Title
Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Division, recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Amendment I to revenue-generating perpetual Memorandum of Understanding 268-F1411 with the County of Alpine, with a term that began July 1, 2013, to increase the annual reimbursement to the County by $25,000 for a new total of $75,000 per fiscal year for Fiscal Years 2014-17, for Hospital Preparedness Program activities provided by County of El Dorado staff in support of the County of Alpine's Public Health Preparedness Program;
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to execute further documents relating to Memorandum of Understanding 268-F1411, including amendments that do not increase the maximum dollar amount or affect the term of the Agreement, and contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management; and
3) Approve and authorize the Director of the Health and Human Services Agency, or designee, to administer and execute any subsequent administrative documents relating to said Agreement, including but not limited to required fiscal and programmatic reports.
FUNDING: County of Alpine to reimburse Health and Human Services Agency utilizing Federal Funding managed by the California Department of Public Health.
Body
Budget Summary |
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Total Estimated Revenue
. |
$275,000 |
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Fiscal Year 2013-14
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$50,000 |
Budget - FY 2014-15
........ |
$75,000 |
Budget - FY 2015-16
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$75,000 |
Budget - FY 2016-17
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$75,000 |
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Total Estimated Revenue
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$275,000 |
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Change to Net County Cost
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$0 |
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost
There is no Net County Cost associated with this revenue generating Memorandum of Understanding. Sufficient appropriations were included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014-15 Budget. Future County Budget requests will be the amount in the then current agreement between the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the County of Alpine (Alpine) which provides the funding for Alpine's Hospital Preparedness Program. In FY 2014-2015, CDPH increased the amount of its agreement with Alpine to $75,000 per fiscal year for a term of July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017.
Background
Since 1997, Congress has provided funds for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop emergency-ready public health departments by upgrading, integrating, and evaluating state and local public health jurisdictions' preparedness for and response to terrorism, pandemic influenza, and other public health emergencies. These funds, which Congress increased after the events of September 11, 2001, have been distributed to states, territories, and large cities through a cooperative agreement mechanism to increase their capacities to respond to large-scale emergencies, such as a bioterrorist attack. More recently, Congress and the Administration have paid attention to emerging infectious diseases with the potential to cause a pandemic, such as avian influenza or severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and other public health emergencies.
The State of California contracts with Alpine and the other California counties with the objective that each county demonstrate progress toward achieving protections from the threat of a bioterrorist attack, infectious disease outbreak, or other public health threat or emergency under guidelines provided by the State. One of the purposes of the first five years of State General funding was the development of a series of plans to achieve critical benchmarks and capacities required by the Federal CDC. Such plans included Pandemic Influenza, Smallpox, Mass Dispensing, Continuity of Operations, Isolation and Quarantine, Departmental Operations Center, Risk Communications, Exercise and Training, and their specialized appendices. The focus then shifted to improve response times through continued practice, exercises, and drills, and to modify plans based on lessons learned. The new federal emphasis is to establish a capabilities-based approach to better prepare health departments, such as Alpine's, to respond to public health emergencies and incidents.
The State and Federal funding received by counties is normally used to pay for Public Health Preparedness (PHP) staffing, including completing annual work plans, conducting exercises, and providing training, education, and response. However, Alpine lacks sufficient in-house staff to operate its PHP program and must contract with outside resources to properly administer said program in accordance with the CDPH plan. Since 2006, Alpine and the County of El Dorado, on behalf of its Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), have entered into an annual agreement to allow HHSA staff to provide administrative and programmatic support to Alpine's PHP program.
Reason for Recommendation
Funding from CDPH to Alpine has historically been $50,000 each fiscal year. In FY 2014-2015, CDPH increased the amount of its agreement with Alpine to $75,000 per fiscal year for a term of July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017. This Amendment is necessary to reflect this increase in revenue. Failure to execute this Amendment will limit Alpine's ability to fully fund services provided by El Dorado County staff and will have a negative impact on Alpine's Public Health Preparedness Workplan.
Clerk of the Board Follow Up Actions
1. Clerk of the Board to obtain the Chair's signature on the two (2) originals of Amendment I to MOU 268-F1411.
2. Clerk of the Board to return one (1) fully signed original Amendment I to HHSA at 3057 Briw Road.
Contact
Don Ashton, M.P.A., Director
Concurrences
County Counsel and Risk Management