REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
July 13, 2021
FROM
ANDREW GOLDFRACH, Interim Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Award Agreement from the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the COVID-19 Response Through Community Collaboration
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Accept grant award (Award No. 1NH75OT000064-01-00) from the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the COVID-19 Response Through Community Collaboration to support COVID-19 response activities, with a specific focus on health equity and community collaboration, in the amount of $24,844,268, for the period of June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2023.
2. Designate the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or Director of the Department of Public Health to execute and submit any subsequent grant documents necessary to receive funding and to accept any non-substantive amendments to the grant award, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or Director of the Department of Public Health to transmit all documents in relation to this grant award to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Andrew Goldfrach, Interim 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
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The grant award in the amount of $24,844,268 from Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not require a local match. Approval of the necessary budget adjustments to the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) 2021-22 budget is not requested at this time, but will be included on a future quarterly countywide budget report and presented to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for approval. Adequate appropriation and revenue will be included in the 2022-23 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
CDC is providing grant funding to support local health jurisdiction’s COVID-19 response activities, with a specific focus on health equity and community collaboration. COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted multiple underserved populations within San Bernardino County, placed a higher risk on those medically underserved, and those with limited access to services. This includes racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as people living in more rural communities. Additionally, racial and ethnic minority groups and people living in more rural communities have disproportionate rates of chronic diseases that increase the severity of COVID-19 infection.
DPH will utilize the CDC COVID-19 Response Through Community Collaboration grant funding to support COVID-19 response activities and associated expenses that will include:
• Service contracts with local and regional community partners;
• Expansion of testing and vaccination within San Bernardino County;
• Department capacity building, including funding for DPH’s Health Equity
Committee and Community Health Improvement Plan;
• Advertising and promotion of COVID-19 testing and vaccination availability;
• Supplies such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and take-home test kits;
• Equipment such as computers and other technology options to address COVID-19; and
• Community focused events and initiatives such as town halls and surveys to further improve testing and vaccination rates.
On May 18, 2021 (Item No. 34), the Board ratified the submission of the application to CDC for the “National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities” grant funding, in the amount of $24,844,268, for the anticipated period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023, approved by the Chief Executive Officer on May 3, 2021. After submission of the grant application, CDC awarded the application titled COVID-19 Response Through Community Collaboration, as each jurisdiction was required to uniquely name their application.
On May 28, 2021, DPH received the grant award (Award No. 1NH75OT000064-01-00) from CDC for the COVID-19 Response Through Community Collaboration grant funding, in the amount of $24,844,268, for the period of June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2023.
This item is being presented at this time, as this is the first available date following the required operational, fiscal, and legal reviews. Approval at this time will not impact DPH’s COVID-19 collaboration activities.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 28, 2021; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) June 25, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on June 28, 2021.