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[CALL TO ORDER]
MEETING TO ORDER FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 4TH AT 2:30 PM UH, AND ANNOUNCED THAT WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT.AND, UH, WELCOME TO THOSE THAT ARE ALSO, UH, OF OUR COMMISSIONERS ATTENDING VIRTUALLY AS WELL.
GLAD YOU ALL COULD BE WITH US TODAY.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Public Health Commission Meeting on August 2, 2023.]
MOVING ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? SO MOVED BY THE VICE CHAIR.
AND YEAH, GO AHEAD AND SECONDED.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS TO THE MOTION? QUESTIONS? TO THE MOTION? THERE BEING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
[2. Receive remarks from Council Member Vanessa Fuentes]
MOVING ON TO STAFF BRIEFINGS.UH, SO WE GOT REMARKS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, HERE SHE IS.
WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING BEFORE US AND PROVIDING SOME REMARKS AND ABSOLUTELY, HOPEFULLY SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE FROM THE COMMISSION.
UM, I KNOW WE TALKED PREVIOUSLY, AND THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
AND THANK YOU CHAIR FOR VISITING US AT OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE FOR CITY COUNCIL.
I SERVE AS CITY COUNCILWOMAN REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO ON AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND CHAIR, THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE, UH, FOR OUR CITY.
YOU KNOW, PART OF THE REASON WHY I RAN FOR COUNCIL IS TO ADDRESS THE HEALTH INEQUITIES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY.
I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL VERY WELL AWARE THAT IF YOU'RE AN AUSTINITE WHO LIVES EAST OF 35, YOUR LIFE EXPECTANCY IS ON AVERAGE, AT LEAST 10 YEARS LESS, IN SOME CASES, UP TO 20 YEARS LESS.
AND SO, TRULY, YOUR ZIP CODE DETERMINES YOUR LIFE OUTCOMES.
AND I FUNDAMENTALLY BELIEVE THAT THAT IS NOT RIGHT AND THAT WE SHOULD DO BETTER BY OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I RAN ON A HEALTH EQUITY PLATFORM, AND I'VE CHAMPIONED A, A NUMBER OF HEALTH EQUITY RELATED INITIATIVES, INCLUDING, UH, THE CREATION OF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, UH, PIPELINE AND PROGRAM AND CAREER LADDER HERE AT THE CITY.
AND I HOPE TO SEE THAT WORK CONTINUE.
YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE NAVIGATORS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY HELP CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED, AND I THINK THEY HAVE A, UH, THEY PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE, IN THE WORK THAT WE NEED.
I ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT I HOPE THAT THIS PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION IS ABLE TO, TO WORK ON.
AND, AND PLEASE KNOW, I'M SUPER SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
I WAS CO-SPONSOR OF THE INITIATING RESOLUTION BROUGHT FORWARD BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND I KNOW IT'S TAKEN A WHILE TO GET THIS GOING, BUT KNOW THAT NOW THAT Y'ALL ARE HERE, THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING IS SO IMPORTANT TO HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE ARE FORTUNATE HERE IN OUR CITY TO HAVE A HEALTHCARE DISTRICT, TO HAVE A, A CITY WHO PRIORITIZES HEALTH AND TO HAVE A COUNTY WHO'S ALSO COMMITTED.
SO, HOW DO WE TAKE OUR THREE ENTITIES AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A ROBUST SPECTRUM OF HEALTHCARE, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND, AND SERVICES TO PROVIDE? AND SO I THINK YOU ALL ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED, UH, IN THAT WORK.
UH, THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO ME, WHAT I HOPE THAT, UH, THE COMMISSION CAN PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH.
I FIRMLY BELIEVE WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN OUR CITY.
YOU KNOW, WHAT MORE CAN AND SHOULD WE BE DOING TO HELP AUSTINITES, UH, LOOKING AT FOOD ACCESS? YOU KNOW, WE, UH, IN, IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN HAVE A NUMBER OF FOOD DESERTS, AND WE KNOW THAT ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD IS IMPORTANT AND HELPS IMPROVE LIFE OUTCOMES.
I MENTIONED THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, AND I ALSO WANNA MENTION REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH.
THAT'S TOP OF MIND FOR ME, UM, GIVEN THE, UH, EXTREME MEASURES THAT WE'VE SEEN PASSED BY OUR STATE LEGISLATURE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE KNEW, WHAT WE KNOW WITH THE CHANGES TO MEDICAID.
WE HAVE OVER 6 MILLION TEXANS WHO RECEIVE HEALTH CO COVERAGE FROM MEDICAID.
UM, AND NOW THAT THAT HAS COME TO AN END PER, YOU KNOW, FOR THE END OF THE PANDEMIC MEASURES THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE, UH, WE HAVE MILLIONS OF TEXANS WHO STAND TO LOSE HEALTH COVERAGE.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO INFORM AND EDUCATE AUSTINITES INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE VULNERABLE? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WOMEN, UH, PREGNANT PEOPLE, YOUNG ADULTS.
UM, HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT THEY ARE OPTING IN TO RENEW THEIR STATUS WITH MEDICAID? UM, THEY'RE NOT MAKING IT EASY FOR FOLKS.
AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE WAY THAT THE COMMUNICATION'S BEING ROLLED OUT IS THROUGH AN EMAIL.
UH, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL KNOW HOW EASY IT IS TO MISS AN EMAIL.
UH, AND, AND SO, UH, I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT WE CAN, HOW WE CAN RALLY AS A COMMUNITY.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I JUST WANNA WELCOME YOU ALL ON THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND KNOW THAT YOU HAVE AN
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ALLY AND A CHAMPION IN YOUR DISTRICT TWO OFFICE.AND TO, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WITH YOU ALL.
RECOMMEND I APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS.
AND TODAY WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT'S GONNA BE COMING FROM CENTRAL HEALTH.
UM, HOPEFULLY WITHIN THEIR PRESENTATION, HOPEFULLY THEY'LL TALK ABOUT THE SHIP PROGRAM THAT I KNOW COMMUNITY CARE HAS WITH AUSTIN M S.
HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE TALKING ABOUT SENDERO HEALTH PLANS, WHICH GOES IN MM-HMM.
UH, AND DEFINITELY, HOPEFULLY THEY CAN EXPOUND UPON SOME, UH, PERSPECTIVES OR METRICS THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE FOR THAT $7 MILLION THAT'S GOING OVER TO SUPPORT INTEGRAL CARE FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SO FORTH.
SO I THINK THREE OUTTA THE FOUR THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, HOPEFULLY WILL BE COVERED BY THE PRESENTATION HERE.
AND, UH, DEFINITELY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND, UH, AND SO FORTH, I THINK THAT ALSO TIES INTO SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS EVEN OVER LAST YEAR WHEN IT CAME TO, UH, UH, INCLEMENT WEATHER, BOTH MM-HMM.
SO, UH, I KNOW THAT'LL PROBABLY BE A TOPIC I PRESENT TO THE COMMISSION, UH, TO LOOK INTO.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING, UH, PIECE OF CONCERN, UH, FOR YOU ALL AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL.
UH, ANY, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, REMARKS, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION? YES.
VICE CHAIR, CRYSTAL, ALL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, AND FOR YOUR, UM, HELP WITH THE MICROPHONE
I'D LOVE IT IF WE COULD COME AND MAYBE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE CHAIR OR WHATEVER THE RIGHT MECHANISM IS, UH, YOUR INPUT.
I WAS JUST THINKING AS YOU WERE TALKING, THOSE FIVE THINGS THAT I LISTED ARE, IS A VAST, YOU KNOW, HORIZON OF CHALLENGE.
AND, UM, I WAS THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO ALONG, WE'RE JUST A FEW MINUTES, A FEW, UH, MONTHS INTO OUR, OUR ORGANIZATION.
WE'RE STILL LEARNING A LOT, BUT WOULD LOVE TO KIND OF HAVE THE CHANCE TO DIP BACK INTO YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND THOUGHTS TO SORT OF KNOW WHERE WE MIGHT FOCUS OR STAY BROAD AS WE TRY TO SORT OF SEE AND THINK ABOUT THESE, THESE, UM, THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS LANDSCAPE OF CHALLENGE THAT'S BEFORE US.
AND, AND I, UH, STAND READY AS A RESOURCE TO YOU AND TO THE COMMISSION AT ANY TIME.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, REMARKS? THERE BEING NONE.
MOVING ON TO STAFF BRIEFING NUMBER TWO, BRIEFING ON COVID TRENDS FROM THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ROTATE TO
[4. Briefing on the organizational structure, programs, and services by Central Health]
STAFF BRIEFING NUMBER FOUR, UH, UH, ITEM FOUR, BRIEFING ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES BY CENTRAL HEALTH.I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MONICA CROWLEY, OUR CHIEF STRATEGY AND PLANNING OFFICER, AND SENIOR COUNSEL, AND JP EICHMILLER, OUR SENIOR DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND INFORMATION DESIGN.
UH, UM, YOU WOULD THINK THE GIANT BUTTON.
UH, MONICA CROWLEY, CENTRAL HEALTH'S, UH, CHIEF STRATEGY AND PLANNING OFFICER, AND CENTRAL, UH, SENIOR COUNSEL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE.
AND JP I, IKE MILLER, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND INFORMATION DESIGN.
AND, UH, JUST FIRST OFF THE BAT, SO THAT I DON'T FORGET, BECAUSE IT'S NOT OFFICIALLY PART OF OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, UH, BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH INTEGRAL CARE ON, AS YOU GUYS NOTED, CENTRAL HEALTH HAS COMMITTED TO AN ADDITIONAL $7 MILLION, UH, IN CONTRACTS WITH INTEGRAL CARE.
IN ADDITION TO THE, UH, ALREADY ABOUT 10 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, UH, OF CONTRACTING THAT WE DO WITH THEM.
WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH, UH, INTEGRAL CARES, UM, STAFF AND OUR BOARD ON, UH, FINALIZING, UM, THE STRUCTURE THAT THOSE ADDITIONAL SERVICES WILL LOOK LIKE.
AND SO, UM, WE DON'T WANNA GET AHEAD OF, UH, WHAT OUR BOARD, UH, HAS APPROVED.
UM, BUT WE DID MEET, UH, THE GOAL THAT WAS IN CENTRAL HEALTH'S RESOLUTION OF, UH, HAVING SOMETHING THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED WITH INTEGRAL CARE'S, UM, UH, LEADERSHIP AND STAFF THAT WOULD, UM, BE AN APPROPRIATE MECHANISM FOR, UH, GETTING THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND PROVIDING THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THAT WE PRESENTED TO OUR BOARD LAST NIGHT, OR WE SENT IT TO OUR BOARD LAST NIGHT, AND WE'LL BE PRESENTING TO THEM, UM, IN, IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND GETTING, GETTING THEIR FEEDBACK AND APPROVAL.
UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK MORE PUBLICLY ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY THAT, UH, FORMAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
SO, BUT I KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT FOLKS ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE EXCITED TO, UM, BOTH EXPAND, UH, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND TO WORK TO COLLABORATE WITH INTEGRAL CARE MORE ON, UM, HOW, HOW WE PLAN SERVICES AND, UH, UH, MAKE THAT PART OF OUR INTEGRATED CONTINUUM OF CARE.
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SLIDE, PLEASE.UH, SO I KNOW A LOT OF YOU PROBABLY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS HISTORY OF CENTRAL HEALTH, BUT CENTRAL HEALTH IS THE, UM, HOSPITAL DISTRICT FOR TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS.
IT WAS FORMED, UH, BOTH BY A VOTE OF THE VOTERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY IN 2004, AND BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, UH, IN 2003 BEFORE CENTRAL HEALTH WAS CREATED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY IS INSTEAD OF IN MOST COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS, THE BULK OF SAFETY NET HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND HOSPITAL SERVICES THAT DON'T HAVE A HOSPITAL DISTRICT ARE PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY THROUGH, UH, COUNTY HOSPITALS IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, WE HAD A CITY HOSPITAL THAT WAS A UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, BRACKENRIDGE, UH, AND WE HAD A CITY PROGRAM, WHICH WAS THE MAP PROGRAM.
THERE WAS A COUNTY MAP PROGRAM, AND THEN THERE WERE ALSO, UH, CITY SAFETY NET HEALTH CLINICS AND SOME COUNTY HEALTH CLINICS.
BUT THOSE WERE ALL KIND OF SEPARATE, UH, SEPARATE SYSTEMS. AND, UH, FROM 1995 UNTIL THE CREATION OF CENTRAL HEALTH, UH, THE CITY WAS, HAD ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT WITH, UH, SETON, NOW ASCENSION TO, UH, OPERATE FIRST BRACKENRIDGE HOSPITAL AND THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, AND THEN TO CONTINUE OPERATING, UH, BRACKENRIDGE HOSPITAL.
UM, WHEN CENTRAL HEALTH WAS FORMED IN 2004, IT HAD THE STATUTORY MANDATE TO, UM, TAKE ON THE MEDICAL AND HOSPITAL CARE FOR THE INDIGENT NEEDY.
AND THERE WAS A WHOLE PROCESS WITH, UH, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WHERE, UH, MAXWELL LOCK AND RITTER CAME IN AND DID AN EVALUATION OF, HERE ARE THE SERVICES, HERE'S WHAT THEY COST, HERE'S HOW THAT WORKS WITH THE, UH, TAX BASE, UM, CITY AND COUNTY RELATED PROPERTIES RELATED TO PROVIDING, UH, MEDICAL AND HOSPITAL SERVICES TRANSITION TO CENTRAL HEALTH.
AND THIS IDENTIFIED TAX BASE FOR THE SERVICES THAT WERE GOING TO TRANSITION AND BECOME CENTRAL HEALTH'S OBLIGATION ALSO, UH, WAS IDENTIFIED AND TRANSFERRED OVER.
UH, AT THE TIME, UM, OUR, UH, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY CLINICS WERE, UM, COMBINED AND IN ABOUT 2009, IT TOOK A COUPLE OF YEARS, UM, FOR THE, UH, FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER, UM, COMMUNITY CARE TO BE FORMED AND APPROVED BY HRSA.
AND THAT CAME OVER TO, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH, WHICH IS A, UH, PUBLIC AGENCY CO-APPLICANT MODEL, UM, THAT WAS CREATED IN 2009.
AND THEN SENDERO HEALTH PLANS WAS CREATED IN, UH, I ALWAYS FORGET THE OFFICIAL DATE.
IT WAS 2000 OR 11 OR 2000, UH, AND 12 IN ANTICIPATION OF THEIR BEING UNIVERSAL, UH, MEDICAID COVERAGE, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T HAPPEN, UH, IN TEXAS, UH, FROM, UM, WE STILL HAVE, UH, ASCENSION PROVIDES THE BULK OF, UM, OUR HOSPITAL CARE AND MUCH OF THE SPECIALTY CARE PURSUANT TO, UH, ONGOING AGREEMENTS, UM, THAT, UH, CONTINUED ON.
UH, AND, UH, DURING THIS FIRST TIME PERIOD FROM 2004 TO 2013, CENTRAL HEALTH REALLY FOCUSED ON WORKING WITH COMMUNITY CARE AND, UH, PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY CLINIC AND LONE STAR CIRCLE OF CARE TO REALLY FOCUS ON EXPANDING PRIMARY CARE ACCESS, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, IN 2013, UH, THE COMMUNITY CARE COLLABORATIVE WAS FORMED, BUT THAT WAS WHEN THE 1115 WAIVER DELIVERY SYSTEM REFORM INCENTIVE PAYMENT DSRIP, UH, PROGRAM WAS, UH, CREATED.
THAT WAS A, UH, HEALTHCARE, UH, TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM.
AND WE ALSO BEGAN WORKING ON EXPANDING, UH, SPECIALTY CARE, UH, ACCESS, UM, THROUGH, UH, COMMUNITY PROVIDERS AND THROUGH THESE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT, UH, THE C C C HELPED IMPLEMENT AND THEN RECEIVED FUNDS FROM, UH, H H S C.
SO SUPPLEMENTAL MEDICAID FUNDS THAT THEN, UH, ITS CONTRACTED PROVIDERS, PRIMARILY THE FQHCS.
UH, AND THEN, UH, HOSPICE OF AUSTIN, UM, WERE THE, UH, CONTRACTED SUBCONTRACTED PRO PROVIDERS.
AND THEY ALSO RECEIVED FUNDS, UM, THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, BEGAN WORK AT CENTRAL HEALTH WITH THE, UH, EASTERN TRAVIS COUNTY COALITION, WHICH, UM,
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MANY OF THE FRUITS OF THAT WORK.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING IS IN EXPANDING, UH, HEALTHCARE SERVICE CAPACITY.
SOMETIMES, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT INCLUDES, UH, BUILDING OUT NEW FACILITIES IN PARTS OF THE COUNTY THAT ARE RURAL, WHERE YOU HAVE TO, UH, LAY ELECTRIC, LAY WATER, LAY GAS, WHERE YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE AS YOU'RE BUILDING, UM, THE FACILITIES.
UH, WE HAVE CLINICS OPENING IN HORNSBY BEND AND DELL VALLEY THIS YEAR THAT ARE GOING TO REPRESENT A MAJOR EXPANSION OF, UH, PRIMARY CARE AND DENTAL AND, UH, ACCESS AND PHARMACY, UH, IN, UM, AND, UH, PRIMARY CARE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IN EASTERN, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, WE ARE CONTINUING THE ONGOING PLANNING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, AROUND THE, UH, HEALTH CENTER THAT'S GONNA BE BUILT IN, UH, COLONY PARK.
UH, ALL OF THAT BEGAN DURING THIS TIME PERIOD OF 2013 THROUGH 2018.
UH, IN 2019, CENTRAL HEALTH WAS GRANTED THE LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY TO CREATE A MEDICAL EXECUTIVE BOARD AND HIRE PHYSICIANS TO PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES OUTSIDE OF THE F Q H C SETTING.
CENTRAL HEALTH HAD ALWAYS HAD, UH, SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE ABILITY TO HIRE DOCTORS AT COMMUNITY CARE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
UM, BUT THIS AUTHORIZED CENTRAL HEALTH TO, UM, HIRE DOCTORS TO PROVIDE SERVICES IN A WAY THAT LOOKS MORE LIKE WHAT THE OTHER LARGE URBAN CHAPTER 2 81 HOSPITAL DISTRICTS, UM, DO.
UH, IN 2020, OF COURSE, EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE BIG, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, KIND OF THE BIG MCGILL IN THE ROOM.
UM, CENTRAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY CARE TURNED TO FOCUS ON SUPPORTING, UH, COMMUNITY-WIDE, UM, VACCINATION AND TESTING, UH, EFFORTS, UH, AROUND, UH, THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THOSE EFFORTS WAS A CONTINUED SPOTLIGHT AND HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAPS AND DISPARITIES IN, UM, CARE THAT EXIST, UH, IN PARTICULARLY THE SAFETY NET.
AND, UH, CENTRAL HEALTH'S BOARD APPROVED CENTRAL HEALTH EXECUTIVES AND STAFF WORKING TO TRULY TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT A COMPREHENSIVE CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR TRAVIS COUNTY IN THE SAFETY NET MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
WE'RE GONNA PRESENT TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, ON THAT IN A, A LITTLE BIT.
WE TOOK THAT WORK WORKING WITH, UH, COMMUNITY CARE, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND, AND OTHER PARTNERS IN TRYING TO, UH, DEVELOP WHAT, UH, THE BONES OF THAT SYSTEM MIGHT LOOK LIKE TO THE EPISCOPAL HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION AND RECEIVED A PLANNING GRANT.
WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED TWO PLANNING GRANTS THAT ALLOWED US TO HIRE CONSULTANTS THAT, UM, ALLOWED US TO DO, UH, SAFETY NET FOCUSED COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT, GAP ANALYSIS, AND DEEP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, THAT LED TO, UH, A BOARD ADOPTED, UH, HEALTHCARE EQUITY SERVICE DELIVERY STRATEGIC PLAN IN, UH, 2022.
AND THEN, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, THE BOARD, WE RECEIVED ANOTHER GRANT FOR IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING AND DEVELOPED A, UH, SERVICE DELIVERY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, UM, THAT THE BOARD ADOPTED, UH, LAST MONTH.
AND THEN, SO YOU ALL KNOW, THIS ISN'T JUST A FORWARD LOOKING PLAN, THIS IS A NOW PLAN.
UH, ON MONDAY OF THIS WEEK, TWO DAYS AGO, UH, AT OUR EAST AUSTIN, UH, CLINIC, CENTRAL HEALTH BEGAN PROVIDING DIRECT SPECIALTY CARE SERVICES IN THE AREAS OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND, UH, PULMONOLOGY.
SO THEN THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK IS, IS REAL, AND IT'S HAPPENING NOW.
I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE JUST A LITTLE, OH, REAL QUICK, COMMISSIONER RICE, DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, FROM THE COMMISSION IF I COULD? I JUST HAD THOUGHT, AGAIN, WE DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT.
I KNOW YOU'VE GOT SOME SLIDES AND, AND WOULDN'T WANNA BE SENSITIVE, BUT OTHERWISE, HERE WE ARE.
