DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Colleen M. Bridger MPH, PhD
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-Wide
SUBJECT:
Authorizing the ratification of the acceptance of funds and execution of grant documents to Harvard University’s School of Public Health funding opportunity for CHOICES submitted May 31, 2017 and a personnel complement for 25% of one (1) existing full-time position.
SUMMARY:
This ordinance ratifies the acceptance of funds and the execution of grant documents with the Harvard University’s School of Public Health for a funding opportunity for CHOICES and a personnel complement for 25% of one existing full-time position. Funding in the amount of $50,000.00 for participation in CHOICES is for a 12 month period beginning July 1, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The CHOICES project at the Harvard Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health (HPRC) proposed a Learning Collaborative Partnership opportunity to support states, cities, and counties in preventing childhood obesity by building local capacity among decision-makers to choose and implement cost-effective strategies. Only four local public health agencies were awarded this opportunity.
Metro Health secured partnerships and letters of support from the Pre-K 4 SA Program and the Department of Human Services After School Challenge Program for this Learning Collaborative Partnership opportunity. The Pre-K 4 SA Program was established in 2014 by the City of San Antonio to provide high quality, full day pre-kindergarten and after school care for four-year-olds at no cost. The program has hired highly experienced teachers, implemented high quality curriculum, and includes bilingual education. Students are provided meals and snacks at no cost and transportation is available. The program currently has four centers serving 3,700 children throughout San Antonio. Having established the program as a gold standard for San Antonio, Pre-K 4 SA is highly motivated to determine the most cost effective and impactful strategies for obesity prevention within their influence. With the added challenge of serving low income families, Pre-K 4 SA is in a unique position to address and improve health disparities and set the standard for other education agencies in the greater San Antonio area.
In order to impact out of school care, Metro Health has engaged the City of San Antonio’s Department of Human Services (DHS) which operates the After School Challenge Program. Through this program, DHS has established contractual agreements with eight school districts and four community-based organizations in 135 elementary and middle schools. The school districts and community-based organizations operate after school programs or contract with nonprofit organizations to operate such programs. DHS, the participating San Antonio area independent school districts, and the nonprofit organizations will all serve as partners in this effort. The potential role and responsibility of DHS will be the adoption and implementation of standards, policies, and programming to positively affect the nutritional quality of snacks provided and the type and time allotted for daily physical activity by the contracted partners.
Metro Health will partner with HPRC, the three other awardees and our local partners to produce recommendations for the most cost effective childhood obesity interventions and implementation strategies across a range of ages, settings, and sectors, including School, Early & Out of School Time Care, Clinical, Transportation, and Community & Government.
ISSUE:
Childhood obesity is a complex health issue affecting San Antonio/Bexar County across socioeconomic and demographic boundaries. The causes are similar to those of adult obesity, including dietary patterns, physical inactivity, health disparities, educational attainment, food marketing and promotion, and intergenerational poverty. Higher rates of childhood obesity in our central urban core are interconnected to the socioeconomic status and environmental conditions of these neighborhoods.
ALTERNATIVES:
As previously mentioned, part of the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership is that Metro Health proposes assessing the cost effectiveness and cultural fit of childhood obesity prevention strategies currently under consideration within the Early Care and Education, and Out of School Care sectors. Working within these sectors will address the prioritized root causes of childhood obesity in our community and complement the key strategies set forth in our recently adopted Strategic Plan. This partnership will assist us in ensuring our resources are directed towards the most cost-effective interventions with the best value-added strategies. Without this resource, Metro Health will have to develop the cost effectiveness and cultural fit of proposed childhood obesity prevention strategies without the collaboration and input and guidance of Harvard University, the other program collaborators and these financial resources.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Harvard University School of Public Health’s CHOICES is a 12 month award of $50,000.00 beginning July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. The grant will fund 25% of one (1) existing full-time position. There is no impact on the General Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends ratification of the acceptance of funds to Harvard University School of Public Health’s CHOICES and approval to execute the grant documents and a personal complement of 25% of one (1) existing full time position.