ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business and Arrow ARC receive 10-year VA Integrated Critical Staffing Program IDIQ contract

The five-year multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract has an additional five-year option period and a ceiling value of $23 billion.

Aptive Resources and Artemis ARC, through their joint venture, Arrow ARC, received a 10-year contract from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide health care staffing services and programmatic support to VA facilities and program offices nationwide. The five-year multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract has an additional five-year option period and a ceiling value of $23 billion. W. P. Carey is a teaming partner in this effort.

"We’re so proud to have been selected for this mission-oriented contract," said Dr. Jason Ormsby, former chief health care officer at Aptive, who played a major role in securing the contract. Ormsby earned his MBA and master’s degree in health sector management at W. P. Carey. "Aptive looks forward to supporting the VA’s strategic goals of improving access and wait times for veterans, advancing health professional training, enhancing the quality and safety of care, increasing veteran satisfaction, and achieving innovations and operational efficiencies over the next 10 years through this vehicle."

The expected work by ASU will focus on addressing critical staffing shortages, aiming to improve care delivery for veterans. It will provide staffing solutions to VA medical facilities experiencing critical staffing shortages and needing expertise in supply chain management, logistics, information technology, business analytics, and continuing education for these functions — all areas where W. P. Carey has strong capabilities.

Experts from W. P. Carey’s Department of Supply Chain Management bring important expertise in health care logistics. Gene Schneller, professor and Dean’s Council of 100 Distinguished Scholar, heads up the W. P. Carey team. His research focuses on health sector supply chain strategy, group purchasing, distribution models, and talent development. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Schneller has focused on building resilience in the health care sector.

"I am pleased to be working with Aptive on this important grant," said Schneller. "Aptive’s understanding of the challenges facing large health systems, such as the VA, brings certainty to our goals to improve care for our nation’s veterans. This work provides the perfect opportunity to design innovative strategies assuring a robust supply chain of workers to staff one of the nation’s great integrated delivery networks."

Thomas Kull, professor of supply chain management, and John Fowler, Motorola Professor in International Management, are also part of the team. The W. P. Carey Department of Supply Chain Management is regularly ranked among the top three in the nation for undergraduate and graduate programs, according to U.S. News & World Report, ahead of Ohio State University, University of Michigan, and Carnegie Mellon University.

"ASU and W. P. Carey have a reputation for honoring veterans’ service through educational opportunities and community connection. We are thrilled for this chance to further give back to veterans, who have given so much, through this partnership with Arrow ARC and the VA," said Ohad Kadan, dean and W. P. Carey Distinguished Chair. "Our supply chain experts are among the very best in the world, and we look forward to realizing their contributions to the project."

"We are honored and thrilled to receive this monumental contract from the VA. This opportunity allows us to play a crucial role in supporting our nation’s heroes by providing critical program and staffing services," said Aly Glick, Artemis ARC president. "Our team is energized and ready to deliver exceptional staffing solutions, ensuring that those who have served our country receive the highest quality care. We look forward to the shared journey and the meaningful impact we can create together."