UM, I WONDERED, UM, IF, UM, AND IT'S PROBABLY A SIDE CONVERSATION, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, OR AT LEAST EXPLORE THE IDEA OF A SORT OF COUNTYWIDE COMPUTATIONAL MODELING EXERCISE, PROBABLY IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOMETHING LIKE THE, THE ODIN INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS TO THINK ABOUT SORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE ONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH FOR, UM, UM, A COMMUNITY MODEL, WHICH WOULD, WHICH
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WOULD HAVE OVERLAYS OF NEED AND, AND, YOU KNOW, CROSS GEOGRAPHY, UM, OVERLAYS OF, UM, OF CURRENT RESOURCES, OVERLAYS OF WHAT COULD BE PROSPECTIVE RESOURCES.AND THERE'S A GAME THAT USED TO BE OUT THERE CALLED SIM CITY, WHICH IS, AT LEAST FOR SOME PEOPLE, THAT WILL RING A BELL.
BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A MODEL WHICH WOULD SAY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, A MODEL WHICH ALSO HAS, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S THE DISEASES, WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THE, WHERE ALL THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR, IN OUR STACK OF SOCIAL THINGS THAT WE COULD PUT ON, YOU COULD PUT ON POLICE AND ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
IF YOU PUT A, AN, YOU KNOW, A A, A NEW THING THERE, SMALL, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY CLINIC, HOW WOULD THAT THEN CHANGE THE WHOLE FIVE YEAR, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, MODEL OF HOW THINGS WOULD CHANGE.
YOU'D HAVE FEWER REQUESTS AT THIS PLACE.
MAYBE YOU'D HAVE FEWER EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS AND HAVE A, ESSENTIALLY A, GAMIFICATION IS THE WRONG WORD, WORD.
'CAUSE THAT SOUNDS TRITE, BUT THE POINT WOULD BE A WAY YOU COULD DO ADVANCED MODELING TO THEN SORT OF HAVE A COGNITIVE, IF YOU WILL, UM, YOU KNOW, MODEL THAT COULD DRIVE SOME DECISIONS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE THROUGH, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED MILLION MODELINGS OF, OF DIFFERENT PLACES YOU COULD PUT THINGS OR RESPONSES TO, UM, IDEAS.
AND THEN YOU COULD COME UP WITH SMALL NUMBERS OF REALLY PRACTICAL IDEAS THAT COULD BE EXPLORED BASED ON A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT MODELING.
I HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE, BUT I'D LOVE TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
I'VE, I'VE, I'VE, UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE PROBABLY AN, AN ASK OF HOW ARE YOU DETERMINING YOUR DESERT ZONES, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MODEL IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EXISTS WITHIN CAPITAL METRO AS THEY'RE DETERMINING, THEY'RE TARGETING, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION ROUTES VERSUS FOOD ROUTES AND TWO MILE DISTANCES OF, YOU KNOW, TO DETERMINE THOSE, UH, THOSE, THOSE DESERTS.
DO YOU ALREADY HAVE A SIMILAR MODEL FOR THIS, WHICH I WOULD ASSUME YOU KIND OF DO FOR THE LOCATIONS THAT YOU PUT IN CLINICS, BUT ONE PROBABLY JUST PASSING ALONG WHAT YOU DO HAVE IN PLACE, AND THEN THAT WAY THE COMMISSION CAN PROBABLY GIVE SOME FEEDBACK AND PROBABLY SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FROM, FROM THE POSITIONS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING HERE AS A COMMISSION TO TRY TO ENHANCE, UH, AND FIND WAYS TO AUGMENT ACROSS THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES AS WELL.
AND JP IS GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, UH, SAFETY NET COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
OF COURSE, WE PARTICIPATE IN THE CHA CHIP, UH, THAT IS A, A BIG PLANNING EXERCISE, UH, WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS. WE DID ON A CENSUS TRACT LEVEL AT THE SAFETY NET COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT LOOKED AT WHO, WHO IS PROVIDED ON A CENSUS TRACT LEVEL, WHO LIVES THERE, WHAT, UH, IS THEIR BURDEN OF DISEASE, UH, WHAT ARE SOME OF THEIR SOCIAL DETERMINANTS? WHAT TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION DO THEY HAVE? WHAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED IN THAT COMMUNITY? WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO THE SAFETY NET IN THOSE CENSUS TRACTED AREAS.
UH, WE HAVE, IT'S, I KNOW I ALWAYS HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT WE HAVE A, THERE'S ABOUT A 325 PAGE REPORT THAT GOES INTO DETAIL ON WHO, WHAT, HOW IS BEING PROVIDED IN THOSE AREAS, AND ALSO OTHER KIND OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS THAT, UH, INFLUENCE KIND OF THE, THE BURDEN OF DISEASE FOR PLANNING PURPOSES.
NOW, WE DON'T, WE HAVE SPOKEN TO IN THE PAST SOME, UM, THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT PROVIDE THAT TYPE OF PREDICTIVE MODELING FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW FOR HOSPITAL PLANNING, FOR, UH, CLINIC PLANNING FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT ARE REALLY EXPENSIVE.
BUT YEAH, IF THERE WAS SOME, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION THAT, THAT WOULD WANT TO WORK WITH US TO DO SOME MORE OF THESE, UH, KIND OF PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS AND THAT LEVEL OF MODELING, UM, THAT IS BEYOND JUST LOOKING AT, UH, KIND OF BURDEN OF DISEASE AND COMMUNITY NEED, UH, WE WOULD ALSO LOVE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT LEVEL OF RESOURCE TOO.
LET ME JUST MAKE THE POINT THAT I'VE, I'VE SEARCHED THE WORLD.
THERE IS A TRANSPORTATION MODEL, LIKE I'M DISCUSSING WITH VERY DEEP, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF METRICS, NOT LIKE 1, 2, 3, 4.
YEAH, THERE'S A, IN SINGAPORE, NO ONE HAS ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN HEALTH AROUND THE WORLD.
BUT, SO THAT WOULD BE, THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO TALK ABOUT TO UT AND OTHERS ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT DO THAT AS SOMETHING THAT COULD SERVE CENTRAL TEXAS AND PROBABLY THE REST OF THE WORLD.
BUT ANYWAY, SO DIFFERENT SUBJECT, BUT I, I WOULD LOVE TO, LET'S MOVE ON.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE CHILD CHIP, UM, PRESENTATION.
IS IT, IS IT NEXT MONTH? UH, I BELIEVE THAT WAS A CONVERSATION OF HAVING THAT AS A PRESENTATION AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE CAN DEFINITELY ADD THAT.
AND ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IF YOU GUYS DO HAVE I IDEAS OR THOUGHTS ABOUT RESOURCES, UH, THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T HAD AVAILABLE OR THAT ARE IN YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY BRING, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO THE TABLE OR TO THE COMMUNITY TO CREATE.
THANK YOU, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH FOR, FOR, UH, RAISING THAT.
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SO JUST LOOKING AT OUR SYSTEM AFFILIATES AT CENTRAL HEALTH.THE FIRST ONE IS COMMUNITY CARE HEALTH CENTERS.
UM, THIS IS OUR PUBLIC AGENCY CO-APPLICANT, FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER SYSTEM, UM, THAT WAS CREATED IN 2009 OUT OF THOSE CITY AND COUNTY CLINICS.
UH, THEY HAVE BETWEEN, AND IT'S ALWAYS BETWEEN 26 AND 30.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK TODAY IT'S 28 SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS, UH, ADDITIONAL, UM, HEALTH CENTERS THAT ARE, UH, BEING OPEN.
I THINK MOST RECENTLY THERE WAS A HEALTH CENTER THAT WAS OPENED AT CHALMERS COURT.
UH, THEY HAD AN EXPANSION INTO PFLUGERVILLE, UH, IN THE PAST YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY OPENED UP WITH THE, UH, BLACK MEN'S HEALTH CLINIC.
'CAUSE YOU GUYS ARE ALL, ALL, UH, AWARE HERE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS CONTINUALLY EXPANDING.
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAIN WAYS THAT WE WORK, PARTICULARLY IN PRIMARY, UH, PRIMARY CARE, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DENTAL CARE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEY PROVIDE SERVICES AS A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER TO BASICALLY ANYONE, REGARDLESS OF, UH, COUNTY OF RESIDENTS OR ABILITY TO PAY ON A SLIDING FEE SCALE BASIS.
UM, AND THEY ALSO ARE A MEDICAL ACCESS PROGRAM, MEDICAL ACCESS, UH, MAP B PROVIDER, THEY MEDICAID, MEDICARE, UM, PRIVATE, UH, INSURANCE, AND THEN ALSO CENTRAL HEALTH SUBSIDIZES COMMUNITY CARE, UM, THROUGH A LOT OF, UH, CAPITAL INVESTMENTS ACROSS THAT SYSTEM.
UH, SENDERO HEALTH PLAN IS OUR CENTRAL HEALTH, WHOLLY OWNED, UH, COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH PLAN.
WHEN SENDERO WAS CREATED, IT WAS A MEDICAID PROVIDER, UH, THERE FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, MANY OF WHICH RELATE TO THE MEDICAID EXPANSION THAT FOLKS HAD EXPECTED WAS NOT SOMETHING, UH, THAT, THAT HAPPENED WITHIN TEXAS.
UH, CINDER IS NOT A MEDICAID HEALTH PLAN.
THEY ARE NOT A MEDICAID M C O, AND THEY ALSO ARE NOT IN THE MEDICARE MARKETS.
HOWEVER, THEY ARE A MEANINGFUL PART OF OUR SYSTEM IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, THROUGH THE A C A AND THROUGH OFF EXCHANGE, UH, INSURANCE, INSURANCE PLANS.
UM, THEY PROVIDE, UH, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SERVICES TO, UM, THE HAM AND CHIP POPULATION WHERE CENTRAL HEALTH, UM, SUBSIDIZES THE PREMIUMS, UH, OF THOSE SERVICES FOR OUR, UH, MUSICIAN, UH, POPULATION.
THEY ALSO PROVIDE A, UH, WE HAVE AN OFF EXCHANGE PLATINUM PLAN FOR, UH, PATIENTS THAT ARE CERTAIN IDENTIFIED HIGH NEEDS PATIENTS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR MAP.
AND THEN, UH, TAKING A PAGE OUT OF THE PLAYBOOK OF OTHER HOSPITAL DISTRICTS IN THEIR COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH PLANS.
UH, WE ARE OFFERING, UH, SUBSIDIZED, UH, COVERAGE IN SENDERO SILVER PLAN THIS YEAR TO ELIGIBLE, UH, TO PATIENTS BETWEEN A HUNDRED AND 150% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL THAT WOULD QUALIFY, UH, FOR THE, UH, HIGHLY SUBSIDIZED, UM, SILVER PLANS, WHICH ALSO, UH, AND WE CREATE PLANS THAT TRACK THE SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN MAP AND MAP BASIC.
UH, MANY TIMES BECAUSE OF THE LOW, UH, COPAYS, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, CARE MANAGEMENT, BECAUSE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES IN MAP, UM, YOU, YOU COULDN'T JUST GO AND BUY A SIMILAR PLAN, UH, OFF THE MARKET, OFF THE MARKETPLACE WITHOUT THE COST SHARING BEING, UM, THE PREMIUMS AND THE COST SHARING BEING PROHIBITIVELY, UH, EXPENSIVE.
