To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Grant Agreement #78-065 with Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
☒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 Grant Agreement #78-065 with Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, a non-profit corporation, to pay the County an amount not to exceed $95,000 to support the Health Ambassador, Career Pathways Program to train young adults for health careers in West County for the period October 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this Grant Agreement will result in a total payment to the county not to exceed $95,000. No County match is required.
BACKGROUND:
Health disparities are associated with poor educational outcomes, and in Richmond, Latino and African American residents face disproportionate rates of preventable chronic illnesses such as heart disease, obesity, and cancer. Public health agencies alone cannot reduce these disparities, but by working collaboratively with schools and community-based partners to support lived experience workforce readiness efforts, the County can support West Contra Costa residents and students the necessary skills and experience to advance their education and career goals and become part of the health workforce. The Health Ambassador, Career Pathways Program will increase underrepresented youth access to healthcare careers and increase representation in community health and clinical careers for students in West County by connecting them to mentorship and internships.
Under Contra Costa Health Services, Office of The Director’s, Equity Team, The Health Ambassadors, Career Pathways Program provides health career exposure to historically marginalized young adults (18-30). A Health Career Pathways Program started in 2013 in Richmond’s West Contra Costa Unified School District as class curriculum with summer community health internships. Contra Costa family medicine residency joined the program to offer clinical shadowing component in 2018. The Program expanded Countywide in 2019. The Health Ambassador program started in 2021 in response to the covid pandemic and its disproportionate impact on our communities of color. The program hires from our communities and trains people with lived experience and prepares them for community health focused careers.
Approval of Grant Agreement #78-065 will allow County to receive funds from Kaiser Foundation Hospitals for the Health Ambassador, Career Pathways Program through June 30, 2026. This Agreement includes both parties agreeing to defend, indemnify and hold harmless each other for any claims arising out of the performance of this Agreement.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this Agreement is not approved, County will not receive funds for the Health Ambassadors, Career Pathways Program