DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Dr. Thomas L. Schlenker
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Grant Submission to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the submission of a grant application and the acceptance of grant funds in an amount not to exceed $5,700,000.00 over a 5 year period from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) to continue the Healthy Start Initiative for the period September 1, 2014 to May 31, 2019.
In addition, this ordinance authorizes the Director of Metro Health to initiate, negotiate and execute any and all necessary documents and grant contracts to effectuate the application and the acceptance of funds for the above referenced grant, and to execute any contract amendments pertaining to this grant in the following circumstances: a) line item budget revisions authorized by the funding agency; b) modifications to the performance measures authorized by the funding agency and listed in the contract so long as the terms of the amendment stay within the general parameters of the grant's intention; c) changes in state or federal regulations mandated by the funding agency; and d) carry-over funds, when ascertained and approved by the funding agency through a revised notice of award.
Further, this ordinance adopts the program budget and approves the personnel complement of 8 full-time positions.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The San Antonio Healthy Start (SAHS) Initiative aims to reduce disparities in infant mortality and adverse perinatal outcomes by: 1) improving women's health, 2) promoting quality services, 3) strengthening family resilience, 4) achieving collective impact, and 5) increasing accountability through quality improvement, performance monitoring, and evaluation. SAHS has a key role in strengthening families and creating the foundation for optimal infant and young child health and development, including early learning. The SAHS Initiative includes activities and components that will build a ladder of opportunity for all children and families. SAHS will be the first rung of that ladder beginning before, during, and after pregnancy and serving families for the first two years of a child's life. The SAHS Initiative will conduct activities in conjunction with the Metro Health Neighborhood Engagement projects and other place-based initiatives and serve as the backbone organization for achieving collective impact. SAHS will participate in the development of local/state/ regional/ national programs and policies and serve as a resource site in support of other organizations working to improve perinatal outcomes.
The SAHS Initiative supports the following Health and Human Resources Administration Strategic Goals:
Goal # 1: Improve Access to Quality Health Care and Services
The HS program enhances access to care for women, infants and their families by facilitating linkages to ensure access to continuous, comprehensive health care. The program ensures that the care received is responsive to the needs of individuals in the community and is delivered or directed by well-trained providers.
Goal # 2: Strengthen the Health Workforce
The HS program helps to strengthen the health workforce, specifically those individuals responsible for providing direct services, and managing program components by requiring minimum educational and training levels for all staff.
Goal # 3: Build Healthy Communities
The HS program ensures communities have a perinatal system that is responsive to the health and social needs of the Maternal Child Health population, and is sustainable and robust in order to provide ongoing, coordinated, comprehensive services in the most efficient manner through effective service delivery.
Goal # 4: Improve Health Equity
The HS program promotes health equity by identifying health and social circumstances that place an individual at a disadvantage that does not allow them to achieve their full health potential. HS provides and facilitates connections and linkages with appropriate organizations to strengthen the Maternal Child Health system and promote community transformation.
In 2013, the San Antonio Healthy Start Initiative provided services to 119 pregnant and post-partum women and 170 children. Additionally, from 2002 to 2012, the infant mortality rate for program participants was 3.28 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to the 2011 national average of 6.01 deaths per 1000 live births. Since 2008, San Antonio Healthy Start Initiative has reached over 40,000 individuals in the community through outreach, health education, and case management. Successful award of this grant will increase the number served, including pregnant and postpartum women, children and fathers with minimum of 600 participants for the first 9 months and then 800 participants annually thereafter.
ISSUE:
Metro Health requests City Council authorization to submit a grant application and accept funds upon award in an amount not to exceed $5,700,000.00 from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to continue the Healthy Start Initiative grant. Authorization of this Ordinance will allow Metro Health to continue the important work of providing outreach, case management, and health education to underserved pregnant and inter-conceptional women and families in San Antonio and Bexar County.
ALTERNATIVES:
If the grant application is not submitted, the funds will be redistributed to other Healthy Start programs in the country. As a result, the City would need to find alternative funding if the program was to continue to provide outreach, case management, and health education to at-risk pregnant and inter-conceptional women and their families.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This HRSA grant contract will provide total funding in an amount up to $5,700,000.00, which represents 100% of the funding for the Healthy Start program within Metro Health. This grant requires no cash match and will have no impact on the General Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the submission of a grant application to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources & Services Administration and the acceptance of grant funds in an amount up to $5,700,000.00 for the Healthy Start Initiative for the period September 1, 2014 to May 31, 2019.