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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), Public Health Division, recommending the Board:
1) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign a Letter of Support authorizing HHSA to continue to participate in a quality improvement process training at no cost to the County; and
2) Accept funding in an estimated amount of $9,500, for purposes of travel for training, and approve and authorize the Chair to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the National Network of Public Health Institutes upon receipt and contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management.
FUNDING: National Network of Public Health Institutes.
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION:
HHSA recommending the Board of Supervisors (Board) support the continuation of training of the HHSA employee previously designated to participate in the "Strengthening the Community of Practice for Public Health Improvement" program offered by the National Network of Public Health Institutes, by signing the attached Letter of Support. This HHSA designee previously participated in the first part of this ongoing training via Memorandum of Agreement 301-F1411, as part of the training that will assist the Public Health Division in its goal of national Public Health Accreditation.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
On November 12, 2013, the Board approved and authorized the Chair to sign Memorandum of Agreement #301-F1411 (Agenda Item 15) with the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), through which NNPHI would reimburse the County up to $7,500 for travel, lodging, and per diem costs, and $1,500 for meals, for one Public Health Division employee who the Agency designated to participate in the Kaizen Program (a process of quality improvement) training in 2014. Following approval by the Board, HHSA designated a Public Health employee to serve as the Quality Improvement Leader, and represent the County in the training process.
HHSA has received notice from the National Network of Public Health Institutes that they are offering a second phase of training for the HHSA designee, at no cost to the County. Upon receipt of the signed Letter of Support from the Board of Supervisors, NNPHI will submit a Memorandum of Agreement to the County, which will allow NNPHI to reimburse the HHSA designee for travel, lodging and meals expenses in the estimated amount of $9,500 to participate in a second phase of the program, at no cost to the county. This second phase of training being funded by NNPHI is part of the Community of Practice for Public Health Improvement (COPPHI) program through NNPHI. This second phase will provide 32 hours of Quality Improvement training for the returning Quality Improvement leader, via training at the Alexandria, Virginia offices of NNPHI, as well as 16 hours of "Train the Trainer" for the Quality Improvement Leader, enabling them to deliver a foundational course for other individuals within HHSA.
Failure to authorize the Letter of Support, accept the funding, and authorize the Chair to sign the Agreement enabling the HHSA designee to continue participating in the Quality Improvement process training will negatively impact HHSA's ability to accomplish one of the goals for the implementation of process improvement Agency wide.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may decline to approve the requested Letter of Support.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board approve this item if it wants the division to continue to participate in the quality improvement process.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agenda item. Sufficient appropriations were included in the fiscal year (FY) 2015-16 budget, and will be included in future budgets for the term of the Agreement
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1. Clerk of the Board to obtain signature of Chair on Letter of Support.
2. Clerk of the Board to return one (1) signed Letter of Support to HHSA at 3057 Briw Road by May 14, 2015 for submission to NNPHI.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
This Quality Improvement training utilizing the Kaizen Program and the Train the Trainer methodology are in alignment with the HHSA Strategic Plan Project 3.6.5 - Assess the Kaizen Performance Evaluation and Process Improvement learnings for implementation Agency wide.
CONTACT
Don Ashton, M.P.A., Director