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Regular Agenda Item 3. G.
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| Regular BOS Meeting |
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| Information |
| Request/Subject |
| Advertisement of Request for Proposals No. 072721 - Sub-Grantee for Project Management (Health Disparity Efforts to Enhance Testing for COVID-19 in Underserved Populations) |
| Background Information |
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260), which contained the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260, Section 2, Division M) provided, in part, funding for strategies to improve testing capabilities and other COVID-19 response purposes in populations at high-risk and underserved. Strategies also include those to develop or identify best practices for states and public health officials to use for contact tracing. To achieve these purposes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a grant opportunity titled CDC-RFA-OT21-2103: National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities for underserved/high-risk populations. This grant will provide funding to state, local, US territorial, and freely associated state health departments to address COVID-19-related health disparities and advance health equity by expanding state, local, US territorial, and freely associated state health department's capacity and services to prevent and control COVID-19 infection (or transmission).
The Arizona Department of Health Services notified the County Health Officers on April 7, 2021, that the Arizona award amount for the Health Disparities grant was $24,603,662. Gila County's non-competitive award for the health disparities grant is $567,203, with no match required. The grant application period was extremely expedited with high-level proposals and budgets due by April 16, 2021. Our grant application was submitted on April 16, 2021. On June 1, 2021, The Gila County Board of Supervisors approved the application for the Health Disparities grant addressing COVID-19 testing initiatives in Gila County's underserved communities.
The Gila County Health and Emergency Management Department is seeking consultation services from an organization with documented experience focused on racial equity and inclusion (REI), and work with rural-focused public health prevention. The ideal candidate will work towards the following outcomes: 1) Reducing COVID-19 testing-related health disparities, 2) improving and increasing testing and contract tracing in rural under-resourced populations, and 3) improving state and local health department capacity and services for the most underserved within Gila County. |
| Evaluation |
To support the initiative (COVID-19 Health Disparities), Gila County Health and Emergency Management will implement the following strategies:
Expand existing and/or develop new mitigation and prevention resources and services to reduce COVID-19 related disparities among populations at higher risk and that are underserved.
Increase/improve data collection and reporting for populations experiencing a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 infection, severe illness, and death to guide the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Build, leverage, and expand infrastructure support for COVID-19 prevention and control among populations that are at higher risk and underserved.
Mobilize partners and collaborators to advance health equity and address social determinants of health as they relate to COVID-19 health disparities among populations at higher risk and that are underserved. |
| Conclusion |
To meet grant requirements, Gila County is seeking a consultant team to provide grant management services and implementation support for the national initiative to address COVID-19 health disparities for underserved/high-risk populations in Gila County and will utilize this funding opportunity to address health advocacy for the COVID-19 pandemic in Gila County's underserved communities for improved testing outreach.
Upon approval from the Board of Supervisors, the advertisement for Request for Proposals No. 072721-Sub-Grantee for Project Management (Health Disparity Efforts to Enhance Testing for COVID-19 in Underserved Populations) will run on August 25, 2021, and September 1, 2021, editions of the Arizona Silver Belt newspaper with a proposal due date of August 15, 2021. |
| Recommendation |
| It is the recommendation of the Finance Department Director and the Health and Emergency Management Department Director that the Board of Supervisors authorize the advertisement of Request for Proposals No. 072721 - Sub-Grantee for Project Management (Health Disparity Efforts to Enhance Testing for COVID-19 in Underserved Populations) to be published for two consecutive weeks in the Arizona Silver Belt newspaper. |
| Suggested Motion |
| Information/Discussion/Action to authorize the advertisement of Request for Proposals No. 072721 - Sub-Grantee for Project Management (Health Disparity Efforts to Enhance Testing for COVID-19 in Underserved Populations). (Michael O'Driscoll) |
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