SO WE ARE WORKING TO, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, MEANINGFULLY ENHANCE OUR, UH, SUBSIDIZED OFFERING, UM, THROUGH SENDERO HEALTH PLANS.
AND THEN THE COMMUNITY CARE COLLABORATIVE IS THE PARTNERSHIP THAT, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH AND SETON, UH, ESTABLISHED IN 2013, UH, LARGELY TO IMPLEMENT THE, UM, DISTRICT 1115, UH, WAIVER PROJECTS AND TO COLLABORATE ON OTHER, UH, HEALTHCARE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE SAFETY NET.
IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR REASON THAT THE UT DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL IS NOT ON HERE? UH, WELL, THEY AREN'T ONE OF OUR SYSTEM AFFILIATES.
WE HAVE AN A AFFILIATION AGREEMENT WITH THE MEDICAL SCHOOL MM-HMM.
THERE'S A, A PHRASE FOR IT THAT ADA ON ANNA GOES TO
[00:30:01]
SO MANY CENTRAL HALL BOARD MEETINGS THAT I'M LIKE, IF WE CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT JEFF ALOLA SAID, MAYBE ANNA DOES, BUT COMPONENT UNITS, SORRY, I KNEW IT WOULD, I I JUST LOOKED AT YOU AND I WAS LIKE, JEFF CAME RIGHT THROUGH YOUR EYES.BUT, UH, THERE ARE COMPONENT UNITS FOR THE PURPOSES OF OUR BUDGET AND OUR TAX AUDIT AND THE C CCC, SENDERO AND COMMUNITY CARE MM-HMM.
IS NOT ALL, ALTHOUGH OUR AFFILIATION WITH THE DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL IS, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE BEGAN OUR PRACTICE, OUR DIRECT PRACTICE OF CARE ON, UM, MONDAY OF THIS WEEK.
AND, UM, THE DOCTORS THAT WE, UH, RECRUITED WERE, UM, RECRUITED JOINTLY, UH, WITH THE MEDICAL SCHOOL AND OUR, YOU KNOW, ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, WERE ABLE TO RECRUIT A LEVEL OF, OF, UM, PROVIDER THAT WE OTHERWISE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO BECAUSE OF OUR AFFILIATION WITH.
UM, THE MEDICAL SCHOOL, AND EVEN IF YOU THINK OUR, UM, CURRENT CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER WHO IS, UH, THE PRIOR CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AT COMMUNITY CARE, UH, WHO'S WORKED WITH, I THINK DR.
YODA, WHO'S A COMMISSIONER MM-HMM.
ONE THING I DIDN'T SEE IN YOUR SLIDES AS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE SYSTEM AFFILIATES WOULD BE WHEN IT COMES TO THE SERVICE, UM, WHERE DO Y'ALL POTENTIALLY OVERLAP WITH OR AUGMENT OR ENHANCE WHEN IT COMES IN RELATIONSHIP OF OVERLAPPING JURISDICTIONS WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION IN THE CONTRACTS AND THE FUNDING THAT THEY PUT OUT FOR THE SAME POPULATION OF SUPPORT, WHEREAS THE UNDERINSURED, UH, FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL INDIVIDUALS, UM, AND I THINK AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GREAT TO HAVE THE PRESENTATION OR BRIEFS, BUT ALSO FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THERE'S, THERE'S CONNECTION, WHERE THERE'S THE ABILITY TO BRIDGE OR COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO BRIDGE AND PROBABLY WHERE THERE'S DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS, UM, THAT CAN BE REALIGNED TO ENHANCE IN OTHER AREAS.
SO I WOULD SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, CENTRAL HEALTH IS AS, AS A TAXING HOSPITAL DISTRICT UNDER CHAPTER 2 81, WE ARE, UH, OUR MAP PROGRAM IS THE PAYER OF LAST RESORT.
ONE OF THE THINGS AS A, UH, HOSPITAL DISTRICT, UM, HOSPITAL DISTRICTS, UH, THAT A, AS CENTRAL HEALTH IS BECOMING, UH, MORE OF A MATURE HOSPITAL DISTRICT PROVIDING SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, UH, WE WE'RE, UH, UM, GONNA BE A MEDICAID PROVIDER AND A, UH, MEDICARE PROVIDER.
SO WE ARE ENROLLING IN THOSE PROGRAMS. WE ALSO ARE, UM, EXPLORING, UH, MAXIMIZING, UM, UNCOMPENSATED CARE PROGRAMS LIKE DENTAL.
UM, AND SO REALLY MAKING SURE THAT AS A HOSPITAL DISTRICT WITH, UM, DEFINED, UH, UH, JURISDICTION UNDER CHAPTER 2 81, THAT WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WORK THAT WE ARE TASKED WITH, UM, IT, WHICH IS MUCH BEYOND, THERE IS NO HOSPITAL DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT IS A LARGE URBAN HOSPITAL DISTRICT THAT JUST OPERATES IN AN INDIGENT HEALTH COVERAGE PLAN.
YOU KNOW, THEY ALL PROVIDE SERVICES, UH, AS WELL.
SO CITY AND COUNTY GAVE UP THEIR HEALTHCARE DOLLARS TO THE HEALTHCARE DISTRICT, AND THEREFORE THERE'S NO OVERLAP AS FAR AS THAT'S CONCERNED.
WE ALSO HAVE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, THE COUNTY DOES, AND THE CITY DOES WITH CENTRAL HEALTH TO ENSURE THAT WE DO COLLABORATIVE HEALTH PLANNING, AND WE DON'T.
AND WE, INSTEAD OF DUPLICATING SERVICES, WHAT WE DO IS SUPPLEMENT SERVICES.
AND I THINK I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING THAT THERE WAS, UM, AND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK, UH, I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S PUBLIC RECORD, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE ALSO COULD SHARE.
THERE WAS A REPORT DONE BY MAXWELL LOCK AND RITTER AT THE TIME OF THE CREATION OF THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT TO DEFINE ALL OF THOSE COSTS AND A PORTION OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO IS DOING WHAT, SO THAT THERE'S NOT DUPLICATION OF SERVICES IN SOME AREAS THAT ARE SO, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, UNDER SUPPORTED, PARTICULARLY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, LIKE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES FROM THE TIME OF THE CREATION OF CENTRAL HEALTH.
UM, IT WAS DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE ADDITIVE INVESTMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND, UH, CENTRAL HEALTH IN
[00:35:01]
PROVIDING EXPANSION, UH, EXPANSION DOLLARS FOR THESE SERVICES.AND SO, UH, JUST BECAUSE, UH, ALL THREE ENTITIES MIGHT BE SUPPORTING, UH, AN, AN AREA OF, UH, HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SERVICES, LIKE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THERE'S ANY DUPLICATION.
I WOULD SAY THAT THAT AREA IS STILL PRETTY AND THAT, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL DOLLARS, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO WITH COLLABORATIVE HEALTH PLANNING AND, UH, OUR WORK WITH INTEGRAL CARE PARTICIPATION IN THE CHIP AND WITH CENTRAL HEALTH'S HEALTHCARE EQUITY PLAN WAS TO WORK WITH THESE PARTNERS.
AND, AND I THINK IN THE WORK, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, DR.
WE, YOU'RE LEADING AROUND, UH, HEALTHCARE INFORMATION AND, AND DATA IS TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NOT A DUPLICATION OF EFFORT AND THAT THERE IS COLLABORATIVE, UH, ALIGNED PLANNING, UM, PARTICULARLY FOR THESE AREAS THAT ARE SO, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY GAPPED.
QUICK POINT OF CLARITY QUESTION.
THE WORDS COMMUNITY CARE, HEALTH CENTERS, AND THEN THE WORD COMMUNITY CARE COLLABORATIVE.
CAN YOU REMIND ME WHY, WHAT'S DIFFERENT BETWEEN THOSE TWO? 'CAUSE THE WORDS COMMUNITY CARE LEAD THEMSELVES INTO BOTH, AND I'M CONSTANTLY CONFUSED.
THERE'S ONE, A FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT AND THERE'S A, A, A, UM, A DISTRICT, A PROVIDER SYSTEM.
UH, THE COMMUNITY CARE HEALTH CENTERS ARE THE FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER SYSTEM.
AND THEN THE COMMUNITY CARE COLLABORATIVE IS THE, UH, PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN, UM, ASCENSION AND CENTRAL HEALTH, UM, THAT, UH, COLLABORATES ON HEALTHCARE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND THAT THEY'RE NOT RELATED.
THOSE ARE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS OR DIFFERENT, TOTALLY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO HEAR DIFFERENT STRUCTURES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BY ANYBODY ELSE? ALRIGHT, UM, JP, GOOD AFTERNOON.
SO I'M GONNA RUN YOU THROUGH SOME, UH, NUMBERS AND SOME BACKGROUND, UH, RELATED TO OUR 2022 ANNUAL REPORT.
UM, WE, UH, WE, AS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT, WE PRODUCE THIS REPORT EVERY YEAR.
UM, IT DOES CA CAPTURE OUR FISCAL YEARS, WHICH BEGAN OCTOBER 1ST AND RUN THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH.
SO, UM, JUST LAST WEEK, WE CONCLUDED OUR F Y 2323, HOWEVER, IT TAKES US MANY MONTHS TO, UM, KIND OF CATCH UP WITH THE CLAIMS AND ALL THE REPORTING.
SO THAT'S WHY, UM, IT'S ALWAYS THE NEXT YEAR WHEN WE'RE PRESENTING ALL THE BIG, UH, FINDINGS FROM THE, FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UM, THIS IS JUST KIND OF THE, THE QUICK HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, WE'LL GO INTO SOME MORE DETAILS ABOUT, UM, I WILL GO INTO SOME MORE DETAILS ABOUT ALL THESE NUMBERS HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE, WE SERVED OVER 152,000, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS.
UM, THAT E EQUALS OUT TO ABOUT ONE IN NINE PEOPLE RECEIVED SERVICES THROUGH US.
WE, UH, FUNDED THROUGH HOSPITAL PRIMARY CARE, UM, ENROLLED IN OUR MAP OR MAP BASIC PROGRAMS. UM, WE FUNDED MORE THAN HALF A MILLION PRIMARY CARE VISITS.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO ENROLL 50,000 PEOPLE IN MAP AND ANOTHER 68,000 IN OUR MAP BASIC PROGRAM, WHICH, UH, WAS A PROGRAM WE ADDED A FEW YEARS AGO THAT, UM, COVERS, UH, RESIDENTS WHO, UH, DON'T QUALIFY FOR MAP BECAUSE THEY MAKE TOO MUCH INCOME.
UM, WE HANDLED OVER 23,000 ONLINE APPLICATIONS.
