DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Briefing and update on the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s strategic plan, new priorities, and accreditation progress for FY 2018-2019
SUMMARY:
The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District will provide an update on its strategic plan, new priorities, and accreditation progress for FY 2018-2019.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Metro Health continued to track indicators associated with Metro Health’s four strategic plan priorities throughout FY 2018. These priorities include:
1) Obesity in adults and children
2) Type 2 Diabetes
3) Ozone levels
4) Immunizations for vaccine preventable diseases in children
While the full strategic plan encompasses a broad range of Metro Health’s work, the health indicators above reflect the highest-priority issues for our work in the community. Each community health indicator is directly linked to a program performance measure. Performance measures are used to identify and measure Metro Health’s overall contribution to health outcomes. In order to maintain momentum and accountability for the work, Metro Health’s Performance Improvement Team monitored and tracked key deliverables and action plans throughout year one and year two of the strategic plan. Progress on action plans is regularly reported to leadership and staff through quarterly performance dashboards.
To further improve the department’s strategic planning process, Metro Health recently completed community surveying at the SA Speak Up budget meetings. An online questionnaire will also be administered over the next several months, allowing the public and stakeholders the opportunity to provide input and identify health priorities for the community. The top 10 community priorities from these surveys will be used by Metro Health and an Ad-Hoc community group to determine the top 3 priority health indicators for San Antonio and will form the basis for Metro Health’s next 4 year strategic plan.
New Initiatives
Three new and innovative public health interventions were added to the Metro Health strategic plan for FY 2018-2019:
1) Tobacco 21 (T21)
2) Fast-Track Cities
3) Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
In preparation for implementation of T21 in October, Metro Health Sanitarians distributed over 1,200 educational toolkits to tobacco retailers across the city. Sanitarians will continue enforcement of the ordinance through annual inspections and compliance visits. This public health measure will reduce the number of young consumers of tobacco products and, in time, reduce overall tobacco addiction.
In 2017 San Antonio joined Fast-Track Cities, a global partnership that aims to leverage existing HIV programs and resources by reaching 90-90-90 targets by the year 2020:
• 90% of people with HIV are diagnosed [86 percent in San Antonio]
• 90% of people diagnosed with HIV are being treated [72 percent in San Antonio]
• 90% of people being treated for HIV have undetectable viral loads [85 percent in San Antonio]
Locally, Fast-Track Cities is part of the End Stigma End HIV Alliance, an unprecedented collaboration between every community HIV/AIDS service organization, the San Antonio People’s Caucus of HIV peer advocates, the Ryan White Program Administrative Agency, San Antonio Area HIV Services Planning Council, The Center for Health Care Services, and local academic institutions with strengths in community-based research. Metro Health serves as the backbone agency for the coalition.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) include child abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction caused by divorce, domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse or having an incarcerated parent. ACES can negatively affect a child’s cognitive development, academic success, and physical, emotional, and behavioral health. Without intervention, ACEs have the potential to reduce life expectancy by 20 years. Starting FY 2019, Metro Health has one new position to coordinate partnerships and create awareness of ACEs and trauma-informed care. Metro Health staff will work in coordination with Human Services and Pre-K 4 SA to increase knowledge of trauma as a public health issue. Staff will also pilot an ACEs screening and referral process and develop a trauma-informed certification program for internal City departments and external organizations.
Accreditation
Since April 2018, a team of Metro Health staff has worked to develop and execute an action plan to become accredited by the national Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). PHAB is a non-profit organization that administers accreditation at a national level. Metro Health is seeking accreditation to show we meet national standards for quality and performance, shared decision-making, and the evaluation of services and programs.
PHAB requirements include 12 domains modeled after the 10 Essential Public Health Services. The domains provide an opportunity for the department to demonstrate a truly comprehensive, department-wide implementation of best practices and national standards in the areas of population-based disease prevention, health protection, and health promotion.
ISSUE:
Metro Health would like the opportunity to update the full City Council on Metro Health’s strategic plan, new public health priorities and initiatives, and action plan for successful completion of the national public health accreditation process.
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:
This item is for briefing purposes only.