Title
Receive an oral report on the County of Monterey Health Department’s receipt and use of Future of Public Health funds.
Presenters: Edward Moreno, MD, Health Officer and Public Health Director, Brandon Gates, Public Health Program Manager II, Emilio Saavedra, Management Analyst III, Kristy Michie, Assistant Director of Public Health.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Health, Housing, Homelessness and Human Services (HHHHS) Committee of the Board of Supervisors:
Receive an oral report on the County of Monterey Health Department’s receipt and use of Future of Public Health funds.
SUMMARY:
The County of Monterey Health Department’s Public Health Bureau will provide an oral report on the Department’s use of FoPH funds. Public Health will report on leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Monterey County, FoPH funding requirements, and FoPH investments in local public health services.
DISCUSSION:
Through the 2022 Budget Act, California took a transformational step toward rebuilding the state and local public health workforce and infrastructure that was devastated by years of disinvestment and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ongoing $300 million General Fund commitment, referred to as the Future of Public Health (FoPH), is a critical investment in the state’s public health readiness and response to existing and emerging public health issues. Of the $300 million annual investment, $99.6 million is dedicated to state operations, while $200.4 million is annually allocated to 61 local health jurisdictions (LHJs) for local assistance. Since enactment in 2022, LHJs, including the County of Monterey Health Department, have made tremendous progress in implementing FoPH investments.
The FoPH initiative aims at transforming and modernizing California to be able to handle public health threats. Consequently, California has adopted a modified foundational public health framework addressing six key service areas:
• Workforce Development, Recruitment, and Training
• Emergency Preparedness and Response
• Information Technology, Data Science, and Informatics
• Communications, Public Education, Engagement, and Behavior Change
• Community Partnerships
• Community Health Improvement
As outlined in the statute, of the original $200.4 million allocated for local assistance, each LHJs received a base funding amount of $350,000 per year. The remaining balance of the appropriation was provided to LHJs proportionally as follows:
1) 50% based on 2019, or most recent, population data,
2) 25% based on 2019, or most recent, poverty data, and
3) 25% based on 2019, or most recent, share of the population that is Black, African American, Latinx, Native Hawaiian, and/or Pacific Islander.
The California 2024 Budget Act reduced the local assistance to $188.2 million and used the following weighted methodology to determine reductions to each LHJ:
1) 20% of the $12.2 million reduction ($2.44 million) was applied in an even percentage across all LHJs. Every LHJ’s allocation is reduced by 1.22%.
2) 80% of the $12.2M reduction ($9.76 million) was applied to LHJs proportionally based on their proportion of the total unspent funds reported in their FY 2023-24 expenditure reports for quarters 1 through 4 (as reported by July 30, 2024).
As a condition of receiving FoPH funds, each LHJ must present updates annually to the local Board of Supervisors on the most prevalent causes of morbidity and mortality, progress addressing issues identified in their triennial community health needs assessment, and policy recommendations for addressing these issues.
This work supports the County of Monterey Health Department 2025-2028 Strategic Plan Goals:
1) Build community power and partners’ capacity to increase equity and improve health; 2) Provide exceptional person-centered care through accessible, community-focused health services; 3) Enhance employee wellbeing and workforce capacity; and 4) Deepen organizational effectiveness and support long-term sustainability. It also supports seven of the Ten Essential Public Health Services including: 1) Assess and monitor population health status, factors that influence health, and community needs and assets; 2) Investigate, diagnose, and address health problems and hazards affecting the population; 3) Communicate effectively to inform and educate people about health, factors that influence it, and how to improve it; 4) Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships to improve health; 7) Assure an effective system that enables equitable access to the individual services and care needed to be healthy; 8) Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce; and 10) Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT/COMMITTEE ACTIONS:
California Department of Public Health distributes and oversees the use of FoPH funding by LHJs.
FINANCING:
There is no impact on the County General Fund resulting from the receipt of this report. County of Monterey Health Department’s annual FoPH allocation is $2,532,265 effective July 1, 2024.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS:
FoPH funding aligns with the Strategic Plan Goal of Well-Being and Quality of Life, specifically the key objectives of Health and Facilities: Provide exceptional facilities and health programs to support quality of life for residents and Services: Provide service enhancements to support well-being and quality of life. Through use of FoPH funding, the Health Department has been able to restore, improve and expand public health services to the community.
Mark a check next to the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Plan Goals:
X Well-Being and Quality of Life
____ Sustainable Infrastructure for the Present and Future
____ Safe and Resilient Communities
____ Diverse and Thriving Economy
Prepared by: Kristy Michie, Public Health Assistant Bureau Chief, 755-4503
Approved by: Elsa Mendoza Jimenez, Director of Health Services, 755-4526
Attachments:
Board Report
Presentation