AND THIS IS REALLY, UH, AN EVOLUTION, UM, THAT WE'RE PROUD OF SINCE, UH, COVID OCCURRED.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING REAL HARD TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR FOLKS TO GET ENROLLED IN, UH, IN TO APPLY AND RE-ENROLL IN OUR PROGRAMS. AND WE NOW COUNT, UH, 2, 228 PROVIDER LOCATIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY.
SO THAT'S 228 PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO.
AND IF THEY HAVE A MAP CARD, A MAP, BASIC, THEY CAN RECEIVE CARE, UM, THAT WE FUND.
SO, QUICK QUESTION ON THIS ONE.
UM, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE, THE NUMBER.
OUT OF THE 152,000 INDIVIDUALS SERVE, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT, UH, ARE, ARE YOU SERVING OUT OF WHAT YOU ESTIMATE TO BE THE TOTAL NEED? AND BASED OFF OF THAT, HOW CAN, UM, HOW, HOW CAN YOU GO ABOUT INCREASING YOUR PROVIDER LOCATIONS IF SOMEONE MAY BE WATCHING OR INDIVIDUALS WE MAY KNOW, UH, OR ENTITIES WE KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES FOR MAP? UM, SORRY, I WANNA MAKE SURE I CAPTURE YOUR WHOLE QUESTION.
SO THE NEED THAT IS THE, UH, THAT IS THE, UM, THE BIG WHITE WHALE.
EVERYONE'S ALWAYS CHASING WHAT IS THE NEED OUT THERE AND HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'VE ACHIEVED IT? UM, UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS, UH, NO CLEAN ANSWER FOR THAT.
UM, ESPECIALLY AT THE MORE MICRO YOU GET TO LOOK AT IT.
[00:40:01]
WE HAVE COMPARED OUR NUMBERS WITH WHAT THE CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS, UM, AND WE CAN CLEARLY TELL YOU THAT THE CENSUS BUREAU NUMBERS ARE UNDER-REPORTED.THE REASONS FOR THIS ARE, THERE'S MULTIPLE REASONS.
UM, WE SERVE A SIGNIFICANT UNDOCUMENTED POPULATION THAT IS HARD TO COUNT AND HARD TO KNOW WHERE THEY LIVE.
UM, THAT'S CLOSE TO 50% OF OUR PATIENTS.
UM, THERE IS, UH, AGAIN, THERE IS WORDING IN THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY, UH, THE, THAT THE CENSUS BUREAU PUTS OUT WHERE THEY ASK FOLKS, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THEY RECEIVE, UH, GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED FUNDING, OR EXCUSE ME, GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED, UH, INSURANCE HEALTH COVERAGE.
IF THEY CHECK YES, THEN THEY'RE MARKED AS INSURED.
IF THEY CHECK NO, THEN THEY'RE MARKED AS UNINSURED.
AND WHAT'S THE NUMBER THAT'S MARKED AS UNINSURED THAT, THAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, IS, UH, LIKELY A LOW COUNT, APPROXIMATELY? WELL, WE, THEY, SO ACCORDING TO THEIR DATA, THERE ARE ABOUT, UM, 60,000 UNINSURED RESIDENTS IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO WE KNOW WE ENROLL OVER 110,000 PEOPLE IN OUR PROGRAM, RIGHT.
SO WE KNOW RIGHT FROM THE BASIS THAT THE CENSUS BUREAU UNDER COUNTY UNINSURED BY AT LEAST 50,000 PEOPLE.
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M KIND OF LOOKING FOR, ESPECIALLY TO HELP WITH OUR DISCERNMENT OF, OF WHAT THE LANDSCAPE POTENTIALLY IS AND HOW TO LOOK AT THE RESOURCES AND COME WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, OR BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE ANY CONTEXT OR RESOURCES WE HAVE, WOULD YOU SAY BEST CASE SCENARIO THAT YOU'RE HITTING 30%, 40% OF THE DEMAND OR THE NEED, DO YOU NEED, INSTEAD OF 228 PROVIDER LOCATIONS, YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE UP TO 350 TO 400? I MEAN, THAT GIVES US AT LEAST AN ANALYSIS OF SOMETHING TANGIBLY TO BE ABLE TO WORK OFF OF VERSUS KIND OF, HEY, WE, WE KNOW, WE KNOW WHY CERTAIN THINGS ARE NOT HAPPENING, BUT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY GIVING US TANGIBLE INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO SAY, THIS IS THE ROOT ISSUE, THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO HELP OR COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO GET 'EM FROM THIS JUNCTURE TO THIS JUNCTURE.
WELL, AND SO LUCKILY WE'VE DONE, UH, A SIGNIFICANT OF AMOUNT OF WORK IN THE HEALTHCARE EQUITY PLAN, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR, UH, APPOINTED, UM, BOARD AND OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS AND, UM, COMMUNITY, UH, HEALTHCARE PROVIDER PARTNERS, AND IN WORKING IN OUR ONGOING DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT AND DISPARITIES ASSESSMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, IN A MINUTE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GET TO IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES WHERE WE ACTUALLY, UH, BENCHMARKED WITH THE PLAN IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE EXPANDED, UH, PROVIDER LOCATIONS SINCE 2013, UM, FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER RICE, UM, BEFORE THE MEETING, IF, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU NEGOTIATE WITH A COMMUNITY PROVIDER, UH, FOR A YEAR IN A VERY MEANINGFUL, OPEN-HEARTED, TRUE INTENT WAY, BUT THE, UH, CAPACITY THAT THEY HAVE, UM, TO EXPAND WITH YOU IS A HALF DAY CLINIC, THEN IT'S MEANINGFUL BECAUSE THEY'RE BRINGING THE CAPACITY THAT THEY HAVE, UM, TO THE TABLE.
UH, AND THAT ADDS EIGHT APPOINTMENTS THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE THE WAY THAT YOU, UM, MOST EFFECTIVELY EXPAND, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE, UH, IT, IT DEVELOPED OUR CAPACITY AND GAP ANALYSIS THAT WENT WITH, UH, THE CENSUS TRACK BASED, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND, UH, THE DEEP COMMUNITY, UM, OUTREACH WAS THAT IN CREATING A PLAN THAT IS, UH, A MORE MATURE HOSPITAL DISTRICT PLAN, MUCH LIKE, UH, HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS, FORT WORTH, EL PASO, OTHER LARGE URBAN COMMUNITIES, UH, IN TEXAS, THE WAY THAT YOU GO FROM GETTING FOUR APPOINTMENTS IN GI A WEEK TO GETTING 16 APPOINTMENTS A DAY IS TO OPEN YOUR OWN CLINIC.
AND SO THE WAY, IT'S NOT A NUMBER OF PROVIDER LOCATIONS OR PROVIDER CONTRACTS, IT'S MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN AS QUICKLY AND DIRECTLY AND TARGETED AS POSSIBLE TO EXPAND ACCESS EXPONENTIALLY, UH, IN A WAY THAT IT, IT IT'S NOT, UH, REALLY AVAILABLE CAPACITY IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, WILL, UH, DISCUSS THAT IN A COUPLE OF MORE SLIDES.
UM, YEAH, AND I THINK IT'D ALSO BE HELPFUL TO KIND OF JUST, UH, REMIND OR LEVEL SET THAT THERE IS SOMETHING, I BELIEVE AROUND A QUARTER MILLION PEOPLE
[00:45:01]
IN THIS COUNTY LIVING AT OR BELOW 200% PO FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL, WHICH IS WHO WE ARE CHARGED WITH SERVING.THOSE WHO ARE TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS BELOW 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL AND ARE UNINSURED.
THOSE ARE THE FOLKS WE'RE GETTING COVERAGE FOR MEDICAID, RIGHT? YEAH.
BUT WE KNOW THE LARGEST SEGMENT OF THAT POPULATION IS CHILDREN, LOW INCOME CHILDREN QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID, QUALIFY FOR CHIP.
WE HAVE SENIORS IN THERE AS WELL, UM, WHO CAN QUALIFY FOR, UH, MEDICARE.
AND WE HAVE A POPULATION THAT CAN ALSO RECEIVE SUBSIDIES, UM, AND THROUGH OTHER PROGRAMS AND GET, UH, PRIVATE INSURANCE.
SO WE REALLY ARE THE SAFETY NET.
SO IT'S IT, SO WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT THIS ONE POPULATION, SAY, WELL, WHY AREN'T YOU SERVING ALL THEM? IT'S 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OTHER RESOURCES FOR THEM, UM, THAT WE TRY TO CONNECT THEM WITH AS WELL, IF WE CAN.
UH, HERE, UH, AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, MONICA'S TOUCHED ON SOME OF THESE, UM, AS WELL.
UH, IN 2022, WE FINALLY SAW A REBOUND IN, UH, PATIENTS' ENROLLMENTS AND VISITS FROM OUR PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
OBVIOUSLY, THOSE, ALL THOSE NUMBERS TOOK A HIT.
UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, THE EQUITY FOCUS, SERVICE DELIVERY STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, A MAJOR MILESTONE WAS DEVELOPED AND ADOPTED, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS AND, UH, UH, DELL VALLEY, HORNSBY BEND, AND, UH, THE EAST AUSTIN CLINIC, WHICH OPENED THIS WEEK, ALL BEGAN LAST YEAR.
AND WHEN YOU SAY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN LIKE MOST DIRECT TERMS, UH, FACILITIES, CLINIC, FACILITIES, CLINICS, HEALTHCARE CENTERS, HEALTH CENTERS, SORRY.
UM, WE BEGAN, WE LAUNCHED THE PROVISION OF HEALTHCARE, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS PODIATRY WAS OUR FIRST, UH, UH, THIS TOUCH INTO THAT, UM, EXPANDED SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT.
AND, UH, WE LAUNCHED A NEW MEDICAL RESPITE PROGRAM, WHICH WE'LL ALSO TALK IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THE, THE KIND OF THE, THE BASELINE FOR EVERYTHING, UH, THAT WE, WE WORK WITH.
AND, UM, THE LENS WE KIND OF HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH IS, UH, FAMILIES IN NEED, FAMILIES IN POVERTY IN THIS COUNTY.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE SAMPLE FROM OUR, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK IN THIS REPORT, WE LOOK AT THE CURRENT YEAR, AND WE ALSO BUILD OUT FIVE YEAR PROJECTIONS.
SO THIS IS KIND OF HELPING US PLAN, UM, FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE MAJOR, I GUESS, HIGHLIGHTS, I WOULD, I WOULD GIVE YOU FROM THE SLIDE IS THAT I, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH, UM, IT IS BECOMING, WE KNOW TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN ARE BECOMING MUCH MORE AFFLUENT PLACES TO LIVE, UM, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS ARE JUST GOING TO DISAPPEAR.
UM, WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE STABILIZING AS A PERCENTAGE, UM, WHEREAS, UH, OTHER PORTIONS, SEGMENTS OF THE BASED ON INCOME ARE ACTUALLY GROWING FASTER.
