DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Authorizing the acceptance of additional funds from the Texas Department of State Health Services for the STD Staff Support Program grant
SUMMARY:
An ordinance authorizing the acceptance of additional funds from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) through an amendment to the STD Staff Support Program grant approved by Council on January 12, 2017, ordinance no. 2017-01-12-0007, and authorizing an addition to the personnel complement of three FTEs and one temporary position. These funds will be in addition to the current award that began January 1, 2018 and ends December 31, 2018 for an amount not to exceed $644,198.00 bringing the contract total to $1,917,645. The supplemental funding is comprised of $150,000 from CFDA number 93.977 and $202,198 from CFDA number 93.940. The remaining $292,000 will be funded with the State of Texas general revenue.
The above referenced request for funding included a revised budget that was submitted on March 26, 2018.
Furthermore this ordinance authorizes the Director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) to initiate, negotiate, and execute any and all necessary documents to effectuate the acceptance of the referenced grant funds, to include executing a contract amendment pertaining to this contract, and to execute additional contract amendments pertaining to this contract to include amendments which will provide supplemental grants funds to the grant by the funding agency in an amount up to 20% of the total amount awarded to the grant to include the funds awarded under this ordinance.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Metro Health receives an award from the DSHS through the STD Staff Support Program grant annually. This grant was previously approved by City Council on January 12, 2017, Ordinance No. 2017-01-12-0007, and provides disease investigation and counseling to control and prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, HIV, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydia. Through the STD Staff Support Program grant, Metro Health’s STD/HIV Prevention Program is able to provide diagnosis, treatment, and partner notification services to residents in San Antonio and Bexar County.
In 2017, DSHS applied to CDC for supplemental funds. When awarded, DSHS contacted Metro Health to discuss a non-competitive opportunity to amend the current STD Staff Support Program contract to include additional work in the Scope of Work, funding to support the additional work and an increase in the staffing complement to accomplish the work. DSHS provided the requested budget to Metro Health on March 5, 2018 with a due date of March 26, 2018. Metro Health aims to use the additional funds to directly fund the positions that will perform the work related to congenital syphilis, molecular HIV surveillance, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) navigation services.
The congenital syphilis duties include medical provider visits in order to perform chart abstractions which will provide a better medical history on cases considered to be presumptive for congenital syphilis. Interviews will also be conducted with the mothers who are willing to provide their pregnancy story and the barriers they experienced accessing care during this time. Additionally, this data will be reviewed and analyzed for commonalties in order to better direct testing efforts for Bexar County’s pregnant population. The data will also be presented to community stakeholders in an effort to discuss missed opportunities for intervention and solutions to these barriers.
The molecular HIV surveillance positions will be responsible for linking/re-engaging non-virally suppressed HIV-positive persons into medical care, offering testing to previously negative partners, working with medical providers to encourage genotype testing, and performing medical chart abstractions on cluster-related cases. Line lists for those patients requiring follow-up will be generated by DSHS Surveillance staff.
The PrEP Engagement Specialist will provide additional support to the currently existing PrEP team. PrEP is the FDA approved once-daily medication that is used to keep HIV negative people from becoming infected. This support includes linkage-to-care to PrEP, intake and assessment, education and counseling as well as insurance navigation and appointment scheduling. This position will also be an information resource to the public at outreach events and health fairs.
ISSUE:
Metro Health’s STD/HIV Prevention Program works to control and prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases by providing diagnostic, treatment and partner services to the public. Metro Health requests City Council authorize the acceptance of funds from the DSHS for the STD Staff Support Program. Metro Health proposes to use these funds to provide additional personnel in support of congenital syphilis, molecular HIV surveillance, and PrEP navigation services.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should City Council not authorize the acceptance of funds from DSHS for the STD Staff Support Program grant, the Department would not be authorized to accept the funding and would forego utilizing the funds to directly fund the positions that will perform the work related to congenital syphilis, molecular HIV surveillance, and PrEP navigation services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The STD Staff Support Program grant amendment from DSHS is supplemental funding in the amount of $644,198.00 for the existing DSHS award that began January 1, 2018 and ends December 31, 2018. There is no impact to the General Fund in the form of a match requirement. There will be an increase to indirect cost revenue. There will be three FTEs and one contract agency temporary position added to the existing 16 positions as a result of this additional funding.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends City Council authorizes the acceptance of the supplemental funds for the STD Staff Support Program grant and the execution of the grant documents from DSHS.