DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Advertising Services
SUMMARY:
This procurement authorizes a contract for the purchase of print media advertising with Clear Channel Outdoor for an amount not to exceed $55,131.00 to support the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District in promoting children's oral health services, HIV and Syphilis prevention, and breastfeeding promotion related to the Medicaid 1115 Waiver Program by educating the community and providing outreach. The acceptance of funds from the Medicaid 1115 Waiver has been previously authorized under City Ordinance # 2013-01-31-0062 and will be used to pay for these services.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
During the 2011 legislative session, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) was directed to achieve cost savings by providing Medicaid through a managed care program throughout the state. HHSC worked with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to achieve these goals. In December 2011, CMS approved Texas' 1115 waiver, formally named the "Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program" or "Medicaid 1115 Waiver" for short.
On January 31, 2013, City Council authorized the submission of six project proposals by SAMHD in the amount of $43,392,942.00 through new Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) arm of the Medicaid 1115 Waiver". SAMHD carefully selected projects in the following areas: diabetes prevention, children's oral health services, HIV and Syphilis prevention, breastfeeding promotion, teen pregnancy prevention and neighborhood health promotion. All six project proposals are in alignment with SAMHD's strategic plan and many community goals set forth by SA2020 and have the overall goal of improving health outcomes.
Specifically, the Medicaid 1115 Waiver Oral Health project will improve access to preventive dental services (dental sealants and fluoride varnish applications) by providing preventive oral health services in non-traditional settings to include early childhood education settings and economically disadvantaged public schools. The advertising services will be used to build awareness of clinics that will be held in public schools and to provide education on dental disease prevention.
The Medicaid 1115 Waiver HIV and Syphilis Prevention project will focus on expanding HIV and Syphilis screenings, with a special focus on high risk populations in Bexar County in order to reduce the spread of HIV and Syphilis. This project will utilize four components that will work in conjunction to support the project goal.
1) Develop and implement a new outreach unit to focus on education and screening in the field for HIV and Syphilis among high risk adults and adolescents (13 years of age or greater).
2) Conduct clinical case management and case investigations of all high risk pregnant women to assure appropriate prenatal care and third trimester syphilis screening to prevent congenital syphilis cases and other STD transmission.
3) Conduct education and outreach to local medical providers to encourage the adoption of third trimester syphilis testing among all pregnant women in Bexar County.
4) Expand STD clinic capacity (hours and/or staff per shift) to receive additional patients identified through community outreach activities and provide prompt and appropriate screening and treatment for syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The services provided by Clear Channel Outdoors will promote the new field testing aspect of this program, advertise expanded hours of the STD clinic, and provide valuable outreach and education to high risk adults, pregnant women, and medical providers.
This Medicaid 1115 Waiver Breastfeeding Promotion project will implement the Baby Café Model in San Antonio to increase breastfeeding rates and thus reduce childhood obesity rates. The City of San Antonio's Women, Infants and Children Special Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) recognizes the need to motivate and empower women to continue breastfeeding for as long as possible. Funding for this project will establish a "Baby Café" breastfeeding drop-in center to expand services and attract mothers of all ages and from all sectors of the community. Breastfeeding help and support will be provided from skilled health professionals, para-professionals, and other mothers, in a friendly, non-clinical, café style environment. The approach is to deliver breastfeeding help at "drop-in centers" to mothers from areas of disadvantage and health inequality. Primary goals of this intervention are to promote the physical and psychological health of mothers and children through education and training regarding breastfeeding and to advance the general public's knowledge of the health benefits, immediate and long term, of breastfeeding. The advertising services will be used to build awareness of the new services which are now available to the community and to provide outreach and education.
This advertising initiative for the children's oral health services, HIV and Syphilis prevention, and breastfeeding promotion Medicaid 1115 Waiver projects will be in conjunction with traditional outreach and will include placing advertising displays throughout the VIA Transit System to include posters, transit shelter displays, exterior bus panels, and interior bus transit cards. By leveraging the mass transit riding audience and increasing the advertising target demographic audience, SAMHD hopes to reach a new market that may have previously been missed.
ISSUE:
As part of the outreach, SAMHD wants to increase the awareness and promote the children's oral health services, HIV and Syphilis prevention, and breastfeeding promotion health programs by advertising throughout the VIA Transit System. Through this agreement, Clear Channel Outdoor will place the print media advertising during identified months during the fiscal year. The advertisements will be produced by Clear Channel Outdoor and will reach a large viewing target population. Authorization of this agreement will allow SAMHD to move forward with the implementation of goals set forth in the SAMHD strategic plan and Medicaid 1115 Waiver projects.
Advertising, other than legal notices, is exempt from competitive bidding. A Request for Offer (RFO) was issued to Clear Channel Outdoor outlining the required scope of work to include all necessary advertisement requirements and production costs to support the SAMHD identified programs. Clear Channel Outdoor responded to the RFO and will provide said services and production for a cumulative amount not to exceed $55,131.00.
This contract is within the scope of the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program. However, due to the type of commodities/services being procured and value of the contract, no SBEDA tool is available.
The recommended award is an exception to the Local Preference Program.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program does not apply to non-professional service contracts, so no preference was applied to this contract.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this contract not be approved, SAMHD will continue to promote the children's oral health services, HIV and Syphilis prevention, and breastfeeding promotion health programs with traditional means of advertising to include pamphlets, flyers, website, and word of mouth communication. As a result, SAMHD may be unable to reach a broad enough market to meet deliverables set forth in the Medicaid 1115 Waiver project and grant funding may be jeopardized.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This contract will authorize SAMHD to execute an advertising agreement with Clear Channel Outdoor for the identified promotion in a cumulative amount not to exceed $55,131.00. This will be funded by the Medicaid 1115 Waiver. This amount is included in the approved grant budget and will have no impact on the General Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the authorization of the advertising agreement with Clear Channel Outdoor for the promotion and outreach for the children's oral health services, HIV and Syphilis prevention, and breastfeeding promotion health programs in a total cumulative amount not to exceed $55,131.00. This contract is procured on the basis of Request for Offer and a Contracts Disclosure Form is not required.