Title
Clinical Operations Grant Awards - Dorn
Body
Approval of $105,161 in Health Resources and Services Administration Quality Improvement Funding
On August 15, 2016, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center a total $105,161 in quality improvement funding. The amount received was based on: 1) LCHD/CHC maintaining Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) recognition for 7 sites; 2) LCHD/CHC using its Electronic Health Record (EHR) to report complete population-level data for quality indicators; and 3) LCHD/CHC being recognized as a clinical quality improver. This last category indicates that LCHD/CHC demonstrated significant improvements in clinical quality measures as reported through the Uniform Data System report. These one-time funds were added to the organization’s section 330 grant. The grant period for this award is September 1, 2016-August 31, 2017.
As noted in the attached budget, quality improvement funds will be used to support quality-related technology, supplies, training and conferences. Specifically, funds will support the following items:
• Computer software and software maintenance including webcams for inclusion of patient photos in medical records, text appointment reminder services, eSignature pads, data analytic software and a reporting toolkit for I2I patient registry software.
• Computer services including screen saver and video streaming applications to improve communication with staff and the public.
• Staff training including Microsoft Project management training, quality/organizational excellence training and certified quality improvement associate training.
• Staff conference attendance including the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare, and the American Public Health Association annual meeting.
Approval of $121,490 in Illinois Department of Public Health Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program Funding
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has awarded the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center (LCHD/CHC) Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP) with $494,000 in funding for state fiscal year 2017 (July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017). This is an 18.5% increase from state fiscal year 2016 grant year. The increase is due to Lake County having a larger uninsured population relative to other areas in the state. IBCCP agencies with low uninsured populations struggled to spend their full allotment of grant dollars in state fiscal year 2016 so these funds were re-allocated to partners with larger uninsured populations for 2017.
A total of $372,510 is budgeted based on last year’s award amount so LCHD/CHC is asking the Board of Health to approve the appropriation for the new funds. This is a total of $121,490. New dollars will be allocated to the county 2017 budget. As noted in the attached budget, a total of $54,348 in new grant funds will be used to support project management costs for the IBCCP program including personnel and fringe benefits. A total of $67,142 in funding will be dedicated to clinical costs for uninsured women accessing services in the community (e.g., screening and diagnostic mammograms).
LCHD/CHC has been the lead agency in Lake County for the IBCCP program for over 10 years. This grant will allow the program to continue to provide services to uninsured Lake County women. The assigned caseload for state fiscal year 2017 is 851 women.
Approval of $84,500 from Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation
The Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation has awarded the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center a two-year grant in the amount of $84,500 to support a county-wide mental health first aid training program. Mental health first aid training empowers individuals to identify mental health disorders and connect individuals experiencing these disorders to treatment. As part of this project, LCHD/CHC will train personnel at schools, juvenile justice agencies, faith-based organizations and youth-serving non-profits. Beginning January 1, 2017 the grant will also be used to cover part of the salary and fringe costs for two full-time counselors currently working in the Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Services (CABS) program. Grant-funded time will be dedicated to support the mental health first aid project including counseling time for clients identified through the project.
Approval of $106,928 in Health Resources and Services Administration Delivery System Health Information Investment Funding
On September 15, 2016, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center (LCHD/CHC) a total of $106,928 in Delivery System Health Information Investment funding. This is FQHC program funding that was distributed to all FQHCs who 1) did not have any conditions on their grant at the time of application and 2) successfully completed an application. The amount received for each grantee included a base amount of $40,000 plus an additional $1 per health center patient and an additional $2 per health center uninsured patient as measured by the 2015 Uniform Data System (UDS) report. These one-time funds were added to the organization’s section 330 grant. The grant period for this award is September 1, 2016-August 31, 2017. Per HRSA requirements, funds are to be invested in Health Information Technology systems.
As noted in the attached budget, 100% of Delivery System Health Information Investment funds will be used to purchase server licenses for the agency’s application service provider (ASP). Currently, LCHD/CHC is using Ohio Shared Information Systems (OSIS) as its application service provider. In the summer of 2016, LCHD/CHC put out a request for bids for the ASP contract. LCHD/CHC received three bids and, at its October 26th meeting, the Board of Health approved LCHD/CHC to begin negotiations with eMedApps. As this move represents a change in contracted partners, there are some anticipated one-time transition costs including the cost of server licenses. DSHII funding will be used to cover a portion of these license costs.
Suggested Motion
To approve the grant funding of $105,161 from HRSA. Funds will be used for quality-related training, conferences, technology and supplies. To approve $121,490 in additional funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health to support the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP). To approve the grant funding of $84,500 from the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation to support a county-wide mental health first aid training program. To approve the grant funding of $106,928 from HRSA. Funds will be used to purchase server licenses for LCHD/CHC’s application service provider.