HOWEVER, WE DO ANTICIPATE SEEING AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 2000 FAMILIES IN POVERTY OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
UM, AND SOME OF THE INTERESTING FINDINGS, UM, I THINK, AND THIS WAS COMPOUNDED DURING THE PANDEMIC, WAS THAT, UM, THOSE FAMILIES IN POVERTY ARE REALLY KINDA CONCENTRATING UP AND DOWN THE I 35 CORRIDOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEREAS THERE WAS, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, MUCH MORE OF A NARRATIVE AROUND THE EASTERN CRESCENT OR THE SUBURBANIZATION OF POVERTY.
I THINK WHAT WE SAW DURING THE PANDEMIC WAS, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVING TO PFLUGERVILLE, A LOT OF PEOPLE CHOOSING, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE SPACE, SUBURBAN LIFESTYLES, MOVING TO MAINOR.
UM, WE'VE NOW GOT A, UH, FACTORY IN EAST TRAVIS COUNTY THAT BUILDS CARS THAT'S EMPLOYING 20,000 PEOPLE, UM, BUSING 'EM IN FROM BELL COUNTY.
UM, THIS IS VERY MUCH, UH, BECOMING A REGIONAL ISSUE.
SO NOW WE'VE GOT THIS MORE AND MORE A CONCENTRATION UP AND DOWN, ESPECIALLY IN AUSTIN, ALONG I 35, UM, WHERE NOT ONLY, UM, ARE FOLKS LIVING, BUT THAT'S ALSO WHERE THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES, UM, RESOURCES TO HOUSING, UM, RESOURCES TO SOCIAL SERVICES.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S JUST A, IT'S SOMETHING WE, UM, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THERE ISN'T NEED IN THE OTHER PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY.
UM, I THINK, 'CAUSE THAT CHART IN THE TOP RIGHT SHOWS THERE'S ABOUT 4,000 LOW INCOME FAMILIES IN EASTERN TRAVIS COUNTY, ABOUT 2200 WEST TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT ABOUT 17,000 RESIDE WITHIN A COUPLE MILES BY 35.
SO THIS IS A RUDIMENTARY WAY OF LOOKING AT THIS.
AND I THINK IT TIES BACK TO THE PREVIOUS COMMENT, IF I'M GOING OFF OF THIS SLIDE, 20 22, 20 3,655 FAMILIES, AND I GO BACK TWO SLIDES WITH YOUR NUMBERS, IT SAYS
[00:50:01]
152,000 PATIENTS SERVED.IF THAT'S UNDUPLICATED, THAT'S ALMOST 23,655 FAMILIES THAT ARE HOUSEHOLD SIZE OF SIX.
AND THAT'S WHAT, I MEAN, YOU'RE GIVING ME THE NUMBERS, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY HELPING ME TO UNDERSTAND RIGHT, WHERE THE IMPACT STILL NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND HOW WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT, WHEN WE START LOOKING AT WHERE THE RESOURCES ARE, THE OVERLAYS AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS OF BEING ABLE TO REALLY SAY, HEY, 23,000 FAMILIES, YOU, I'M ASSUMING THAT SHOULD BE COVERED OUT OF THE 152,000 PEOPLE YOU TOOK CARE OF.
BUT WHAT IS THE ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, IN ACTUALITY, WHAT IS IT? UM, THAT THAT'S WHY THAT QUE THAT'S WHY I HAD THAT QUESTION OF, YOU'RE GIVING ME THE NUMBERS, BUT ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED? WHAT MORE ARE YOU TRYING TO STRIVE TO, TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE POPULATION THAT STILL ISN'T CAPTURED HERE? AND I DO WANNA SAY WHAT WE FOCUS ON IS NOT IF YOU ENROLL PEOPLE IN PROGRAMS, UM, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE PLACES AND CAPACITY FOR THEM TO GO TO, UM, THEN THAT BREAKS TRUST.
AND SO THE THING THAT WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON, AND WE'LL GET TO THIS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CAPACITY AND GAP ANALYSIS, AND WE CAN COME, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO, WE CAN TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR HEALTHCARE EQUITY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
BUT THAT PLAN ALLOWS US TO BUILD OUT ACCESS ACROSS SERVICE LINES, UM, AND ACROSS CROSS CUTTING INITIATIVES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, OUTREACH AND ENROLLMENT WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH GROUPS LIKE THREE C THREE THAT WE DO WITH, UH, LATINO HEALTHCARE FORUM, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH, WITH THE HEALTH EQUITY POLICY COUNCIL THAT WE, UM, WORK WITH, WITH, UH, COMMUNITY CARE AND THE, UM, BLACK MEN'S HEALTH CLINIC.
UM, AND THAT WORK IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT IN REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITIES TO GET THEM INTO THE SERVICES THAT EXIST.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DISCOVERED, UH, AS PART OF THE CAPACITY AND GAP ANALYSIS, UH, WE'LL GO INTO THIS IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL IN A MINUTE, IS THAT THE REAL NEEDS ARE IN CAPACITY OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS EVERY ELEMENT OF THE CONTINUUM.
SO WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DENTAL CHAIRS, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SPECIALTY CARE APPOINTMENTS IN EVERY SPECIALTY.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OUTPATIENT SURGICAL ACCESS.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL ACCESS, AND WE CAN GO INTO THIS, BUT BENCHMARK TO WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE PROVIDER CAPACITY WISE FOR OUR POPULATION.
UM, WE ARE MORE THAN 50% GAPPED IN MANY OF THESE AREAS.
AND THOSE ARE THE AREAS, UH, THAT WE HAVE STARTED TO BUILD OUT IN LOOKING AT EAST TRAVIS COUNTY IN THE CLINIC AT ROSEWOOD SARAZA IN THIS NEW CLINIC THAT'S COMING ONLINE AT COLONY PARK IN THE NEW SERVICES THAT ARE GONNA BE PROVIDED AT CAMERON ROAD, UH, IN, UH, DIALYSIS SERVICES IN THE RUNDBERG AREA IN, UH, FAR SOUTH AUSTIN.
I MEAN, THERE ARE, ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THE PLANNING, IN ADDITIONAL CONTRACTED SERVICES, REALLY FOCUSING ON OUR POPULATION AND SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES.
UM, BUT IT'S JUST LOOKING ON A SERVICE LINE BY SERVICE LINE, SERVICE AREA BY SERVICE AREA, CAPACITY EXPANSION, SO THAT YOU DON'T PROMISE SOMEBODY SOMETHING, UM, BY ENROLLING THEM IN A PROGRAM THAT IT TAKES THEM SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR TO GET AN APPOINTMENT IN.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE FOCUSES THAT WE'VE TAKEN.
AGAIN, I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MOVE QUICKLY HERE, BUT I WAS JUST THINKING IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF WE HAD A GRAPHIC JP, WHICH MIGHT LIST THAT 23,000 FAMILIES SHOW US 23,000 PEOPLE ACROSS, MAYBE SEPARATED BY AGE GROUPS, MAYBE PE THAT YOUNG PEDIATRICS, WHATEVER, WHATEVER AGE GROUPS, AND THEN HAVE SOME KIND OF A GRID BELOW, WHICH WOULD BE MAYBE, UM, DIFFERENT SERVICE LINES, WOMEN'S SERVICES, YOU KNOW, PEDIATRIC SERVICES, I DON'T KNOW, H YOU KNOW, UM, HEMATOLOGY OR, OR GI OR SOMETHING, ALL THESE DIFFERENT KINDS OF THE CV.
AND THEN YOU COULD SHOW US BY AGE GROUP WHAT THE CAPACITY IS OR WHAT THE NEED IS.
AND THEN MAYBE THE NEXT SLIDE IS WHAT THE CAPACITY IS.
AND YOU WOULD HELP US SORT OF SEE, OH, YOU'VE GOT CB SERVICE LINE GAPS ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT, YOU KNOW, NOT TRYING TO DO GEOGRAPHICALLY, BUT JUST SUM 'EM ALL UP ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE THE GAP, THE NEED GAPS ARE BY ESPECIALLY YOUR SERVICE LINE.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S GONNA DO ANYTHING FOR US EXCEPT HELP US UNDERSTAND MORE DEEPLY, LIKE WHAT IS THE GAP? AND I WOULD SAY LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT LOOKS ON, IS THAT IN THERE A CENSUS TRACK BASIS? THE, UH, YEAH, AND IT'S THIS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE 23,000 FAMILIES, UM, IT'S TRACKING FAMILIES IN POVERTY, THAT'S NOT UP TO 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL.
SO, UM, WE'RE GIVING YOU GUYS AN OVERVIEW, UM, THAT'S TAKEN OUT OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH SAFETY
[00:55:01]
NET COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT OUT OF OUR DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT, OUT OF THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY, AND, UH, TRYING TO AMALGAMATE MAYBE LIKE A, YOU KNOW, I DON'T 500 PAGES OF DOCUMENTS INTO SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DIGESTIBLE IN A, YOU KNOW, PRESENTATION WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE WERE GIVEN.AND, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, I DON'T, I I CAN TALK ABOUT THIS ALL DAY EVERY DAY, AND YEAH, ASK ANYONE IN MY FAMILY, I DO.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS WILL, UH, BRING, BRING BACK MORE, MORE INFORMATION AS WELL TOO.
I KNOW WE'RE PRETTY MUCH 35 MINUTES LEFT FOR OUR MEETING, AND SO I'LL KIND OF ASK THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANYTHING PARTICULAR FROM THE SLIDES THAT YOU HAVE OF INTEREST, UM, TO, TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER DIRECTLY TOO? UM, I APPRECIATE YOU FINALLY GIVING ME THE RESPONSE TO A 50% GAP.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING AND LOOKING FOR, BUT IT TOOK KIND OF QUITE A WHILE TO GET TO THAT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS EQUITY PLAN IS GONNA TAKE OVER SEVEN YEARS, BUT WE ALSO CAN'T WAIT SEVEN YEARS FOR HOSPITALS TO BE BUILT.
SO HOW CAN WE POTENTIALLY BE ABLE TO AUGMENT UNTIL YOU HAVE A HOSPITAL SET UP TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF THE THREE, FOUR AGENCIES PLUS THE OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE, LIKE THE SOBERING CENTER, LIKE INTERVAL CARE AND OTHERS.
HOW CAN WE FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO HELP GAP FILL, AS YOU'RE SAYING, THERE'S THIS GAP THERE IN OTHER ENTITIES THAT MAY BE SUITABLE TO BECOME, UH, MAP PROVIDERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE INTERIM UNTIL YOUR SYSTEMS ARE SET UP, UNTIL YOU HAVE THE LOCATIONS TO BE ABLE TO DO THOSE THINGS AS YOU'RE, AS YOU'RE SPEAKING TO, TO ME, IT'S, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS, IS MORE OF THE NOW AND THE SERVICES AND THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAVE NOW, AND NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IS BEING PLANNED.
