REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 13, 2022
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Allocation from the California Department of Public Health for Future of Public Health Funding
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Accept and approve an allocation (Allocation Award No. FoPH-039) from the California Department of Public Health for Future of Public Health funding to support public health workforce and infrastructure, in the amount of $11,284,416, for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
2. Approve and authorize the submission of the Acknowledgement of Allocation Letter, Annual Certification, Work Plan, and Spend Plan, as required by the California Department of Public Health in order to receive Future of Public Health funding for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
3. 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 non-substantive documents in relation to the Future of Public Health funding (Allocation Award No. FoPH-039) for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, on behalf of the County, subject to County Counsel review.
4. 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 the Future of Public Health funding (Allocation Award No. FoPH-039) 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 require additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The allocation from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for Future of Public Health (FoPH) funding does not require a local match. San Bernardino County’s (County) 2022-23 FoPH funding of $11,284,416 will be utilized for additional public health staffing costs in the amount of $9,429,672 (84% of the allocation) and administration costs, lease payments, supplies, and travel expenses in the amount of $1,854,744 (16% of the allocation). Approval of the necessary budget adjustments to the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) 2022-23 budget is not requested at this time, but will be included on a future item presented to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for approval.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The California Budget Act of 2022 provides $300 million state general funds to CDPH in ongoing funding starting in 2022-23 to support the public health infrastructure at the state and local levels. Of the $300 million FoPH annual investment, $99.6 million is dedicated for state operations, while $200.4 million is annually allocated to 61 local health jurisdictions (LHJs) for local assistance. The County will receive an ongoing annual FoPH allocation in the amount of $11,284,416, with any future increases in funding or changes to the allocation requiring legislative action.
The FoPH initiative aims at transforming and modernizing California to be able to handle public health threats. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of public health systems, but also their understaffing, inadequate information technology (IT) systems, and lab capacity. Therefore, California has adopted a modified foundational public health framework addressing six key service areas:
• Workforce development, recruitment, and training
• Emergency preparedness and response
• IT, data science, and informatics
• Communications, public education, engagement, and behavior change
• Community partnerships
• Community health improvement
CDPH requires that at least 70% of the FoPH funding be spent on expanding permanent public health workforce including salary, benefits and training costs. The remaining funds, not to exceed 30% of the total allocation, may be used for equipment, supplies, and other administrative purposes (such as facility space, furnishings, travel, and similar activities). LHJs receiving FoPH funding must annually present updates to their board of supervisors or city council (as applicable) on the state of the jurisdiction’s public health addressing progress of the LHJ’s local health plan, health disparities, and the most prevalent causes/growth rate of morbidity and mortality within their jurisdiction.
DPH will use the FoPH funding to strengthen DPH’s workforce, which is needed to evaluate existing and future programs’ and initiatives’ efficacy in advancing health equity. Increased research and evaluation will lead to quality improvement, capacity building, and enhanced services delivery to meet equity goals in the County. DPH will continue to utilize evidence-based strategies and frameworks; contribution to a knowledge base to equip staff, external partners and stakeholders; and increase skills in community-based participatory research.
FoPH funding will greatly increase capacity in the areas of data analysis and data sharing to enhance informed decision-making and equity-focused strategies. New surveillance and response staff will build upon lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to equitably serve communities who are disproportionately impacted by communicable diseases.
The proposed Work Plan and Spend Plan have been developed with a goal to drive ongoing community engagement through staffing to include Community Health Workers, Health Education Specialists, and Health Services Assistants who will provide culturally competent guidance, support and linkage to care for individuals in disadvantaged communities and sub-populations. These initial documents were developed by DPH and, after submission, can be revised and further developed with guidance from the Board.
On June 30, 2022, DPH received the allocation package from CDPH for ongoing annual FoPH funding. This item is being presented at this time as this is the first available date following further guidance received from CDPH on August 8, 2022; development of the Work Plan and Spend Plan; and completion of the required operational, fiscal, and legal reviews. Approval at this time will not impact DPH services or activities.
The recommended actions will allow DPH to accept the allocation for the FoPH funding and submit the Acknowledgement of Allocation Letter, Annual Certification, Work Plan, and Spend Plan to CDPH by the September 15, 2022 deadline. After CDPH’s review of the required documents, DPH will return to the Board for approval of the positions to be funded by the FoPH allocation.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 25, 2022; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on August 29, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on August 30, 2022.