GSA launches special contract vehicle for health IT services
The General Services Administration is honing in on the fast-growing health IT services market to better serve agency customers.
On its governmentwide IT Schedule 70 contracting vehicle, GSA has officially launched a long-anticipated health IT services special item number, or SIN — essentially a special category that makes it easier for agencies to find and buy health IT products on the federal government’s largest IT vehicle.
Given the an annual growth rate of more than 7 percent, health IT services procurement on Schedule 70 has greatly increased in recent years, Mary Davie, assistant commissioner for GSA’s Office of Integrated Technology Services, wrote in a GSA blog post Tuesday.
“The Health IT SIN simplifies the procurement process, making it easier for IT Schedule 70 customers to get access to new and emerging health IT services,” she wrote. “At the same time, it fosters competition and promotes small business participation.”
The SIN includes traditional health IT products and services, like those focused around the development of electronic health records; and others, such as telehealth, e-prescribing, and medical devices and sensors.
[Read more: GSA to lead $5.4B Pentagon health IT acquisitions]
GSA began developing the health IT SIN earlier this year, particularly after it struck a seven-year partnership with the Defense Health Agency to assist with its $5.4 billion annual spend on health IT procurement. GSA hosted an industry day around that partnership in January during which the agency explored how it can better support the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT’s Federal Health IT Strategic Plan and improve spending in the $31 billion annual federal health IT market, ultimately launching a series of requests for information.
GSA also worked closely with the Veterans Health Administration to develop the SIN, Davie wrote. “Since the beginning of the Health IT SIN development process, VHA has referred vendors to IT Schedule 70 for possible inclusion under the Health IT SIN.”
“This collaboration creates a win-win for both agencies and industry. Our customer agencies stay involved as active participants by using the Health IT SIN, while our industry partners are committed to providing innovative Health IT Services to government users,” she said.