AND IT'S GONNA HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
THE COMMISSION IS SET UP TO BE ABLE TO WORK AND COLLABORATE AND GAP FILL AND COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HELP TAKE CARE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS WHERE THE NEEDLE CAN BE MOVED AT AND TO COME UP WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND TO COME UP WITH THOSE, UH, PROPOSALS FOR RESOLUTIONS OR, OR, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUNDINGS AND SO FORTH TO BE ABLE TO HELP IN SUPPORT OF WHAT YOU ALL HAVE PLANNED.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW IF YOU GUYS WOULD WANT TO LOOK, UM, THERE'S INFORMATION ABOUT OUR VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY REPORT, THE SAFETY NET COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT ON OUR GAPS ANALYSIS THAT ARE ALL AVAILABLE.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT SLIDE 14, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT SLIDE 15, THIS LAYS OUT THE, UH, UH, GAPS ANALYSIS.
OUR MOST GAPPED AREAS WERE IN, UH, SPECIALTY CARE, DENTAL CARE.
I THINK EV EVERYONE KNOWS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE HAVE A MAP THAT'S JUST DENTAL FOR PEOPLE THAT GET INTO, UH, AFFORDABLE CARE ACT COVERAGE IS BECAUSE DENTAL IS SOMETHING THAT IS, IS REALLY HARD FOR PEOPLE TO GET ACCESS TO.
UM, FOR, UH, AMBUL AMBULATORY BASED, UM, SURGICAL SERVICES, A DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES AND HOSPITAL SERVICES, AND THEN ALSO POST-ACUTE CARE, WHICH INCLUDES CUSTODIAL CARE, RESPITE, AND HOME HEALTHCARE.
UH, THOSE ARE MOST GAPPED AREAS.
WE STARTED BUILDING OUT SERVICES IN THOSE AREAS LAST YEAR.
AND, UH, SO I KNOW WE HAVE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY LAST TWO SLIDES, UH, THEY LIST THE EXPANSIONS IN SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT AND SERVICES THAT ALREADY ARE ONLINE IN 22 AND 23.
UH, SOME OF THE WORK WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS IN ENHANCING SERVICES FOR, UH, PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS AND PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESS WITH, UH, INTEGRAL CARE, INTEGRAL CARE.
ALSO, UH, WORKING WITH COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS IN EXPANDING METHADONE, UH, ACCESS AND IN WORKING WITH COMMUNITY CARE TO BUILD OUT PRIMARY CARE, UH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ACCESS.
UH, WE DID, UH, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS LAST YEAR.
AND THIS YEAR IN FISCAL YEAR 2024 IN, UH, EXPANDING SERVICES ALREADY, WE WILL HAVE 200, UM, ADDITIONAL POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING HIRED NOW.
SO THIS HEALTHCARE EQUITY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IS NOT A NEXT YEAR PLAN OR A SEVEN YEAR PLAN.
IT IS A NOW PLAN THAT THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING TODAY AND THE BUILD THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY WILL BE ONGOING AND CONTINUE, UH, OVER THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER WALLACE AND COMMISSIONER RICE, UH, AS WE WERE TALKING BEFORE, BUT AS YOU JUST MENTIONED, UH, IF THERE ARE COMMUNITY PROVIDERS THAT HAVE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY, WE ARE ALWAYS, UM, OPEN TO TALKING
[01:00:01]
TO COMMUNITY PROVIDERS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT HAVE CAPACITY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WILL DO THE REPORTING, MEET THE OVERSIGHT, UH, REQUIREMENTS, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE CARE.ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE, UH, THE FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS IS, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE IS AS WE'RE BUILDING CAPACITY ACROSS THE CONTINUUM, THAT WHEN WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE INTO CARE, THAT FOLKS HAVE ACCESS TO PHARMACEUTICALS, THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO DENTAL, THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO DIAGNOSTIC CARE, THAT, UM, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, TREATMENT.
IF SOMEONE DISCOVERS, UM, THAT YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE, UH, A CANCER OR GROWTH OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED, THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE SURGICAL, UM, YOU KNOW, TREATMENT THAT, THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC AND SURGICAL AND AFTERCARE FOLLOW-UP TREATMENT THAT NEEDS, NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE REALLY ARE, WE'VE TAKEN THIS COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THE SYSTEM.
WE ARE BECOMING MORE MATURE LIKE, UH, HOSPITAL DISTRICTS, UH, ACROSS THE STATE SO THAT FOLKS REALLY HAVE THAT COMPREHENSIVE ACCESS THAT THEY NEED, UH, TO GET AND STAY HEALTHY.
AND IF, IF YOU DON'T MIND, CAN YOU PUT UP SLIDE 15 AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? YEAH.
YEAH, THIS IS THE ONE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE, UH, THE CURRENT STATE AND WHAT YOU'RE PROGRESSING TO WITH WITHIN THE EQUITY PLAN, UH, AS WELL, WHAT WE WE'RE PROGRESSING TO INCLUDES THE, UH, THERE ARE 150, UH, PROJECTS THAT ARE INTERDEPENDENT, MANY OF WHICH ARE CROSS CUTTING ACROSS, UH, 38 INITIATIVES IN, UH, THESE DIFFERENT PARTS OF, UM, OF THE SYSTEM.
SO LOOKING IN THE PRIMARY CARE AND WELLNESS AREA, WHICH AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, BASED UPON OUR HISTORIC FOCUS IN THESE AREAS, THAT THOSE ARE MODERATELY GAPPED, UH, IN THE SPECIALTY CARE, DENTAL HOSPITAL, AND POST-ACUTE, THOSE ARE, UH, MORE, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY GAPPED RELATIVE TO, UM, BENCHMARKS THAT, UH, YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE IN, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PROVIDER ACCESS IN SAFETY NET POPULATIONS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
ANY QUESTIONS, JUST FOR CLARITY, AND AGAIN, I, THIS MAY BE A HOT SUBJECT WE SHOULDN'T TOUCH, IF THAT'S THE CASE THAT'S FINE.
BUT IS IT, DID I UNDERSTAND BASICALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE EVOLUTION OF CENTRAL HEALTH, IT SEEMS YOU'RE SAYING IS, IS, UM, NEEDS AND WILL BE MOVING TOWARDS, UM, TRYING TO REALLY BUILD ITS OWN, UM, PROVIDER SYSTEM, WHICH COULD INCLUDE A HOSPITAL AND INCLUDES A BUNCH OF OTHER DIFFERENT PIECES, WHICH WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
AND THAT'S THE NATURAL EVOLUTION, I GUESS YOU'RE SAYING OF, OF HOW HEALTH DISTRICTS MAYBE HAVE HISTORICALLY MAYBE SHOULD IN GENERAL PROGRESS.
IS THAT, IS THAT TRUE AND IS THAT SORT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT WE LOOK AT, SO THE HEALTHCARE EQUITY PLAN INCLUDES, AS ALL HOSPITAL DISTRICTS DO, UM, UH, FUNDING FOR PLANNING AROUND HOW HOSPITAL SERVICES WILL BE ACCESSED.
THERE IS NO FUNDING OR PLAN WITHIN THAT SEVEN YEAR PLAN FOR, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH STEPPING INTO THE ROLE OF OWNING OR OPERATING, UH, SAFETY NET HOSPITAL.
UM, THE PLAN, UM, BUILDS OUT ALL OF THESE OTHER AREAS OKAY.
OF THE CONTINUUM OVER THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS THAT REGARDLESS OF OUR, UH, HOSPITAL SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL, I MEAN A ANY CENTRAL HEALTH HAVING, UH, ROBUST ACCESS TO SKILLED NURSING AND POST-ACUTE TO, UH, DENTAL TO AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER CAPACITY, UH, AND TO COMPREHENSIVE SPECIALTY CARE, I THINK WILL THAT BENEFIT THE PEOPLE WE SERVE IN THE COMMUNITY AND ANY, UH, HOSPITAL, UM, PROVIDERS THAT ARE ALSO SERVING THIS POPULATION BECAUSE IT PROVIDES ACCESS FOR FOLKS TO GET CARE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE A, A LESS, UH, UM, HIGH LEVEL.
UM, SETTING LESS ACUTE SETTING.
ANY ADDITIONAL REMARKS? WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR FINAL QUESTIONS OR ARE WE LETTING THEM FINISH? UH, FINAL QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU MENTIONED AN INCREASE OF 2000 UNINSURED PEOPLE BY 2027.
ANY IDEA IF THOSE ARE PEOPLE MOVING IN OR IF THEIR CURRENT RESIDENTS WHO ARE BECOMING POOR OR, UM, YEAH.
I, I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE, UH, FROM THE MAP, UH, INCREASE OF 2000 FAMILIES.
[01:05:01]
SO YEAH, THAT WOULD BE, UM, IT WOULD BE THE NATURAL EVOLUTION, UH, BOTH OF, UH, IN INCOMING FAMILIES, UM, AND, UH, NEW PEOPLE AGING INTO THAT WHO ARE ALREADY RESIDENTS, CHILDREN GROWING INTO ADULTS AND STARRING THEIR OWN OWN FAMILIES.THIS IS PROBABLY A FARFETCHED QUESTION, BUT ANY WAY WE COULD HELP EDUCATE PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTING TO MOVE HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE, YOU KNOW, ISSUES SERVING EVERYBODY AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AUSTIN ISN'T THE BEST PLACE TO MOVE TO PUT ON THAT.
I THINK COMMISSIONER WALLACE COULD HEAR
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR REMARKS THERE BEING NONE APPRECIATED.
[3. Briefing on COVID trends from Austin Public Health Medical Director]
OUR, UH, SECOND BRIEF, UM, THAT IS GOING TO BE REGARDING UPDATE ON COVID TRENDS FROM THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH MEDICAL DIRECTOR.THANK YOU FOR ACCOMMODATING ME.
UM, HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE ARE, UM, CONTINUING TO SEE STABLE NUMBERS AS FAR AS C OVID 19 GOES.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S UNDER-REPORTING BECAUSE THERE'S, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE DOING HOME TESTING.
UM, BUT WE'RE, UM, LOOKING AT THE, UM, LAB REPORTS THAT WE, THAT ARE ELECTRONICALLY GENERATED AND SENT TO US BY OUR LAB COMPANIES HERE LOCALLY.
AND, UM, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 348,009 CASES.
UM, WE'VE HAD 1,865 DEATHS, UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO BE AT A LOW C OVID 19 ADMISSION LEVEL.
UM, ANECDOTALLY, UM, WE ARE NOT RECEIVING DAILY LINE LIST REPORTS FROM THE, UM, LOCAL HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, BUT THEY, UM, WERE GENEROUS, GENEROUS ENOUGH TO REPORT, UM, UH, WEEKLY THAT THEY'RE STILL SEEING LOW NUMBERS OF ADMISSIONS IN THE HOSPITAL.
UM, AND SO, UM, OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS CAPACITY TO HANDLE THE CASES THAT WE HAVE REPORTED TO US AND THOSE THAT ARE NOT REPORTED TO US REMAINS, UM, VERY AT A VERY GOOD LEVEL.
