Sponsor: Public Health
Title
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Personnel Complement Increase in the Public Health Department through the Response Sustainability Grant.
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Recommendation
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Approve an increase in the personnel complement of the Public Health department by 3.0 Full Time Equivalents for the duration of the grant.
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Background and Rationale
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In the 2023 legislative session, Community Health Boards (CHBs) and Tribes received the first-ever state committed funding for public health emergency preparedness and response (EPR) work. This occurred through the establishment of the Response Sustainability Grant (RSG), which requests that all CHBs and Tribes permanently increase staffing to maintain EPR responsibilities. The state of Minnesota, through statute 145A.135, is empowered to provide this funding to Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health.
Saint Paul- Ramsey County Public Health received $368,256 in fiscal year 2024 and $378,229 in fiscal year 2025. The Response Sustainability Grant period is December 1, 2023 through June 30, 2027. The purpose of this annual funding is to support a robust response to emergencies through planning, training, exercises, and response at the local level, and intended to increase and maintain a public health workforce. The grant includes three areas of focus:
1) workforce capacity; 2) sustainability; and 3) health equity. Each area of focus has associated grant duties (11 total) that all CHBs are required to complete. The requested increase in personnel complements will satisfy grant duties for all three areas of focus.
The 3 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions Public Health is requesting include one public health nurse (PHN), one health educator program assistant (HEPA) and one communications associate (CA). All positions will build on and sustain the existing community engagement work facilitated by Public Health’s Emergency Preparedness & Response team and continue to address health access needs of Ramsey County residents. The PHN position will support community immunization work with local partners and support the epidemiology program in responding to communicable disease investigations. The HEPA position will continue to engage with community members on emergency preparedness and response work including the public health impacts of climate emergencies. Additionally, the HEPA position will assist epidemiologists with vaccine preventable disease investigations when community outreach is needed. The communications associate will support the department’s ongoing communications needed for prevention and control of infectious disease, emergency preparedness, medical reserve corps and Trusted Messenger initiatives.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☐ Prosperity ☐ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
By adding a PHN, HEPA and CA position to the Emergency Preparedness & Response division, they will support the county’s goals for well-being. People of color are disproportionately impacted by disasters and emergencies. Increasing the capacity of public health emergency preparedness will lead to more opportunities for outreach, community engagement, and support for racially and ethnically diverse residents. These positions will support the work of the Emergency Preparedness & Response division to address and overcome issues of existing inequality based on race, ethnicity, class and culture. Through continued focused and targeted engagement efforts that guide preparedness plans in real-time, Ramsey County will ensure that the processes it employs align with the outcomes our communities are seeking.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Emergency response incidents are unpredictable, thus requiring sustained preparedness work to ensure plans are in place to operationalize when an incident occurs. The work of these three positions is grounded in community engagement and health equity. Key responsibilities for the individuals in these positions will be to engage and communicate with Ramsey County residents, including activities such as communications development, one-on-one outreach at community events, delivering presentations about emergency preparedness and assisting epidemiologists during case and contact tracing investigations. Engaging and educating the community is essential in addressing equity issues. The PHN, HEPA and CA positions outlined above will serve crucial roles in communication and engagement with Ramsey County residents.
☒ Inform ☐ Consult ☒ Involve ☒ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Public Health has been awarded the RSG Grant and the 2024 grant award of 368,256 and 2025 grant award of $378,229 will support 100% of the salary and fringe for all three positions. This grant has not been included in the approved 2024-2025 budget, but there is no anticipated impact on levy for this position.
Last Previous Action
None.
Attachments
1. Grant Award Letter from the Minnesota Department of Health
2. Response Sustainability Grant Project Agreement