Arlene Blade Contracting Officer

Arlene Blade serves as a Contracting Officer within the 256-NETWORK Contract Office 16 (36C256) of the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she manages the acquisition of critical healthcare infrastructure and support services essential to veteran care delivery. Her portfolio encompasses the procurement of surgical appliances, electromedical equipment, facility maintenance systems, and security infrastructure for VA hospitals and residential care facilities. She ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning procurements with the VA’s mission to modernize and sustain healthcare environments that meet the unique needs of our nation’s veterans. Her work directly supports operational readiness across VA medical centers through strategic sourcing and contract administration. Blade maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including VETMEDPROPERTY LLC, MILLBROOK SUPPORT SERVICES INC, SI PROPERTY INVESTMENTS LLC, BRISTON CONSTRUCTION, LLC, and 336 AT SOUTH MEDICAL LTD. These partnerships reflect a balanced mix of specialized medical equipment suppliers, facility services providers, and construction firms with demonstrated expertise in VA-compliant environments. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, long-term service agreements, and vendor accountability, fostering reliable, mission-critical support networks across VA healthcare campuses. Her procurement strategy prioritizes small business participation, with 40% of awards designated as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a strong commitment to socioeconomic goals. While 60% of acquisitions remain open to all competitors, she consistently structures solicitations to encourage small business responsiveness, particularly through simplified acquisition procedures and clear performance metrics that lower entry barriers for qualified vendors. Blade’s technical focus centers on NAICS 339113 (surgical appliance manufacturing), 541614 (logistics and process consulting), 721110 (hotel and motel services for VA residential care), and 561621 (security systems services). She specializes in acquiring integrated medical devices, facility logistics solutions, temporary housing infrastructure for extended care patients, and secure access control systems—domains requiring deep regulatory awareness and technical specificity to ensure patient safety and operational continuity.