Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 2
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to the grant agreement with San Mateo County Health Foundation for Caring Hands in Health, providing an additional $150,000 of district-discretionary Measure K funds, for a new not to exceed amount of $300,000, with no change to the term of the agreement, and authorizing the County Executive, or designee, to execute the amendment.
body
BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years.
On March 9, 2021, and March 23, 2021, the Board of Supervisors (Board) held study sessions on Measure K expenditures and anticipated revenue for fiscal years (FY) 2021-23. The Board-appointed Measure K sub-committee, consisting of Supervisor Pine and Supervisor Canepa, convened the study sessions to, among other things, work with staff to facilitate the Board’s development of Measure K priorities and continuing initiatives for FYs 2021-23. The Board approved $5 million in one-time loans or grants for the FY 2021-23 budget cycle, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for district-discretionary needs and projects. District 2 has submitted a request to use their district-discretionary Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 2 (Supervisor Noelia Corzo) - San Mateo County Health Foundation: Additional funds for Caring Hands in Health, a financial aid program for basic necessities, to provide medical needs, emergency housing assistance and senior meals, and increased staffing. |
$150,000 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
On July 12, 2022, the Board, upon the recommendation of District 5, approved a one-time grant of district-discretionary Measure K funds in an amount not to exceed $150,000 to San Mateo County Health Foundation (SMCHF) to support their Caring Hands in Health program for a term through July 31, 2025. District 2 now seeks Board approval of the allocation of an additional $150,000 of district-discretionary Measure K funds to SMCHF for continued support of the Caring Hands in Health program. The County Executive, or designee, will continue to administer and manage the agreement.
For over 30 years, SMCHF has provided healthcare access for residents of San Mateo County. SMCHF exists to promote and champion the health and well-being of all residents of the community, regardless of ability to pay, primarily through supporting excellence and innovation in the County’s hospital and clinic system.
Public hospitals, community clinics, health centers, and local providers that serve disadvantaged communities provide a crucial healthcare safety net for the underinsured and uninsured. The San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC) hospital, with its clinics, is the safety net hospital for residents of San Mateo County. SMCHF, in partnership with SMMC’s hospital and clinics, secures funding to support quality care for 77,000 adults and children who utilize San Mateo’s one and only public hospital in the County every year.
SMCHF created the Caring Hands in Health program during the pandemic as a way for vulnerable patients to receive financial aid for necessities not covered by insurance. The program enables patients and their families to fulfill their needs quickly and in a dignified manner. In addition to financial aid, the program provides patients wrap-around services with social workers who work with them to get housing, food, jobs, mental health counseling and whatever else is needed to stabilize their lives.
All Caring Hands program recipients meet the program eligibility requirements, which are specific to SMCHF’s cause and work to identify individuals most in need of assistance. The program eligibility requirements include:
• Recipient must be a patient or patient guardian of San Mateo County Health facilities
• Recipient must live in San Mateo County
• Recipient must be referred by San Mateo Medical Center or clinic healthcare provider who has attested to the needs of the patient or patient guardian
In addition, before requests are approved, the SMMC social worker or provider must confirm that the patient has also been directed to other services for a long-term solution such as Fair Oaks Community Center, Second Harvest Food Bank, San Mateo County Core Agencies, etc. SMCHF’s staff reviews applications daily with a turnaround time of 24-48 hours.
The program has two key components:
Component 1: SMCHF provides financial aid to SMMC’s patients when the patient is referred by a medical professional and meets the eligibility requirements. Up to $500 is allocated for basic necessities such as groceries, medical/accessibility equipment and other out-of-pocket expenses related to or directly caused by a medical issue; medical assistance with prescription copays, dental procedures, and transportation to/from the Medical Center and its clinics for those who do not have a way to get to their medical appointments; senior meals for those 60 years old and above who live by themselves and cannot prepare their own meals or are recovering from surgery; and up to $2,000 in emergency housing costs for one month for those in a dire situation such as facing eviction or needing temporary accommodations for recuperative care.
Component 2: SMCHF has grown the program exponentially since it started in 2021 from 6 requests that first year to 5-10 requests each day. Caring Hands in Health has surpassed the SMCHF’s capacity and another staff member is needed to manage the program. This Measure K funding will pay for a part time program coordinator for 20 hours per week to assist Medical Center staff and providers in navigating the application process, connecting directly with patients to disseminate their grant awards, and working on special projects to further increase visibility for the program.
The currently proposed Measure K funds will partially fund the budget below. SMCHF will ensure that financial assistance funded by this amendment will be provided to individuals that have not or will not receive assistance from the existing grant funds.
1) Financial assistance of up to $500 for two years to 84 vulnerable patients and their families for basic necessities, medical assistance, senior meals: $42,000
2) Financial assistance of up to $2,000 for two years to 50 patients and their families experiencing housing instability each year: $100,000
3) Program Coordinator for two years: $50,000
Total Budget=$192,000
Total Measure K Request: Not to Exceed $150,000
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an amendment providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purposes described above:
John Jurow, Chief Executive Officer
222 West 39th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403
Email: jjurow@smcgov.org <mailto:jjurow@smcgov.org>
Phone: 650-573-2655
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Description |
Target |
|
Provide basic necessities, medical needs, emergency housing assistance and senior meals to 75 patients at San Mateo Medical Center and its clinics. |
Complete |
|
Provide a part-time program coordinator to assist Medical Center staff and providers in navigating the application process, connecting directly with patients to disseminate grant awards, and further increasing visibility for the program. |
Complete |
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the amendment and resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2022-23 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget.