REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 26, 2021
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Amended Grant Award from the United States Department of Health and Human Services for the Health Center Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Accept amended grant award, Amendment No. 2 to County Contract 21-213 (Award No. 6H80CS00657-20-03) from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration for the Health Center Program, in supplemental Ending the HIV Epidemic - Primary Care HIV Prevention funding, increasing the grant award by $66,000, from $2,225,840 to $2,291,840, for the period of March 1, 2021 through February 28, 2022.
2. Designate the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or Director of the Department of Public Health to accept any subsequent non-substantive amendments in relation 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 non-substantive amendments in relation to the grant award 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
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 increase of $66,000 to the grant award from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for the Health Center Program, Ending the HIV Epidemic - Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) does not require a local match. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) 2021-22 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
HRSA provides funding to local health jurisdictions for the delivery of comprehensive primary health care services to defined service areas and patient populations through the Health Center Program. The Health Center Program provides a variety of services to San Bernardino County residents, such as operational support for DPH’s four Federally Qualified Health Centers located in Adelanto, Hesperia, Ontario, and San Bernardino and Primary Care HIV Prevention services.
DPH will use the additional supplemental PCHP funding to expand HIV prevention services that decrease the risk of HIV transmission in geographic locations of the county identified by Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States, focusing on supporting access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). DPH will continue to engage new and existing patients in HIV prevention services, identifying those at risk for HIV using validated screening tools; increase the number of patients tested for HIV; for patients testing negative, provide HIV prevention education, and prescribe and support the use of clinically indicated PrEP; for patients testing positive, link them to HIV treatment; establish new and/or enhance existing partnerships with health departments, and community and faith-based organizations to support identification of at-risk individuals, testing, linkage to treatment, and other activities that support progress of the PCHP purpose and objectives; and maintain personnel who will identify individuals for whom PrEP is clinically indicted and support their access to and use of PrEP.
On August 6, 2019 (Item No. 27) and September 10, 2019 (Item No. 39), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the Phase 1 and Phase 2, respectively, grant application to HRSA for the Health Center Program, in order to receive annual funding for the three-year grant period of March 1, 2020 through February 28, 2023.
On March 23, 2021 (Item No. 50), the Board approved grant (Award No. 5H80CS00657-20-00) for continued operational support of DPH’s Federally Qualified Health Centers located in the High Desert and Valley Regions, in the amount of $1,970,097, and the amended grant award (Award No. 6H80CS00657-20-01) for continued support of Primary Care HIV Prevention, in the amount of $255,743, for a total grant award of $2,225,840, for the period of March 1, 2021 through February 28, 2022. In addition, this item authorized the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or DPH Director to accept any subsequent non-substantive amendments in relation to the grant awards, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
On May 25, 2021, DPH received a non-substantive notice of award (Award No. 4H80CS00657-20-02) notifying the department of anticipated future award information for the Health Center Program in 2022, which did not require any further action by the County.
On September 16, 2021, DPH received the notice of award (Award No. 6H80CS00657-20-03) from HRSA for the Health Center Program in supplemental PCHP funding, increasing the award by $66,000, from $2,225,840 to $2,291,840, for the period of March 1, 2021 through February 28, 2022. This item is being presented at this time, as this is the first available date following the required operational, fiscal, and legal reviews. Approval by the Board at this time will not impact DPH’s PCHP services or activities.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 6, 2021; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) October 6, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on October 6, 2021.