Explanation
BACKGROUND: Columbus Public Health has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This ordinance is needed to accept and appropriate $714,800.00 in grant monies to fund and operate the Ending the HIV Epidemic grant program, for the period March 1, 2024 through February 28, 2025. The total amount funded for this period is $714,800.00.
The purpose of the grant program is to focus resources in jurisdictions with substantial HIV burden to implement strategies, interventions, approaches, and core medical and support services to reduce new HIV infections in the United States. Locally, Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Program funds the provision of medical and support services to any persons living with HIV to agencies that reside/provide direct services in Franklin County. The overarching goal for this initiative is to reduce new HIV infections in the United States to less than 3,000 per year by 2030.
HRSA has tasked CPH to improve the efficiency of the reallocation of funds as necessary in order to minimize unused funds to the greatest extent possible and to maximize the available services and avoid potential penalties as future carryover funds may not be permitted by HRSA. For this reason, it is necessary to authorize the Board of Health to accept any additional awards for the Ending the HIV Epidemic grant program; to authorize the appropriation of any additional awards for the Ending the HIV Epidemic grant program; and to authorize the City Auditor to transfer appropriations between object classes for the Ending the HIV Epidemic grant program.
This ordinance is submitted as an emergency in order to ensure that quality medical care continues to be available to eligible persons living with HIV/AIDS and to ensure timely payment to providers.
FISCAL IMPACT: Ending the HIV Epidemic grant program is entirely funded by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and does not generate revenue or require a City match. (...
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