National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Contracts Operations Branch, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 6100, MSC 7902, Bethesda, MD 20892

A -- MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN ACUTE CLINICAL SETTING SOL NHLBI-HL-P-98-259 DUE 042498 POC Kathleen Van Steelant, Contract Specialist, (301) 435-0364; Debra Hawkins, Contracting Officer, (301) 435-0367 It is the intent of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) to negotiate on a sole source basis with Suburban Hospital, Bethesda MD to provide a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facility, appropriate for acute cardiac and stroke patients. The purpose of this program is to establish a collaborative research program between the Hospital and NIH to study the use of MRI in the clinical evaluation of acute cardiac and stroke patients. Over the last few years, several programs at the NIH, including NHLBI, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) and the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center (Clinical Center), have been developing new MRI techniques for the evaluation of cardiac and stroke patients. These studies have now matured to the point that extensive evaluation of acute patient populations is required to establish the efficacy of these approaches in the initial evaluation of the acute cardiac or stroke patient. The initial aim of this program is to include MRI procedures in standard clinical care protocols to determine the specificity and sensitivity of MRI in the evaluation of this patient population. NIH and Suburban Hospital using the technical expertise of the NIH programs will jointly develop the protocols. The Hospital will be able to refer >150 acute cardiac and >150 acute stroke patients per year for MRI evaluation. It is believed that Suburban Hospital is the sole source for this program under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 for the following reasons: Since the goal of this program is to evaluate acutely ill patients, the proximity of the Hospital to NIH is critical to permit clinical and engineering staff to respond to acute patient issues in a timely fashion from the NIH site. The on-call NIH professional staff at the NIH Clinical Center will also provide the specialized clinical coverage for off-hour studies. The Hospital will be able to provide 24 hour MRI technologist support for the facility. Based on the clinical requirements of the acute cardiac and stroke patient, the hospital shall be located within 5 minutes driving time or 10 minutes by foot from the NIH Bethesda, MD campus. This is to assure that no acute patient will need to wait for proper physician coverage or technical support for a MRI procedure as well as assure a good working relationship between the Hospital and NIH staff. The period of performance will be for one twelve (12) month period, with options to renew for three additional twelve (12) month periods. Any competing hospital that believes it is capable of providing the above facility is invited to submit sufficient documentation to demonstrate that capability to the Contract Specialist. Please send correspondence to the named individual at the above address, ATTN: Kathleen J. Van Steelant, Procurement Section, Room 6143, MSC 7902. See Numbered Note 22. (0070)

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