DATE: November 2, 2021
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: David Luchini, RN, PHN, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: Retroactive Revenue Agreement with the California Department of Public Health
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive revenue Agreement with the California Department of Public Health for the California Perinatal Equity Initiative, effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023, total not to exceed $1,191,288; and
2. Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Public Health, or designee, to execute the State Contractor’s Release Form for the final invoice.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the first recommended action will provide the Department of Public Health (Department) with funding from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to continue implementation of the California Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI) in the County. The funding will support local perinatal equity activities to fill gaps in current services and assist with implementation of a collective impact effort to reduce African American infant mortality. Approval of the second recommended action will allow the Department Director, or designee, to execute the State Contractor’s Release Form for submittal with the final invoice to the State. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There are no viable alternative actions. Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the Department would not be able to accept the CDPH funds nor implement the PEI in the County, which would result in less work completed to address the causes of persistent inequality in perinatal health and provide best practices to eliminate disparities in infant mortality.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The recommended Agreement was received from CDPH on July 27, 2021 and is retroactive to July 1, 2021. The time required to prepare and review the agreement did not allow presentation to your Board at an earlier date.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. CDPH will provide $1,191,288 to fund community activities, contract costs, and some staffing activities related to PEI implementation. There are no pending invoices associated with the recommended agreement. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5620 FY 2021-22 Adopted Budget and will be included in subsequent budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
On May 26, 2020, the Board approved an agreement with CDPH to receive funding supporting the local PEI effort to reduce African American infant mortality. Approval of the first recommended action will provide the Department with additional funding from CDPH to continue implementation of the PEI in the County. The funding will continue to support subcontracts with community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide local perinatal equity services, salary and benefits for one Department health educator, and activities for collective impact in reducing African American infant mortality.
The PEI was established with CDPH funding awarded to 13 local county health departments with existing Black Infant Health (BIH) Programs. BIH provides evidenced-informed interventions focused on social support, stress management, and empowerment for pregnant and parenting moms to reduce African American infant mortality. There is still much work to be done as the County’s mortality rate for African American infants continues to be 2.5 times higher than the statewide rates and 2.21 times higher than the national rates for other groups.
Approval of the recommended agreement will allow the Department to utilize this CDPH funding to continue PEI’s activities and collaboration including, but not limited to:
• CBO collaboration to implement legislated PEI interventions that include fatherhood and doula services,
• Monitoring program activities utilizing new interactive tools such as Clear Impact Scorecard to incorporate Results-Based Accountability,
• Continued support of a PEI Community Advisory Board that engages local leaders and stakeholders in discussing the needs and opportunities to reduce African American infant mortality, and
• Public Health Awareness Campaign to inform the community about African American birth outcome inequities and drivers of these inequities.
The recommended agreement deviates from the County’s standard contract language and contains no insurance language or limits, nor the County’s indemnification language. Approval of the second recommended action will allow the Department Director, or designee, to execute the State Contractor’s Release Form for submittal with the final invoice to the State.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #48, May 26, 2020
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with CA Department of Public Health
CAO ANALYST:
Ron Alexander