REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
March 15, 2022
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Communicable Disease Section Project Coordinator Employment Contract for the Department of Public Health
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve employment contract with Sydni Harford, Communicable Disease Section Project Coordinator, for an estimated annual cost of $111,271 ($67,246 Salary, $44,025 Benefits), for the period of March 26, 2022 through June 30, 2024.
2. Authorize the Assistant Executive Officer of Department Operations or the Director of the Department of Public Health to execute amendments to extend the term of the contract for a maximum of two successive one-year periods on behalf of the County, subject to County Counsel review.
3. Direct the Assistant Executive Officer of Department Operations or the Director of the Department of Public Health to transmit all documents in relation to the contract amendments to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
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
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The estimated annual cost of $111,271 will be funded by a combination of 1991 Realignment funds, a California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Branch grant, and a CDPH Hepatitis C Prevention grant. This position is being filled by a contract employee to align with STD and Hepatitis C grant dates. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the 2021-22 Department of Public Health (DPH) budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DPH provides public health services to the communities of San Bernardino County to achieve community health, complementing and enhancing the quality of life in the area. The Communicable Disease Section (CDS) Program Project Coordinator position will perform supervisory and administrative support work, planning, organizing, and coordinating the work of CDS Investigators and other support staff. Work requires coordinating schedules, assignments, and staff and program performance evaluation. The Project Coordinator will be the liaison between CDS and Clinic Operations to ensure processes are standardized.
DPH is recommending an employment contract with Sydni Harford for the Project Coordinator position. The employment contract shall be effective March 26, 2022 through June 30, 2024, subject to the termination provisions of the contract. Authorization is requested for the Assistant Executive Officer of Department Operations or the Director of Public Health to execute amendments to extend the term of the contract for a maximum of two successive one-year periods. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may terminate the contract at any time without cause upon 14 days prior written notice to the other party. The County may terminate the contract immediately for just cause.
The Project Coordinator is being recruited to support innovative and impactful STD and hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevention and control activities. These activities include coordinating voluntary screening for STDs among inmates and wards of County adult and juvenile correctional facilities and County Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs); technology, telehealth, and digital platforms and applications to enhance immediate access to screening, testing, and treatment; and state-of-the-art testing modalities that ensure swift and accurate screening for, and diagnosis of, STDs. Activities around HCV prevention and control activities include monitoring, prevention, testing, and linkage to and retention in care activities for the most vulnerable and underserved individuals living with, or at high risk for, HCV infection in collaboration with one or more community-based organizations.
PROCUREMENT
DPH solicited resumes via email in July 2021. The Program Manager reviewed three resumes and interviewed one individual.
Based on Sydni Harford’s education of a Master of Science degree in Public Health and her experience as a COVID-19 Program Coordinator, DPH recommends an employment contract with Sydni Harford as a Project Coordinator at an hourly rate of $32.33, contingent on Board of Supervisors’ approval.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on January 26, 2022; Human Resources (Gina King, Deputy Director of Human Resources, 387-5570) on March 1, 2022; County Counsel (Cynthia O’Neill, Supervising Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on January 31, 2022; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on March 1, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on March 1, 2022.