REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
January 11, 2022
FROM
WILLIAM L. GILBERT, Director, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Agreement with University of Illinois to Conduct Diabetic Research
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Grant Agreement with University of Illinois, to allow Arrowhead Regional Medical Center to participate in a research study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-care management of diabetes among ethnic minority women, retroactively beginning May 1, 2021 to June 1, 2022, with a maximum reimbursement of $1,000 for participant compensation.
(Presenter: William L. Gilbert, Director, 580-6150)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of the item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as the maximum reimbursement of $1,000 does not require matching funds. In return, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) will provide a $10 remuneration in the form of a gift card to each participant, with a maximum of 100 patients to be enrolled.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly to become a global health threat, with over 64 million people affected by COVID-19. Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been known as one of the major predisposing factors of COVID-19 resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Women with diabetes are an important vulnerable group with a greater burden of concomitant comorbidities, which increases their risk, especially in light of the current pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is also characterized by stress and depression, which can negatively affect mental health in the populace, with women of reproductive age disproportionately psychologically affected by the pandemic. These conditions are risk factors for poor maternal and child health outcomes.
Food insecurity may result in poor health outcomes which may be affected by the pandemic and worsened by pre-existing economic and health disparities. It is also possible that women with diabetes may be unwilling or unable to access food due to fear of viral exposure, decrease in income, limited access to transportation, and loss of access to food programs, further driving food insecurity. Diabetes self-efficacy can also be impacted by the pandemic.
A current study at the ARMC lab on diabetes and depression in prenatal women, Ratings Associated with Diabetes and Depression in Prenatal Moms (RADD Moms) study, revealed a relationship between diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, and mental health on diabetes self-management (DSM) among prenatal women with diabetes.
The overall goal of the RADD Moms study is to test the association between prenatal depression and self-rated health as it affects DSM among pregnant women diagnosed with DM. Specifically for this study, ARMC aims to examine how the pandemic has affected access to healthy foods and diet quality, mental health, and the ability to self-manage diabetes among a racially diverse group of diabetic women of reproductive age to assist the hospital to develop interventions that can be tested in clinical trials.
The grant agreement incorporates a term and condition that is not part of the County’s standard contract provisions, as discussed below.
Governing law is the State of Illinois.
• The County standard contract requires California governing law.
• Potential Impact: The contract will be interpreted under Illinois law. Any questions, issues or claims arising under this contract will require the County to hire outside counsel competent to advise on Illinois law, which may result in fees that exceed the total contract amount.
Approval of the agreement will allow the principal investigator (PI) at ARMC to collaborate on this study with the University of Illinois and to also allow Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellows from ARMC to participate in the study at the PI's direction. Such educational evolvement in a major research initiative will be a valuable experience in their education and will help meet the research requirements for the competition of their program. This is a retroactive agreement as the request to join this research study and approve the Grant Agreement was presented five months after the start of the Agreement period. The time period of this research study is approved by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and cannot be altered. ARMC will begin providing research data after the execution of this Agreement, yet the period of this Agreement retroactively begins on May 1, 2021, as mandated by the NIH for all participants of the research study.
PROCUREMENT
Not Applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Bonnie Uphold, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on December 7, 2021; ARMC Finance (Chen Wu, Budget and Finance Officer, 580-3165) on December 14, 2021; Finance (Yael Verduzco, Administrative Analyst, 387-5285) on December 17, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Diana Atkeson, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on December 17, 2021.