COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Services Agency

DATE:

January 17, 2003

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 4, 2003

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Margaret Taylor, Director of Health Services

Brian Zamora, Director of Public Health and Environmental Protection

SUBJECT:

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant

Recommendation

1.

Adopt a resolution:

a)

Authorizing the President of the Board of Supervisors to accept a grant award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

b)

Authorizing the Director of Heath Services or her designee to sign subsequent documents related to said grant

2.

Approve an (ATR) Appropriation Transfer Request recognizing the appropriation of $109,819 in unanticipated revenue for FY 2002-03.

3.

Adopt a Salary Ordinance Amendment adding one full-time unclassified Community Worker Position

Background

Physical inactivity is one of the greatest health risks for mid-life and older adults. Inactivity contributes to illnesses and disabilities such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that more than 78% of adults aged 50 and older are at risk for health problems related to lack of regular and sustained physical activity. According to statistics, people age 50 and over who incorporate regular physical activity into their daily lives tend to live longer and have a better overall quality of life.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded San Mateo County with a community grant that will be used to pilot the "Active for Life" project. San Mateo County is one of nine sites selected nationwide to pilot this program, which promotes physical activity for older adults. Funding from the community grant will support studying the effectiveness of a telephone-based behavior intervention program. Each site will recruit 1,000 people age 50 and older to participate in programs that will test, replicate, and expand the telephone-based program with the goal of increasing physical activity among mid-life and older adults at the community level.

This grant was received after an extensive process of building community support, grant writing, and collaborative program development with the City of Berkeley Health and Human Services Department, community partners throughout San Mateo County and Berkeley, and researchers from UCSF Center for Healthy and Active Aging. An agreement with the City of Berkeley is being developed and will be brought to your Board for approval in the near future.

Discussion

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded San Mateo County Health Education Unit $972,460 to enroll one thousand (1,000) adults aged 50 and over from diverse cultures and ethnicities during the four year period of the Active for Life telephone counseling and education program. The award will be used to implement a regional program called "Bay Area Active for Life." It is designed to reach residents in the specific geographic areas served by the San Mateo County Health Services Agency and the City of Berkeley Health and Human Services Agency. The City of Berkeley is a partner in this project, because they were involved in a RWJF-funded evaluation project also conducted in San Mateo County. The diversity of communities to be reached in a San Mateo County/Berkeley joint proposal was an advantage in the proposal. The City of Berkeley was an active partner in the development of the proposal as well as in the site visit conducted by RWJF in November 2002. The project calls for a 1.0 FTE Community Worker to conduct the outreach activities, implement the telephone counseling interventions, and assist community contacts with outreach strategies in the community.

Performance Measures

The following outcomes are related to the Health Education Unit's overall goal of reducing the risk of chronic disease and promoting healthy lifestyles:

Objective

FY 2002-03

FY 2003-04

FY 2004-05

FY 2005-06*

FY 2006-07

Program Total

Number of contacts made with older adults in target communities (by Health Education program staff and contractors)

140

860

1400

1200

400

4,000

Number of clients enrolled who will be followed and provided counseling and education.

35

215

350

300

100

1,000

* Figures begin to decrease in FY 2005-06, as the program focus shifts from recruitment to evaluation. The program goal is to enroll one thousand adults over the four-year period.

Vision Alignment

The award by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 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 award from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation contributes to this commitment and goal by assisting older adults in improving their quality of life.

Term and Fiscal Impact

The term of this grant is January 15, 2003 through January 14, 2007. The total amount of the grant is $972,460. $109,819 in revenues and expenditures for FY 2002-03 is included in the attached ATR. The following amounts will be included in future budget recommendations: $258,102 for FY 2003-04; $297,359 for FY 2004-05; $228,128 for FY 2005-06; and $79,052 for FY 2006-07. There is no net county cost to the grant.