Drafter

Clerk 02/07/2018

title

A RESOLUTION acknowledging that the director of Public Health - Seattle & King County has authority to adopt policies regarding operations of health centers funded by Health Resources and Services Administration’s Health Care for the Homeless grant.

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                     WHEREAS, Public Health - Seattle & King County is a Healthcare for the Homeless ("HCH") grantee pursuant to Section 330(h) of the Public Health Service Act, and

                     WHEREAS, as an HCH grantee, King County must comply with a set of  conditions outlined by Health Resources and Services Administration ("HRSA"), including the establishment of a formal governing board, and King County has elected to meet that requirement through the Board of Health, and

                     WHEREAS, these governance requirements include:  reviewing and approving the annual operating budget and evaluating health center activities; measuring and evaluating the organization's progress and long-term programmatic and financial goals; and developing plans for the long-range viability of the organization by engaging in strategic planning in partnership with the HCH Network planning council, and

                     WHEREAS, the Board of Health created a standing committee on the Healthcare for the HCH Network in 2016 to further meet these governance requirements, and

                     WHEREAS, in King County, many of the governance functions required by HRSA are accomplished by structures already within King County government making further action by the King County Board of Health unnecessary or redundant, and

                     WHEREAS, in King County government, the metropolitan King County Council has primary responsibility to approve the budget proposed by the executive for all departments and programs and the council fully vets the Healthcare for the Homeless Network's budget as part of its budget process, and

                     WHEREAS, the Board of Health must satisfy HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care requirements related to establishing and adopting policies regarding the operations of health centers funded by HRSA, as outlined in HRSA's Health Center Program Compliance Manual, and

                     WHEREAS, HRSA requested, and the Board of Health standing committee approved, that Public Health research and give full consideration to the governance structures of other Public Health departments and other public agencies around the country who are grantees under HRSA's Health Care for the HCH grant program, and

                     WHEREAS, HRSA requested, and the Board of Health standing committee agreed on July 11, 2017, that Public Health consider adopting a governance structure that entails the transfer of formal governance responsibilities, from the Board of Health to a co-applicant board, as defined in HRSA's policies on the governance of public entity grantees, and

                     WHEREAS, the Board of Health received a briefing in September 2017, regarding HRSA's updated grantee governance policy, including the Board of Health standing committee’s work with HCH Network on a new governance plan, and

                     WHEREAS, HRSA requires official Board of Health acknowledgement regarding any governance changes to King County's HCH grant,

                     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Health of King County:

                     A.  The Board of Health, as the official governing body overseeing the Healthcare for the Homeless Network, formally acknowledges that authority to adopt policies related to operations of health centers funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration has been delegated to the Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County.

                     B.  Until the new coapplicant board structure has been approved by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the new board is officially convened, the Board of Health continues to retain awareness of policies developed by Public Health - Seattle & King County and provide overall strategic direction to Public Health - Seattle & King County related to the implementation of those policies for the Health Care for the Homeless Network.  The Board of Health will continue this awareness and oversight through:

                       1.  Receiving of briefings related to the Health Care for the Homeless Network provided by Public Health - Seattle & King County staff;

                       2.  Oversight and planning work by the Board of Health standing committee on Health Care for the Homeless; and

                       3.  Collaboration between the Board of Health standing committee and the Health Care for the Homeless Network Planning Council, which provides community guidance regarding strategic planning and policies related to the operations of the Health Care for the Homeless Network.