To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Grant Agreement #29-818-8 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 Grant Agreement #29-818-8 with Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. (dba Heluna Health), a nonprofit corporation, to pay County an amount not to exceed $25,000 for participation in the FoodNet Expanded Case Exposure Ascertainment (eCEA) Project to study foodborne bacteria for the period September 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This Agreement will result in an amount not to exceed $25,000 in funding from the Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. (No County match required)
BACKGROUND:
The Health Services Department’s Public Health Division receives hundreds of reports of Salmonellosis and Shigellosis cases annually. There are likely many cases that do not get reported because community members do not see their doctor or confirmatory testing is not performed. These infections can result in serious illness and hospitalization across the age spectrum. Administering the expanded case report and the eCEA questionnaire will allow health officials to gather additional information that could result in enhanced disease prevention and control activities.
On April 15, 2025, the Board of Supervisors approved Grant Agreement #29-818-7 with Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. (dba Heluna Health) to receive funds in the amount of $22,500 for participation in the eCEA, to study foodborne bacteria, for the period from August 1, 2024 through July 31, 2025.
Approval of Agreement #29-818-8 will allow County to continue to receive funds to support the eCEA Project through July 31, 2026. This Agreement includes a mutual indemnification provision, whereby both parties agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend its board of trustees, officers, directors, agents, contractors and employees from any and all claims and/or liabilities arising out of the intentional action or negligence of either party for the arising under this Agreement. This Agreement is late due to the Division not receiving the grant document from the grantor until December 2025.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this Agreement is not approved, County will not receive funding to provide services for the eCEA Project.