research Institute (N01-WH-42123), Rush-Presbyterian Medical Center at Chicago (N01-WH-42124), University of California at Los Angeles (N01-WH-42125), University of Cincinnati (N01-WH-42126), University of Florida at Gainesville (N01-WH-42129), University of Hawaii (N01-WH-42130), University of Miami (N01-WH-42131), University of Wisconsin at Madison (N01-WH-42132). This effort will be a five-year continuation of a portion of the aforementioned active WHI contracts. This acquisition is being made in accordance with the authorities set forth under 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) and as set forth in FAR 6.302-1. These contractors have been involved in recruitment, examination, and follow-up of participants in a clinical trial and observational study of 161,808 women across the United States. The incumbent contractors have the unique capability to provide the required services to the NHLBI for the continuation of this study. Inherent duplication of cost to the Government, and unacceptable delays in completing the project, make full competition unfeasible for this study. The objectives of this study are to investigate factors leading to increased risk of cardiovascular disease in older women of diverse race and ethnicity, especially coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism. The contractors will be required to perform an extensive comparison of the ongoing study, follow-up for morbidity and mortality, and to perform comprehensive laboratory and statistical activities, data analyses, and scientific publication efforts utilizing the collected WHI data. We anticipate several subcontracting opportunities during the conduct of these efforts. As an example, laboratory studies will be subcontracted to other organizations. It is anticipated that 4 to 6 cost-reimbursement type contracts will be renewed from the currently active contracts listed above. The solicitation will be in the form of a request for proposals (RFP), numbered NHLBI-WH-10-18, and will be available electronically on or about October 14, 2009, and may be accessed through the Internet at http://www.fedbizopps.gov under the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute postings. This notice of intent will close within 15 calendar days of posting. Proposals will be due on or about January 14, 2010, and the estimated award date is September 30, 2010. Offerors are responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and for routinely checking the Internet site for any possible solicitation amendments that may be issued by the Government. This is not a request for proposals, and does not commit the Government to award a contract. Interested parties in this or other subcontracting opportunities should contact either the Contracting Officer, Peggy Mills, at millsp@nhlbi.nih.gov, Phone 301/435-0345, or the Contract Specialist, Paul McFarlane at pmcfarlane@mail.nih.gov, Phone 301/435-0345, for further details.