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Memorandum of Agreement with The Public Health Authority of Cabarrus County, d.b.a. Cabarrus Health Alliance and Union County, acting through its Division of Public Health
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INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dennis Joyner, Human Services Agency Public Health Division, Director, 704-296-4801
ACTION REQUESTED:
1) Authorize the County Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement substantially consistent with this agenda item and 2) approve budget amendment #7.
PRIOR BOARD ACTIONS:
May 16, 2022, Regular Meeting, Agenda Item # 22-309 - Board approved authorization of MOA with Cabarrus Health Alliance for same purpose as this agenda item and appropriation of $55,574.42 to the Public Health Division’s FY2023 budget.
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched the public health workforce in North Carolina and exposed gaps in foundational public health capabilities at the state and local levels, hindering optimal public health pandemic prevention and response. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package, is an economic stimulus bill signed into law by on March 11, 2021.
The North Carolina Division of Public Health (DPH) received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a grant titled “CDC Crisis Response Cooperative Agreement: COVID-19 Public Health Workforce,” hereafter known as the COVID-19 PH Workforce Grant. This grant provides funding to establish, expand, train, and sustain the state, tribal, local, or territorial (STLT) public health workforce to support jurisdictional COVID-19 prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery initiatives.
As part of this initiative, DPH made available funds for the 10 regions identified by the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors (NCALHD) to recruit, hire, and train personnel to fill critical gaps in its Public Health Infrastructure Foundational Capabilities in order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Health National Center for Innovations’ Public Health Leadership Forum identified Foundational Capabilities of Public Health-the suite of skills, programs, and activities that must be available in state and local health departments everywhere for the health system to work anywhere. Region IV includes 11 counties in the piedmont area of NC with Cabarrus Health Alliance serving as the ARPA Workforce Development Region IV Lead County.
Funding for this initiative is available now through May 2024.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Union County will receive up to $63,910.58 from the Cabarrus Health Alliance for the provision of staff development training and education under this agreement. No additional County funding is required or requested.