NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE – NASH HEALTHCARE CONSULTING

The purpose of this acquisition is to obtain expert consultative services related to The Joint Commission (TJC) comprehensive hospital accreditation standards for the NIH Clinical Center (CC).

•             Product Service Code: 6515 – Medical Instruments, Equipment, and Supplies

•             NAICS Code: 541990 – All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

•             Place of Performance: Bethesda, MD 20892 USA

POTS: 26-005236

Description:

This is a notice of intent, not a request for a quotation.  A solicitation document will not be issued and quotations will not be requested.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to award a fixed price purchase order to Nash Healthcare Consulting, LLC, located at 269 Fountain Rd, El Paso, TX 79912, on a firm fixed price sole source award basis to provide consultative services to the National Institutes of Health.

The objectives of this acquisition are to:

• Conduct a mock survey assessment to identify areas of strength, opportunities for improvement, and recommendations to meet the intent of TJC standards across all applicable chapters of the Hospital manual;

• Review pertinent information, documents, and tracer activity, including onsite patient health record reviews, to assess compliance with frequently cited standards;

• Evaluate competency assessment and education as ongoing measures, linking staff knowledge to specific standards;

• Conduct interviews and discussions with hospital leaders, department directors, physicians, and staff to assess compliance with TJC standards;

• Review medical staff bylaws, credentialing and privileging processes, medication management practices, and infection control practices; and

• Brief stakeholders through daily briefings and an exit conference to identify noncompliance and recommend improvements.

The Office of Patient Safety and Clinical Quality has identified Nash Healthcare Consulting as the appropriate source for this work considering the firm's prior experience with the CC, especially regarding the interface between the NIH research-focus and mission, and the clinical care mission that is unique among other US hospitals. The interdisciplinary expertise of its consulting team, and the time-sensitive nature of preparing for the upcoming Joint Commission survey are stringent requirements for a TJC preparation. Engaging a new consultant without familiarity with the CC's unique integration of research and clinical care missions’ preparation would introduce an unacceptable learning curve and associated risk to the CC's accreditation standing. No other contractor has been identified that combines the same team structure of clinical and regulatory specialists, direct prior experience with the NIH Clinical Center, and the demonstrated capability to conduct a comprehensive mock survey aligned with the full scope of TJC Hospital accreditation standards.

This acquisition is being conducted using policies unique to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1), For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstance of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available.  Contracts awarded using FAR Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6-Competition Requirements.

Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities in response to this posting. The determination by the Government not to compete the proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Comments to this announcement, referencing this posting number, may be submitted to the NIH, Clinical Center, Office of Purchasing and Contracts, prior to the closing date specified in this announcement, to the attention of Kristin Nagashima, Contract Specialist via email to Kristin.nagashima@nih.gov by April 29, 2026 at 9am EST.