To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Leah Benz, 565-6614
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Health Action Transition Consultant Agreement
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with Collaborative Consulting Inc. to guide and support the exploration of a transition of the Health Action initiative to an entity outside the County’s Department of Health Services, in partnership with community stakeholders, for the of period January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 in an amount not-to-exceed $124,800.
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Executive Summary:
The Sonoma County Department of Health Services requests authorization from the Board of Supervisors to execute an agreement with Collaborative Consulting Inc. to guide and support the exploration of a transition of the Health Action initiative to an entity outside the County’s Department of Health Services, in partnership with community stakeholders.
Discussion:
Health Action is a partnership of local leaders, organizations, and individuals dedicated to improving health and well-being of individuals and reducing health disparities across Sonoma County. Over the past 13 years, Health Action has been part of the Department of Health Services as an advisory committee to the Board of Supervisors. Health Action has made significant strides towards creating a community where everyone has the opportunity for a full and healthy life. The needs of Sonoma County that brought Health Action into being in 2007 have evolved. At that time, growing numbers of people lacked health insurance and access to primary care medical homes. Healthcare, civic, business, education, and nonprofit leaders came together to share information and resources, raise community awareness, and collaborate.
Over the years, Health Action has mobilized community partnerships and resources to work collectively. Major accomplishments to date include:
• Creating and leading the highly successful iWALK, iGROW, iCARE, and iWORK campaigns
• Creating a Food Action Plan and launching the Food System Alliance
• Launching Cradle To Career to support educational attainment by focusing on kindergarten readiness, academic success, and college and career readiness
• Establishing Health Action chapters in eight communities throughout Sonoma County led by community members focusing on issues and needs specific to their locales
• Producing the Portrait of Sonoma report in 2014 examining disparities in health, educational attainment, and living standards throughout the County. Based on census tract data, the report galvanized many organizations to focus on equity and the need for place-based solutions
• Improving blood pressure control by 20% in in adults over a five-year period through the Hearts of Sonoma County collaboration to reduce preventable heart attacks and strokes
• Establishing common opioid prescribing guidelines across all primary care providers and emergency departments
• Supporting the development of a countywide collaborative for community healing and resilience
While Health Action’s track record of strategic collaboration is robust, addressing the complex mix of social, health, and policy factors and conditions that drive and reinforce health and social disparities demands deeper systems change. True systems change advances equity by shifting the conditions that hold problems in place. To fully embrace systems change, stakeholders have to be able to see how their own ways of thinking and operating may need to change.
Health Action embarked on a systems change journey as part of the California Accountable Communities for Health Initiative (CACHI) beginning in 2016. As one of 13 CACHI communities throughout California, Health Action has been working to broaden and increase collective impact by transforming into an accountable community for health. The defining characteristics of accountable communities for health include: providing the venue or platform for partners to collectively set priorities; pooling and aligning resources; collaboratively implementing effective, mutually reinforcing interventions; and creating an enduring infrastructure that supports shared accountability.
Sonoma County is now at another critical point, intensified by compounding disasters that are disproportionately impacting the health and well-being of our most vulnerable community members. Transforming Health Action to a truly community led-collaboration, with shared ownership and accountability between all community partners may enable investment and engagement in comprehensive approaches to systems change. After careful consideration by members of the Health Action Council and subcommittees, it was determined that the best way forward is by moving Health Action outside of County government oversight to a new legal structure. Under County government oversight, not only does Health Action lack authority to respond creatively and nimbly during times of disaster, but numerous legal and logistical barriers also limit Health Action’s ability to pursue innovative strategies and investment needed to bring about sustained systems change and improve health and well-being for everyone. Only as an independent entity grounded in shared ownership, shared investment, and shared decision-making can Health Action become the truly community-led collaboration that Sonoma County now needs.
Health Action leaders including leadership from hospital systems, clinics, foundations, non- profits, and school districts have worked with County staff to identify the right consultant to guide a stakeholder and community engagement process to explore the feasibility of this transition. Collaborative Consulting is a consultancy firm specializing in medical-social integration and working with healthcare leaders and community stakeholders. The Health Action leaders selected Collaborative Consulting for their deep knowledge of Sonoma County health partners and nuances, and a proven track-record for organizational development. The Sonoma County Purchasing Agent approved a single-source waiver request for an agreement with Collaborative Consulting based on the specialized services and the recommendation of the Health Action ad hoc transition team committee.
With support from CACHI funding, Health Action staff and key stakeholders will work with Collaborative Consulting to determine potential optimal structures for Health Action stakeholders to work collectively with shared resources and shared accountability toward achieving a shared vision. Transforming Health Action to a truly community-led collaboration with shared public-private ownership may enable shared investment and engagement in innovative, upstream strategies for far greater, sustained collective impact.
Prior Board Actions:
N/A
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 20-21 Adopted |
FY 21-22 Projected |
FY 22-23 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
72,800 |
52,000 |
|
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
72,800 |
52,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
72,800 |
52,000 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
72,800 |
52,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Funding of $72,800 for the agreement with Collaborative Consulting is included in the fiscal year 2020-2021 budget. Funding of $52,000 will be included in the fiscal year 2021-2022 budget.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Agreement with Collaborative Consulting Inc.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None