REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
April 21, 2026
FROM
JANKI PATEL, Acting Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Supplemental Grant Application for Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Strengthening Hospital Acquired Infections/Antimicrobial Resistance Program Funding from the California Department of Public Health
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve and authorize the submission of additional application forms to the California Department of Public Health, including the legally binding Contractor Certification Clauses form, to supplement an application submitted on April 1, 2025 to secure funding from the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Strengthening Hospital Acquired Infections/Antimicrobial Resistance Program, in the amount of $377,705, for a period beginning upon award issuance and continuing through July 31, 2027.
(Presenter: Janki Patel, Acting Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Funding from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Strengthening Hospital Acquired Infections/Antimicrobial Resistance Program (ELC SHARP) does not require a local match. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) 2025-26 budget and will be included in the 2026-27 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
CDPH provides ELC SHARP funding to local public health laboratories to support expansion of antimicrobial resistance surveillance and enhance testing capacity for healthcare-associated infections. Antimicrobial-resistant infections have increasingly been identified in local hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and long-term acute care facilities. DPH collaborates with these facilities to increase patient screening for antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. ELC SHARP funding is used for testing supplies and software, as well as courier services for delivery of specimens.
On April 1, 2025, the County Administrative Office authorized the submission of an application to CDPH for ELG SHARP funding, in the amount of $377,705, for a period beginning upon award issuance and continuing through July 31, 2027.
In December 2025, CDPH requested from DPH the completion of additional application forms to receive a grant award. The legally binding forms were not included in the original grant application. County Policy 05-13 requires approval from the Board of Supervisors (Board) for grant applications or amendments that are legally binding.
Approval of this item would allow DPH to secure a grant award for ELC SHARP funding and improve testing capacity for healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance.
DPH will return to the Board to request acceptance of ELC SHARP funding, if and when received.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 3, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on April 3, 2026.