COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Services Agency

DATE:

August 2, 2002

BOARD MEETING DATE:

August 20, 2002

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Margaret Taylor, Director of Health Services

Brian Zamora, Director of Public Health and Environmental Protection

SUBJECT:

Seton Medical Center Community Grant for Prenatal to Three Initiative

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution authorizing the President of the Board of Supervisors to accept a one-year grant from Seton Medical Center in the amount of $32,890 to support the Prenatal to Three Initiative.

Background

For several years, the San Mateo County Prenatal to Three Initiative (Pre-to-Three) has contracted with the Seton Mother Infant Wellness Program (MIWP) for the services of a community worker. This individual provides home visits and case management services to Pre-to-Three clients enrolled in MIWP and to other North County residents if she has room in her caseload. With recent losses in foundation support and associated losses in leveraged Medi-Cal funding to Pre-to-Three, support for the Mother Infant Wellness community worker position was going to be eliminated during FY 2002-03. Faced with a loss of valued services to the community, Seton Medical Center has made a one-time, one-year grant to Prenatal to Three in order to sustain community worker services.

Discussion

Part of the financing for the community worker position has come from grants and part from charges to Medi-Cal for Targeted Case Management of Medi-Cal clients. This one-time grant will provide the local portion of a year's worth of support for the Mother Infant Wellness community worker. The County will bill Medi-Cal, as in the past, to complete the necessary funding to keep one community worker working for a year. Seton Medical Center has made it clear that this is "bridge" funding until Prenatal to Three obtains other financial support for the position.

Vision Alignment

The grant agreement with Seton Medical Center keeps the commitment of ensuring basic health and safety for all and goal number 8: Help vulnerable people - the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at-risk youth and others - achieve a better quality of life. The grant agreement with Seton Medical Center contributes to this commitment and goal by providing funding that allows support for the Mother Infant Wellness community worker position, and allows for the continuation of home visits and case management of clients.

Fiscal Impact

This grant is for the period of July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003, and it will be included in the final budget changes to be approved by your Board in September. The grant allows for continuation of a contract for community worker services with no additional net County Cost. The entire cost of the community worker is covered by this grant and the Medi-Cal dollars that will be leveraged through its acquisition.