Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the Office of the Mayor to modify two contracts utilizing Federal CARES Act funds in the amount of $319,685.21 collectively as outlined below. These modifications are needed to maintain the delivery of critical obstetric and home visiting services for pregnant mothers and their families across Columbus and Franklin County, particularly those living in CelebrateOne priority neighborhoods.
Additional Funding
Contract Amount End Date
Nationwide Children’s Hospital $307,092.59 12/30/2020
PrimaryOne Health $ 12,592.62 12/30/2020
Every year, approximately 150 babies die before their first birthday. In response, CelebrateOne and its partners are working to address the most significant factors that contribute to the community's infant mortality rate, including: reducing premature births, eliminating sleep-related deaths, and connecting the disconnected. Home visiting services and prenatal care are essential strategies in CelebrateOne's work to engage and support pregnant and parenting mothers and their families. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered service delivery to vulnerable populations while placing financial strain on the organizations providing services.
This funding will stabilize home visiting services administered by Nationwide Children's Hospital in partnership with Mount Carmel, The Ohio State University, and OhioHealth. Since the start of the pandemic, in-home visitation has been replaced by telehealth services. As a result, the total time billed for each appointment has dropped from an average of 204 minutes per visit prior to the pandemic to an average of 136 minutes per visit since March 2020. This is a reduction of 33% in billable time, and, the resulting financial strain is limiting the hospital's ability to continue providing services at a level congruent with community need. What's more, funding will allow Nationwide Children's Hospital to ensure that emergencies resulting from the pandemic do not compromise a family's health and safety, as it covers targeted, time-limited supports such as rent assistance, food, cleaning supplies, and basic protective items like masks and gloves.
In addition, funding will provide resources to obstetrics patients served by PrimaryOne Health, the area's largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and a critical link to health services in areas of Columbus and Franklin County where access is limited. Because of the pandemic, routine prenatal appointments are being conducted virtually via telehealth. During pregnancy, a patient can have as many as 12 visits with an obstetrician, all of which include the review of health metrics for mom and baby. Among other items, this includes: blood pressure, fundal height, and fetal heartbeat. While telehealth services allow PrimaryOne to continue seeing patients in a way that limits their risk of exposure to COVID-19, patients do not have the tools to track key health indicators. These funds will allow PrimaryOne to purchase and distribute the necessary tools to clients to monitor their health while receiving telehealth services, ensuring pregnant mothers remain safe while providing their obstetrician with the health information necessary to provide quality care.
These additional funds will come from the Federal CARES Act in the amount of $319,685.21
The original contracts were established with Ordinance 3162-2019 which passed on December 16, 2019.
Emergency action is requested so that these contracts can be modified quickly to ensure that these services can be provided without delay. In addition, Federal CARES Act funds are currently set to expire by December 30, 2020. Therefore, there is an urgent need to encumber these funds prior to the expiration date.
Title
To authorize the Office of the Mayor to modify, by increasing, two existing contracts with Nationwide Children's Hospital and Primary One Health to maintain the delivery of critical obstetric and home visiting services for pregnant mothers and their families across Columbus and Franklin County through December 30, 2020; to authorize the expenditure of $319,685.21 from the CARES Act Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($319,685.21)
Body
WHEREAS, $319,685.21 in additional CARES Act funds are needed to maintain critical obstetric and home visiting services for vulnerable populations; and,
WHEREAS, it is necessary to modify two contracts by increasing the contract amount from the CARES Act fund so that prenatal visits can continue to be conducted safely while also providing the information necessary to provide quality health care and so that home visiting services can continue to meet evolving community needs; and,
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the need to modify two existing contracts with Nationwide Children's Hospital and PrimaryOne Health to maintain critical obstetric and home visiting services for vulnerable population; and
WHEREAS, the expenditure of CARES Act funding to modify these contracts is necessary to address the need for obstetric and home visiting services for CelebrateOne populations impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, such expenditure of funds has not been previously accounted for in the 2020 budget; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance is being submitted as an emergency measure so that timely services can proceed without interruption; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the usual daily operation of the Office of the Mayor in that it is immediately necessary to modify two current contracts so that such services can be provided quickly before the Federal deadline of December 30, 2020 for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; Now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Office of the Mayor is hereby authorized to modify by increasing two current contracts through December 30, 2020 as follows:
Contract Amount End Date
Nationwide Children’s Hospital $307,092.59 12/30/2020
PrimaryOne Health $ 12,592.62 12/30/2020
Total $319,685.21
SECTION 2. That, to pay the costs of said modification; the expenditure of $319,685.21 is hereby authorized from the CARES Act Fund , Fund No. 2207, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That this modification is in compliance with Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Code.
SECTION 4. That the expenditure of $319,685.21, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized from the CARES Act Fund 2207, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 6. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 7. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.