Title
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Approve and ratify the HHSA Director acceptance of the no-cost extension to the non-competitive Workforce Development (WFD) supplemental funding allocation, administered by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), increasing the term of the allocation by one (1) year, from June 30, 2023, to June 30, 2024, with no change to the original Board accepted amount of $129,881; and
2) Authorize the HHSA Director, or Director of Public Health, to execute and administer any subsequent administrative documents and required fiscal or programmatic reports related to said award, that do not increase the amount of the allocation, contingent upon County Counsel and Risk Management approval.
FUNDING: 100% Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Federal funding authorized pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, appropriated for the Public Health Workforce Development Supplemental Funding. This funding is administered by the California Department of Public Health for local health infrastructure to address infectious disease prevention and control.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
On March 30, 2023, CDPH notified HHSA of a no-cost extension to the awarded WFD funding allocation, for one (1) additional year through June 30, 2024, to allow the jurisdiction additional time to expend the funds. CDPH required HHSA to accept the extension by April 4, 2023. Due to the tight five-day turnaround requirement provided by CDPH, the HHSA Director responded via email that the County would accept the extension. Subsequently, HHSA hereby requests the Board approve and ratify the HHSA’s Director’s acceptance of the no-cost extension to the WFD Supplemental Funding.
In the wake of the COVID pandemic, many children in California are behind on their routine immunizations. There are approximately 1,000 schools in California with kindergarten immunization rates below 90%, making them vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, pertussis, and chickenpox, that are expected to return over the next few years. Many schools and families have faced major challenges in ensuring immunization during the pandemic.
To increase immunization efforts, on June 28, 2022, CDPH notified HHSA of the opportunity to receive a time-limited WFD supplemental funding allocation available to Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJ) to hire or designate staff to support immunizations in schools. WFD funding is intended to establish, expand, train, and sustain a response-ready public health workforce at state, territorial, local, and tribal level. CDPH had implemented the Immunization Champions Program, with a focus on LHJs supporting immunizations in Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten schools through 12th grade school settings. On August 30, 2023, the Board accepted the non-competitive WFD allocation in the amount of $129,881, with a retroactive term of July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023 (File ID 22-1291).
Subsequently, HHSA’s Public Health Division began utilizing this funding to support El Dorado County schools by hiring an Extra Help Health Educator to serve as a liaison (Immunization Champion) to increase the number of children vaccinated against vaccine preventable diseases.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to accept the no-cost extension, HHSA will unable to extend the term to expend awarded funding and will be unable to continue to establish, expand, train, and sustain a response-ready public health workforce in support of CDPH’s Workforce Development and Immunization Program. This would also inhibit HHSA’s ability to meet the minimum staffing levels required of some of its already allocated funding sources.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
08/30/22, File ID 22-1291, HHSA CA Dept. of Public Health, 6801
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Approved by County Counsel.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no impact to County General Fund and no matching funds required. There are sufficient appropriations in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 HHSA budget.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Interim Director, Health and Human Services Agency