DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Vincent R. Nathan, PhD, MPH
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Briefing and update on core public health functions, key health indicators and the Medicaid 1115 Waiver program.
SUMMARY:
This item provides a briefing and update by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) on the core public health functions, key health indicators causing the highest rates of mortality and illness in San Antonio and an update on the Medicaid 1115 Waiver program.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The foundation of public health lies within three core functions defined as assessment, policy development, and assurance. In addition to these core functions, public health is guided by ten essential public health services, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which are applied to national, state and local public health departments throughout the country. Periodically informing governing officials about the community’s health status, health risks, and health disparities is a key function and requirement of Metro Health.
Though public health has made great strides in combating disease, extending life expectancies and improving quality of life, significant health challenges continue to confront us. While infectious diseases like drug resistant tuberculosis persist and emerging infectious diseases like Zika capture our attention, the most pressing and long-term challenges for public health are chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. These conditions are also the leading causes of death and disability in our community and across the country.
In addition, the well-being of mothers, infants, and children is an important factor in the health of the next generation and can help predict future public health challenges for families, communities and the medical system. Addressing the needs of women before, during and after pregnancy helps to improve not only their health but also their children’s health.
The Medicaid 1115 Waiver has provided significant resources over the last four years to build capacity and enhance public health interventions in the areas of oral health, teen pregnancy prevention, neighborhood health and engagement, STD/HIV prevention, breastfeeding initiation and duration and diabetes control and prevention. In addition, through a contract with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), funded through the Medicaid Waiver, Metro Health is expanding outreach and testing amongst high risk populations to identify cases of latent tuberculosis (LTBI) to prevent the onset of active TB. The department anticipates an initial 12-15 month extension of the Medicaid Waiver in Texas to be announced at the earliest in late June 2016. This extension will allow additional negotiations regarding the full five-year extension to continue between the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
ISSUE:
Metro Health would like the opportunity to update the Neighborhood’s and Livability Committee about our core essential public health functions, provide an overview of the leading causes of preventable death and disability in our community, as well as provide an update on how we are addressing several of our most pressing public health challenges through our seven 1115 Medicaid Waiver initiatives.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item. This memo is for briefing purposes only.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Neighborhoods and Livability Committee forward this item for a full City Council B session presentation in May.