Explanation
BACKGROUND:
The City of Columbus, Columbus Public Health, receives funding for the Ryan White Part A HIV Care Grant Program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The purpose of this grant is to improve access to quality medical care for persons with HIV or AIDS living in Central Ohio (Franklin, Licking, Delaware, Morrow, Union, Madison, Pickaway, and Fairfield counties). The goal is that each client will achieve viral suppression, which improves their quality of life and reduces the risk of spreading the infection.
In 2020, the RWPA program for the Central Ohio area served 2,397 people living with HIV through programs including outpatient/ambulatory medical care, mental health services, medical case management, early intervention services, housing services, non-medical case management, emergency financial assistance and medical transportation.
This ordinance authorizes the Board of Health to enter into and, if needed, modify contracts with Equitas Health to provide HIV-related somatic and outpatient/ambulatory medical care, early intervention services, medical and non-medical case management services, medical transportation, mental health services, housing services, emergency financial assistance, and any other service allowable under the grant. The term of the contract is March 1, 2022, through February 28, 2023, with funding based on vendor estimates of annual funding requirements for allowable services. These services were advertised through vendor services RFQ010425 on August 25, 2018 and RFQ013649 on September 24, 2019, according to bidding requirements of the City Code.
Under the terms of the grant, funds must be used during the grant period or they are forfeited and CPH may be subject to penalties related to future grant funding. Previously, CPH has reallocated unused funds from vendors through appropriate contract modifications. These modifications oftentimes required additional legislation. Most recently, toward the goals of minimizing unused funds, maximizing available services, and avoiding funding penalties, HRSA has tasked CPH with improving the process by which unused funds are reallocated. Therefore, this ordinance authorizes the Board of Health to enter into initial contracts with qualified vendors, modify those contracts if portions of previously appropriated and encumbered funds are unused, and reallocate unused funds by entering into contracts with newly identified and qualified vendors without the need for additional legislation. As such, this ordinance requests a waiver of the competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329.
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:
Contracts will be entered into by Columbus Public Health with Equitas Health for services allowable under the Ryan White Part A HIV Care Grant Program as well as comply with the RFQ and City bidding processes. This ordinance will authorize one ACPO in the amount of $477,966.50 to encumber funds using available grant appropriations for contracts with vendors.
Title
To authorize the Board of Health to enter into a contract with Equitas Health, modify the contract if portions of previously appropriated and encumbered funds are unused, and reallocate unused funds by entering into contracts with newly identified and qualified vendors without the need for additional legislation for the Ryan White Part A HIV Care Grant Program for the provision of services allowable under the grant for persons with HIV or AIDS in central Ohio; to authorize the expenditure of $477,966.50 from the Health Department Grants Fund to pay the costs thereof; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes; and to declare an emergency. ($477,966.50)
Body
WHEREAS, the city receives funding totaling $3,254,768 for the Ryan White Part A HIV Care Grant Program (the Grant) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which requires Columbus Public Health (CPH) to assure quality medical care to eligible persons living with HIV or AIDS in Central Ohio; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to allow the Board of Health to enter into contracts for services; and,
WHEREAS, $477,966.50 in additional funds are needed for the continued provision of HIV-related somatic medical care, medical case management services, non-medical case management services, mental health services, housing services, emergency financial assistance, and any other service allowable under the Grant for a sum total not to exceed $477,966.50; and,
WHEREAS, the Board of Health will enter into a contract with Equitas Health who will provide various HIV-related services to meet all grant deliverables required by the Grant; and
WHEREAS, HRSA has tasked CPH to improve the efficiency of the reallocation of grant funds as necessary to minimize unused funds, maximize available services, and avoid funding penalties; and,
WHEREAS, it is necessary to allow the Board of Health to enter into and modify contracts with vendors that are identified by CPH as qualified to provide the required services and meet federal requirements for the Grant; and,
WHEREAS, it is necessary for the Board of Health to reallocate appropriated and encumbered unused funds by modifying existing contracts or entering into additional contracts with vendors that are newly identified by CPH as qualified to provide the required services and that meet federal requirements for this grant funding without the need for additional legislation; and,
WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the city to waive the competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of Columbus Public Health in that it is immediately necessary to enter into contracts in order to continue services without interruption 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 Board of Health is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with Equitas Health, for a total amount not to exceed $477,966.50, for HIV-related services to persons with HIV or AIDS in central Ohio, for the period of March 1, 2022 through February 28, 2023.
SECTION 2. That the Board of Health is hereby authorized to modify said contract if portions of previously appropriated and encumbered funds are unused, and reallocate unused funds and enter into contracts with additional vendors that are newly identified by Columbus Public Health as qualified to provide the required services and that meet the federal grant requirements without the need for additional legislation, for services allowable under the Ryan White Part A HIV Care Grant Program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.
SECTION 3. That to pay the cost of said contract, the expenditure of $477,966.50, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized from the Health Department Grants Fund, Fund No. 2251, object class 03 per the attached accounting document.
SECTION 4. That Council finds it in the City’s best interest to waive the competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329 to enter into these contracts.
SECTION 5. 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.