REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
March 11, 2025
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of Public Health to Establish the California Epidemiologic Investigation Service Fellowship Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of Public Health, including non-standard terms, for one-year assignments of the California Epidemiologic Investigation Service Fellowship Program, for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2029.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is non-financial in nature and will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has a separate agreement with the Regents of the University of California, Davis (UCD) through which fellows from the California Epidemiologic Investigation Service (Cal-EIS) Fellowship Program (Fellowship) are insured and compensated.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Established in 1989, in response to the need to employ qualified epidemiologists in California’s health departments, the Cal-EIS Fellowship allows epidemiologists who have recently graduated from a Master’s degree program to gain hands-on experience working with an epidemiologist preceptor in local health departments. Participating fellows receive administrative support and compensation through a separate interagency agreement between CDPH and UCD.
Through the Fellowship, the County will receive support with epidemiological tasks such as investigating local outbreaks of diseases, identifying epidemiologic trends, locations, and sources, assessing risks of possible epidemics or communicable disease hazards, and recommending control procedures based on such assessments. In return, fellows gain valuable experience in applied epidemiology in a public health environment. Since the Fellowship’s inception, 70% of graduates have gone on to work in a public health agency, with 81% of those working in a California public health agency.
The MOU contains non-standard terms that require approval by the Board of Supervisors (Board) per County Policy 11-05. The non-standard terms include the following:
1. The County is required to indemnify CDPH against third party claims.
• The County standard contract does not include any indemnification or defense by the County of a partner agency.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to indemnify CDPH, the County could be contractually waiving the protection of sovereign immunity. Claims that may otherwise be barred against the County, time limited, or expense limited could be brought against CDPH without such limitations and the County would be responsible to defend and reimburse CDPH for costs, expenses, and damages, which could exceed the total agreement amount.
2. The MOU does not adhere to the County’s insurance standards as required pursuant to County Policy 11-07.
• The County Policy requires partner agencies to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the County’s Risk Management Department.
• Potential Impact: The MOU does not include County standard insurance requirements. The University of California, Office of Risk Services (UC) is a self-insured entity, requiring the County to rely on the UC’s assurance that it will be financially responsible for claims that may arise through the term of the agreement, potentially resulting in expenses to the County that exceed the total agreement amount.
The Department recommends approval of the MOU, including the non-standard terms, so that Cal-EIS fellows can gain experience while providing support for communicable disease surveillance and infection control efforts. The MOU will be effective for a four-year term and may be terminated by either party with or without cause upon 30 days written notice.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on February 24, 2025; Risk Management (Gregory Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst, 386-9008) on February 13, 2025; Finance (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4205) on February 24, 2025; County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on February 24, 2025.