Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line Services

SPECIAL NOTICE UNUSUAL AND COMPELLING URGENCY Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line Services Notice/Requirement No.: ACQ_IHS_2026_U_01033 NAICS: 561320 Temporary Help Services PSC: Q401 Medical Nursing WITHDRAWAL AND SUPERSESSION OF PREVIOUS SPECIAL NOTICE The Indian Health Service (IHS), Phoenix Area Office (PAO), is issuing this Special Notice as a follow-on to the previously published Special Notice under Notice/Requirement No. ACQ_IHS_2026_U_01033. The previous Special Notice stated the Government's intent to restrict competition based upon a determination that only one source was available. Following further review of the acquisition record, including consideration of capability information received from industry, the Government has reconsidered that determination. The Government will not proceed with an award based upon the one-source determination described in the previous Special Notice. That determination is withdrawn and superseded by the acquisition approach described in this notice. The Government's prior market research, including responses received to the public Sources Sought Notice, demonstrates meaningful industry interest in the Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line Services requirement. Based upon that market research, IHS intends to pursue a competitive acquisition for the longer-term requirement. The need for an interim action arose after anticipated incumbent coverage changed unexpectedly. Upon learning of the potential interruption in services, IHS initiated market research, including issuance of the public Sources Sought Notice, and pursued alternatives intended to maintain continuity while a follow-on acquisition could be developed. Those efforts did not ultimately provide sufficient coverage for the period necessary to complete and transition to the competitive follow-on acquisition. IHS therefore has an immediate need to maintain uninterrupted Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line Services during the period necessary to complete the competitive acquisition. Accordingly, this Special Notice provides notice of the Government's intent to pursue a limited-duration bridge action based upon unusual and compelling urgency. The bridge action described below is not based upon a determination that only one commercial source is capable of performing Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line Services. Rather, it is intended solely as a short-term measure to maintain continuity of services while IHS conducts and transitions to the planned competitive follow-on acquisition. NOTICE OF INTENT LIMITED-DURATION BRIDGE REQUIREMENT The Indian Health Service (IHS), Phoenix Area Office (PAO), intends to award a limited-duration bridge contract for Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line Services to maintain continuity of existing clinical support services while IHS conducts a competitive acquisition for the longer-term requirement. This acquisition is being conducted pursuant to RFO FAR 6.103-2, Unusual and Compelling Urgency, and 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(2). The Government has determined that the need for uninterrupted Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line Services is of such an unusual and compelling urgency that the delay necessary to complete the planned competitive acquisition before interim coverage is established would create an unacceptable risk of interruption to services supporting IHS beneficiaries. The contemplated bridge action will be limited to a six (6)-month period of performance. The duration is intended to provide only the time necessary to maintain continuity of services while IHS develops, solicits, evaluates, awards, and transitions to the competitive follow-on requirement. Consistent with the urgency authority, IHS will consider timely information received from responsible sources concerning their ability to satisfy the complete immediate bridge requirement within the timeframe available to prevent interruption of services. The Government's use of unusual and compelling urgency for this interim action does not constitute a determination that competition is unavailable for the underlying requirement and does not alter IHS's intent to competitively acquire the longer-term Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line Services requirement. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT IHS requires contractor-operated Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line Services to support eligible American Indian and Alaska Native beneficiaries served by the following locations: Colorado River Service Unit (CRSU), Parker, Arizona; Elko Southern Band Health Center (ELKO), Elko, Nevada; Fort Yuma Service Unit (FYSU), Winterhaven, California; and Uintah & Ouray Service Unit (U&O), Fort Duchesne, Utah. The contractor shall provide continuously available nurse telephone triage and advice-line services 24 hours per day, seven days per week, including weekends and federally recognized holidays. Services shall provide beneficiaries access to qualified Registered Nurses using nationally recognized, physician-approved, evidence-based clinical triage protocols. Based upon clinical assessment, the contractor shall provide appropriate clinical guidance and disposition, including home/self-care instructions, health education, non-emergent follow-up guidance, referrals, and direction to urgent or emergency medical care when clinically indicated. The contractor shall provide a dedicated toll-free nurse advice line and maintain the capability necessary to ensure continuous caller access. The contractor shall furnish the personnel, supervision, management, telecommunications, software, clinical protocols, and related operational support necessary to perform the requirement. Services also include appropriate documentation of patient encounters, secure transmission of required encounter information to designated IHS personnel, maintenance of applicable RN licensing and credentials, privacy and confidentiality safeguards, quality-control activities, and required performance reporting. The purpose of the requirement is to provide beneficiaries with continuous access to timely clinical assessment and guidance when facility personnel may not otherwise be immediately available and to support appropriate disposition to the level of care indicated by the beneficiary's clinical circumstances. These requirements are consistent with the underlying PWS. BASIS FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION IHS must maintain continuity of Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line Services while the Government develops and conducts a competitive acquisition for the longer-term requirement. The need for an interim action arose after anticipated incumbent coverage changed unexpectedly. Upon learning of the potential interruption in services, IHS initiated market research, including issuance of a public Sources Sought Notice, to identify alternative sources and assess industry capability. The Government also pursued alternatives intended to maintain continuity while developing an acquisition strategy for the follow-on requirement. Those efforts did not ultimately provide sufficient coverage for the period necessary to complete the competitive acquisition. The time presently available before continued services are required is insufficient to finalize the competitive solicitation, provide an appropriate response period, evaluate offers, make award, and complete implementation and transition activities necessary to ensure uninterrupted performance. Market research generated multiple industry responses expressing interest and providing capability information concerning the requirement. The results demonstrate meaningful industry interest and support the Government's determination that competition is appropriate for the longer-term requirement. Market research also informed the Government's acquisition strategy. Based upon the breadth of industry interest and further review of Phoenix Area clinical and operational needs, IHS intends to develop the follow-on acquisition as a broader Phoenix Area-wide requirement, rather than continuing to acquire these services through separate or fragmented site-level actions. IHS intends to evaluate and incorporate the Nurse Telephone Triage/Nurse Advice Line needs of all applicable Phoenix Area healthcare facilities requiring this capability. The Government will coordinate with affected Service Units to validate site-specific requirements, anticipated call volumes, clinical and operational requirements, applicable accreditation requirements, funding, and transition needs. Accordingly, this interim action is not based upon a determination that only one responsible source is capable of performing the underlying requirement or that competition is unavailable. The basis for limiting competition is the immediate need to prevent interruption of existing services during the limited period necessary to develop, conduct, award, and transition to the competitive Area-wide follow-on acquisition. A lapse in coverage would interrupt an existing…