Merlinda M Labaco

Merlinda M. Labaco serves as a Contract Specialist at Naval Medical Center San Diego (N00259), where she plays a critical role in executing acquisitions that support the delivery of advanced clinical care and operational medical readiness for active-duty personnel, veterans, and their families. She manages a diverse portfolio of procurement actions spanning electromedical equipment, surgical supplies, laboratory diagnostics, and pharmaceutical preparations, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and mission-aligned sourcing strategies. Her work directly enables the modernization of surgical and diagnostic capabilities essential to sustaining combat-ready medical forces. Labaco collaborates with a broad spectrum of vendors, including manufacturers of surgical instruments, medical device suppliers, and pharmaceutical preparers, fostering partnerships that prioritize technical reliability and regulatory compliance. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with firms capable of meeting stringent military medical standards, including those certified under ISO 13485 and FDA-regulated production environments. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes and lifecycle support for complex medical systems. Her procurement patterns reflect a strong commitment to small business participation, with nearly 40% of acquisitions set aside for total small businesses under FAR 19.5 and over 1% awarded through 8(a) competed contracts. This demonstrates a deliberate effort to expand economic opportunity while leveraging the innovation and agility of small, socioeconomically disadvantaged firms. She balances this focus with a significant proportion of open competitions, ensuring broad market access while meeting mission-critical requirements. Labaco’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 811219 (medical equipment repair), 339113 (surgical appliance manufacturing), and 339112 (surgical instrument manufacturing), reflecting deep expertise in electromedical and surgical technology domains. She routinely procures specialized devices such as endoscopic systems, sterilization equipment, and ophthalmic instruments, demonstrating technical fluency in medical device classifications and FDA regulatory pathways. Her work ensures the center maintains cutting-edge capabilities in trauma care, diagnostics, and surgical innovation.