To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #23-765-2 with Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. (dba Heluna Health)
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director, or designee, to execute on behalf of the County Contract #23-765-2 with Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. (dba Heluna Health), a corporation, in an amount not to exceed $430,000, to provide temporary staff to support the Contra Costa Health Ambassadors Program (CCHAP) and expand outreach and educational opportunities for community members for the period October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this Contract will result in contractual expenditures of up to $430,000 over a two-year period and will be funded by 60% Los Medanos Community Health Area Tax Funds, 19% Kaiser Permanente Grant, and 21% Future of Public Health Fund.
BACKGROUND:
CCHAP was established in March 2021 in response to an urgent call-to-action from Contra Costa Health community partners urging the importance of a "boots-on-the-ground" approach to preventing the spread of COVID-19 infections and misinformation. Central to the success of the CCHAP’s efforts was focus on radical accessibility by meeting the community where they are to strengthen outreach efforts, increase trust and equitable access to testing and vaccination through trusted messengers. The program has since evolved and expanded to include three specialized Ambassador teams: Community Health Ambassadors (CHAs), Workforce Health Ambassadors (WHAs), and Specialty Health Ambassadors (SHAs). Contractor will conduct community events to educate and inform local communities of health care services available in their communities, and best practices for safety, primarily for areas that are underserved and assist County in meeting community outreach and related service goals. Contractor will provide temporary staff as project coordinators, community health ambassadors and ambassador community support team members who will provide and evaluate health needs surveys, immunization schedules and locations to promote community health services availability through the CCHAP.
CCHAP develops career pipelines into community and public health careers by training participants on preventive health principles, techniques of community organization, researching equity solutions, and strategies to support new and existing community-based partner engagement efforts. This Contract is entered into under and subject to the following legal authorities: California Government Code §§ 26227, 31000; and Health and Safety Code § 1451. The Public Health’s Quality Management, Utilization Management and Contract Monitor staff meet on a regular basis to ensure monitoring and performance measures in the Contract are upheld. Health Services Personnel approved this Contract to ensure no conflicts with labor relations. This Contractor has been approved by the Public Works Department’s Purchasing Division on August 28, 2024.
On July 26, 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract #23-765 with Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. (dba Heluna Health), in an amount not to exceed $1,870,475 to hire project coordinators, community health ambassadors and ambassador community support team members to promote COVID-19 services and community best practices for safety, primarily for areas that are underserved or experiencing a surge in cases, and assist County in meeting outreach and COVID-19 related service goals, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024.
On May 21, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved Amendment/Extension Agreement #23-765-1 to extend the termination date from June 30, 2024 to September 30, 2024 to allow Contractor to continue providing temporary services to the Health Workforce Ambassador Project with no change in the payment limit of $1,870,475.
Approval of Contract #23-765-2 will allow the Contractor to provide community outreach events as directed by County staff to promote access and availability of health services focusing on underserved communities through September 30, 2026. This Contract is delayed due to extended negotiations regarding services and budget specifications from Department.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this Contract is not approved, Contractor will not provide community support services to underserved communities who will not learn about available services within their communities.