REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 7, 2024
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Amendments to Contracts for Outreach, Education and Promotion Services
...End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendments to the following contracts to mitigate impacts associated with COVID-19 and reduce related health disparities, extending the term an additional two years for a total contract period of March 15, 2022, through May 31, 2026, with no change to the total combined contract amount of $7,100,000 and as detailed below:
1. El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center, Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 22-195, in the amount of $500,000.
2. Inland Empire Health Plan, Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 22-196, in the amount of $3,300,000.
3. Reach Out, Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-197, in the amount of $1,000,000.
4. Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino, Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-198, in the amount of $500,000.
5. San Bernardino County Medical Society, Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-199, in the amount of $150,000.
6. St. Mary’s Medical Center, Amendment No. 4 to Contract No. 22-200, in the amount of $1,250,000.
7. Young Scholars for Academic Empowerment dba TruEvolution, Inc., Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-201, in the amount of $200,000.
8. Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy, Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-202, in the amount of $200,000.
(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
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). These contracts are funded by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Response through Community Collaboration grant funding. Currently, 65 percent of funds have been expended, with 35 percent remaining. The two-year extension will allow the Community-Based Organization (CBOs) mentioned in the Recommendation additional time to fully utilize all available funds and continue services through the end of the grant term of May 31, 2026. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) 2023-24 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On July 13, 2021 (Item No. 33), the Board of Supervisors (Board) accepted a grant award, Contract No. 21-540 (Grant), from the CDC for COVID-19 Response through Community Collaboration funding, in the amount of $24,844,268, for the period of June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2023. Funding was to support COVID-19 response activities with a focus on health equity, specifically addressing underserved populations within the County. This included medically underserved individuals, those with limited access to services, specific racial and ethnic minority groups, persons in skilled nursing homes, and people living in rural communities. Under the terms of the Grant, $7,100,000 could be subcontracted to various CBOs for the provision of countywide outreach, education, and promotion of testing and vaccination services.
Approval of this item will allow the contracted CBOs more time to expend the allocated funding. The reduction of COVID-19 infections due to the presence of vaccinations, natural immunity, and treatment, has slowed the spending of the Grant funding. However, because it is still present within the community and many individuals are at risk, efforts to continue outreach, education, and promotion of testing and vaccination services are still necessary.
On March 15, 2022 (Item No. 40), the Board approved the eight CBO contracts, selected through a formal procurement, to provide outreach, education, and promotion services for a total combined contract amount of $7,100,000, for the period of March 15, 2022 through May 31, 2023.
On May 24, 2022 (Item No. 72), June 14, 2022 (Item No. 50), and December 13, 2022 (Item No. 53), amendments for El Sol Neighborhood Education Center (Amendment No.1 to Contract No. 22-195), Inland Empire Health Plan (Amendment No .1 to Contract No. 22-196), and St. Mary’s Medical Center (Amendment Nos. 1 and 2 to Contract No. 22-200), involved minor revisions to the scopes of work, details regarding subcontractors, and adding the Business Associate Agreement for protected health information, with no change to the contract amounts or contract period.
On May 23, 2023 (Item No. 62), the Board approved amendments to the eight CBO contracts, to extend each term for one year, for a total contract period of March 15, 2022, through May 31, 2024, with no change to the total combined contract amount of $7,100,000.
On March 7, 2024, the CAO approved submission of a two-year Grant extension request to the CDC with no change to the award amount or requirements. On April 5, 2024, the CDC approved the two-year Grant extension request.
Approval of the Recommendation will allow the CBOs to continue to provide services through the two-year extension. Contractor performance will be monitored through review of monthly reports, invoices, and an annual site visit to ensure compliance with the administrative, program, and fiscal terms and conditions of the contract.
PROCUREMENT
On August 25, 2021, a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was released to provide COVID-19 outreach, education, and promotion services. The RFQ resulted in 16 submitted proposals, with eight selected by an evaluation committee as best meeting the needs of the County.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 4, 2024; Finance (Carl Lofton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5404) on April 18, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on April 22, 2024.