Agenda

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AI- 38741

Health Care Foundation

Meeting Date:	09/15/2014
Approval of FY2015 DSHS Foodborne Illness Continue Funding Contract 2015-046581
Submitted For:	Candy Blair	Submitted By:	Candy Blair
Department:	Health Care
Request Type:	CONSENT

Information

Department Action

Initial presentation and funding for this position was approved by Board of Trustees on June 23, 2014. This agenda item is for conintued funding of the Epidemiologist position from 09/01/2014-8/31/2015.

Over the past 10 years, there has been tremendous growth in our county’s disease surveillance. As part of the local health department, the epidemiology team has gone from processing 439 disease reports per year in 2003 to over 4000 disease reports per year in 2013. As our county has expanded, and community stakeholders have interacted with our staff members, the epidemiology team has had a significant impact in the management of local public health concerns. In addition to the volume of reports, our team has risen to the challenge of responding to increasingly complex diseases and conditions such as MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), H1N1, botulism, West Nile, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and others that make up the approximately 80 state mandated notifiable conditions. The factors mentioned above have made it a priority to expand the epidemiology team in order to keep up with the higher level of demands of our community’s disease surveillance. Under these circumstances, I had initially planned to propose the approval of county funding for an entry level Epidemiologist position in the upcoming budget (fall 2014). However, on 4/24/2014, our department received notification of a proposed contract with DSHS focusing on foodborne illness investigation. According to the contract letter, DSHS received an Exceptional Item award from the 83rd Legislative Session and those funds would be used to “augment local health department epidemiological capacity for outbreak and disaster response…” Through our communication with DSHS, we were asked to prepare a budget for the current fiscal year (FY2013-2014 ending 8/31/2014) as well as the next fiscal year (FY2014-2015 ending 8/31/2015). At this time, funding has been secured through FY2014-2015, and we have a reasonable expectation that funding should continue.

In summary, adding an Epidemiologist position for the local health department is necessary and inevitable in the sense that our county continues to grow and our stakeholders, citizens, and state officials expect us enhance our disease surveillance to better protect the health of Collin County residents. Our state legislature and state health department understand the benefit of having a staff member dedicated to foodborne and waterborne surveillance in the local health departments and have shown their support by committing funds to make a position available to us for at least the next year and a half. For that purpose, I respectfully request the approval of DSHS Contract #2015-046581.

Purchasing Department Action

Request Collin County Health Care Board of Trustees consideration and any action regarding approval of the FY2015 DSHS Foodborne Illness Continue Funding Grant, Contract 2015-046581. The grant funds will allow a position to be added to the Epidemiology Team to investigate and monitor waterborne and foodborne illnesses to enhance our disease surveillance to better protect the health of Collin County residents. The grant period is effective September 1, 2014 thru August 31, 2015. jd

HR and/or IT Action

Budget Department Action

This is a request to create a new position. Department will need to request extension or another grant to continue the position past August of 2015. Salary of $54,924 and benefits $19,692.96 for FY 2015. Total grant not to exceed $78,475. No County match required.

Auditor's Office Action

Grant award reviewed by Grant Review Committee.

Commissioners Court

Acceptance of the FY2015 Infectious Disease Control Unit – Foodborne Associated Infections Grant in the amount of $78,475; Contract No. 2015-046581 with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) beginning September 1, 2014 through and including August 31, 2015 and further authorize the Board President to finalize and execute same, Health Care.

Budget Information

Information about available funds

Budgeted:

Funds Available:

Adjustment:

Amount Available:

78,475.00

Unbudgeted:

Funds NOT Available:

Amendment:

Account Code(s) for Available Funds
1:	108-6059-720

Fund Transfers

Remarks:

Attachments
Court Order
Memo
DSHS Contract
Contract-Program Attachment
Contract-Categorical Budget
Contract-General Provisions
(FFATA)Certification-Fiscal Federal Funding Accountability & Transparency Act
Grant Summary Form
Grant Review Committee form