7H20--Abbott RALS POC Middleware, Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center, Columbus, Ohio 43219

The tender in brief

Sole-source RALS point-of-care middleware licence and support for VA clinics in Columbus, Ohio

The VA intends to negotiate only with Abbott Rapid Diagnostics Informatics for RALS middleware that connects point-of-care testing devices to the laboratory information system and the Cerner electronic health record. The software covers Roche Accu-Chek Inform II, Abbott i-STAT and Abbott ID-Now instruments at the Columbus VA Ambulatory Care Center and its community clinics in Grove City, Newark, Zanesville, Marion and Delaware, Ohio. The contract includes licensing, interfaces, training, updates, hardware maintenance and round-the-clock technical support.

Who can win it

• Only the proprietary manufacturer of the RALS middleware can supply it
• The manufacturer does not use third parties to distribute its products to the government
• The software must be compatible with the named devices and the VA's Cerner electronic health record