UM, WE, UM, ADDITIONALLY ARE DOING SURVEILLANCE OF THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES IN THE LAST 28 DAYS.
THERE'VE BEEN A TOTAL OF 78 CASES.
HOWEVER, IN THE LAST 14 DAYS THERE WERE ONLY 19 CASES THAT WERE REPORTED FROM OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
AND THAT'S A GOOD, UM, GAUGE FOR, UM, WHEN THINGS ARE STARTING TO EITHER ESCALATE OR DEESCALATE.
SO WE'RE SEEING THOSE NUMBERS TO CONTINUE TO TREND DOWNWARD AS ARE SCHOOL CASES.
UM, WE DO HAVE WASTEWATER, UM, SURVEILLANCE THAT'S ONGOING THROUGH THE C D C.
UM, THE LAST REPORT FROM THE WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE BIOBOT WAS IN SEPTEMBER ON THE 13TH.
UM, AND THAT SHOWS A DECLINE, A CONTINUED DECLINE IN THE NUMBERS OF COPIES OF VIRUS THAT THEY'RE, UM, DETECTING IN OUR LOCAL WASTEWATER.
WE HAVE TWO AREAS TO, UM, STATIONS THAT ARE COLLECTING THESE SAMPLES AND SENDING 'EM OFF THAT, WHICH REPRESENTS 95% OF THE POPULATION IN OUR COUNTY.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY THE C D C IS NOT CONTINUING TO SUPPORT, UM, FINANCIALLY THE WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE, UM, SYSTEMS REPORTING, BUT THE BIOBOT TEAM IS, UM, GOING TO CONTINUE ON A LESS FREQUENT BASIS TO DO THAT FOR US.
UM, AS FAR AS VARIANTS THAT ARE CIRCULATING IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE X B B VARIANT, UM, LINEAGE, UH, AND COMPONENTS OF THAT ARE MANY, UM, THAT ARE CIRCULATING.
AND GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE UPDATED VACCINE THAT WE'RE RECEIVING, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY NOW, UM, THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY, UM, APPROVED, WILL COVER THE VARIANTS THAT ARE, UH, CONTINUING TO CIRCULATE.
WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MOVING TO AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR NEEDING, UM, BOOSTERS FOR THIS PARTICULAR VIRAL ENTITY UNLESS WE DEVELOP OR SEE CIRCULATING IN OUR COMMUNITY A VARIANT
[01:10:01]
THAT'S NOT, UM, COVERED BY THE VACCINE THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY USING.AND WITH THAT, I'LL END MY REPORT AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY, UM, PLANNING IN COMMUNICATION OR AWARENESS THAT MAY NEED TO OCCUR SINCE WE'RE GETTING READY TO COME UP ONTO THE HOLIDAY SEASONS? YES, WE HAVE ONGOING PLANS TO MESSAGE FOR THE SEASON OF HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, ARE GONNA BE OCCURRING IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, WE'RE IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH, UM, OUR STAKEHOLDERS PARTNERS ABOUT, UM, MESSAGING AND, AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT.
IT'S, UM, THE CADENCE AND THE FREQUENCY OF THAT WILL BE PREDICATED ON WHERE WE ARE IN THE SEASON, SO IT WON'T BE CONTINUOUS 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT THAT MESSAGE FATIGUE TO OCCUR.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
DO YOU KNOW IF THE LEVELS ARE NATIONWIDE IN THE TRENDS OR DO WE EXPECT AN UPTAKE AS THE TEMPERATURE DROPS? UM, IT'S HARD TO SAY.
UM, WE KNOW THAT OUR HERD IMMUNITY THAT, UM, WE'VE GARNERED AS A RESULT OF THE VACCINATION PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND, UM, INFECTION AS WELL, UM, HAS GIVEN US A A, AN A REALLY GOOD LEVEL OF HERD IMMUNITY.
WE'RE SEEING, UM, WE'VE, WE SAW AN ANTICIPATED BUMP WITH THE, UM, SCHOOL GOING BACK INTO SESSION.
UM, SO IT'S LIKELY THAT THERE MAY BE SOME INCREASE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, HOPEFULLY AS PEOPLE, UM, ARE AVAILED THE ACCESS TO THE VACCINE THAT HAS JUST BEEN APPROVED, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THAT DAMPENING OF THE, OF THE CURVE THAT WE SAW WITH THE SCHOOLS.
UM, GOING BACK INTO SESSION, UM, I DID WANNA MENTION AS WELL, UM, THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS STARTED TO ALLOW FOR PEOPLE TO REQUEST, UH, FOUR HOME TEST KITS FREE OF CHARGE AND THEY CAN GO TO, UM, THE C D C WEBSITE, UM, TO GET, TO GO TO ORDER THOSE IS A QUESTION.
OH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T HAVE AN ADDRESS ARE UNHOUSED.
ARE THEY ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE HOME TESTS FROM THE CLINIC NEARBY OR SOMEWHERE ELSE? THAT'S LIKE WITHIN REASONABLE DISTANCE.
WE HAVE A CACHE OF, UH, FREE TESTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AT A P H, UM, AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
SO PEOPLE ARE ALSO AVAIL, ALSO ABLE TO GET THEM THERE.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THERE? BEING NONE.
[5. Discuss selecting an off-site meeting location for 2024 meeting schedule.]
ON TO DISCUSSION ITEM, UH, DISCUSSION THE SELECTION OR SELECTING AN OFFSITE MEETING LOCATION FOR 2024 MEETING SCHEDULE.UH, WHAT I ASKED, UM, IN DISCUSSION WITH THE STAFF WAS BASICALLY A LIST OF THE, THE, THE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ABLE TO DO THIS OFFSITE AND STILL MEET, UM, UH, WHAT WE'RE RECEIVING NOW, BEING HERE SO THAT THOSE THAT WANT TO WATCH OR LISTEN IN OR PARTICIPATE CAN BE ABLE TO DO SO.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY DEGRADATION IN, UM, THAT ABILITY.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE FIRST ASPECTS TO ME.
UH, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY NUMBER TWO, NUMBER THREE AND NUMBER FOUR, ACCESS TO RECORDING AND STREAMING EQUIPMENT.
WHERE, WHERE ARE WE? OKAY, SO I ONLY INCLUDED IT IN YOURS.
SORRY, Y'ALL, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY Y'ALL, BECAUSE THAT'S STILL NOT A DEFINITE LIST.
WE'RE STILL DOING RESEARCH FOR IT.
BUT WE JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU SOMETHING.
SO I STAND CORRECTED, SO I'LL READ OFF WHAT I, WHAT I DO HAVE.
UM, SO THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS ARE BEING LISTED AND RECOMMENDED AS BEING, UH, HAVING TO BE MET TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A POTENTIAL SITE FOR OS UH, FOR A MEETING.
ONE IS TIME AND DAY OF THE MEETING NEEDS TO STAY THE SAME.
UH, AND THAT, AS YOU KNOW, IS BASED UPON JUST THE COORDINATION OF ALL THE STAFF.
THEY ALREADY HAVE THIS TIMEFRAME BLOCKED OFF ON OUR CALENDARS, UH, AS WELL AS PROBABLY A LOT OF US WHO ALSO HAVE BUSY SCHEDULES AND SO FORTH.
UH, TWO ACCESS TO RECORDING AND STREAMING EQUIPMENT.
UM, THAT IS DEFINITELY GONNA BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UM, THAT MAY UNFORTUNATELY MEAN THERE'S SOME AREAS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WE JUST WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GO TO EVEN SOME CITY HALLS, UH, IN TRAVIS COUNTY BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE LEVEL OF EQUIPMENT THAT THAT, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, FOR THIS EFFORT.
[01:15:01]
UH, DISABILITIES, UM, FOR ACCESS FOR LANGUAGE.UH, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT THIS IS RIGHT HERE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE ABILITY TO, TO HAVE THE, UM, THE WORDING GO ACROSS THE CLOSED CAPTION, UH, AND THEN FIVE ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS SIX PARKING.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU RECOMMEND THAT, UH, NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THE CONSIDERATION FOR OFFSITES, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, THE PROPER RESOURCES, THE PROPER SPACE, THE PROPER, UH, TECHNOLOGY, UM, THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED BY A COMMUNITY, UH, RESIDENT PARTICIPATING IN A AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, BOARD MEETING, COMMISSION MEETING? YES.
I WAS JUST WONDERING, ONE THING THAT MIGHT STIMULATE A THOUGHT IN MY BRAIN MIGHT TO REMIND ME WAS THE PURPOSE OF AN OFFSITE TO BE MORE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC OR SOMETHING ELSE.
I WASN'T SURE WHAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT AS IT WERE.
THAT WAS BROUGHT UP BY YOU WANNA SPEAK TO IT? YEAH, THANK YOU.
UH, THE IDEA BEHIND HAVING A DIFFERENT SITE, I WOULDN'T EVEN CALL IT AN OFFSITE, JUST A DIFFERENT LOCATION FOR OUR MEETINGS, IS HEARING ALL OF OUR CONCERNS TODAY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EQUITY AND WHEN MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS AND THAT WE'RE SERVING THE PEOPLE WHO NEED US THE MOST.
I DON'T THINK CITY HALL REPRESENTS THAT.
I DON'T THINK THAT DOWNTOWN, ALL THESE CONDOS, YOU KNOW, AND LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY AROUND HERE, UM, SHOWS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO SERVE A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY.
TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE DOWNTOWN, WE'RE CITY HALL, THIS IS WHO WE'RE WORKING FOR, AND YOU LOOK AT ALL OF OUR ANNUAL REPORTS AND EVERYTHING, AND IT'S ALL SKYSCRAPERS AND BRIDGES.
AND SO I THINK IF WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE DISADVANTAGE, THOSE AT RISK, THOSE WHO ARE LESS SERVED, THEN PERHAPS WE SHOULD BE WHERE THEY ARE INSTEAD OF FORCING THEM TO COME OVER HERE, FIGHT DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC AND ALL THAT STUFF.
LET'S GO TO WHERE THEY ARE SOMEWHERE THAT'S MORE CONVENIENT FOR THEM, AT LEAST OUTTA DOWNTOWN, WHERE WE ALL KNOW IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET IN AND OUT OF.
UM, SO I KNOW AUSTIN ENERGY IS AN OPTION AND MUELLER STILL MAYBE NOT THE BEST REPRESENTATION OF AUSTIN, BUT GETTING BETTER, I THINK.
UM, I KNOW PUBLIC WORKS HAS A LOCATION OVER BY HIGHLAND MALL THAT THAT MIGHT WORK OUT AS AS WELL.
UM, BUT REALLY THAT'S THE IDEA IS TO BE WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE.
DO YOU THINK THAT, UM, I MEAN THIS IS A DIGRESSION OF
THAT MIGHT BE OUR TWO, YOU KNOW, TWO 30.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A HARD TIME FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO GET TO SOMETHING.
AND SO THE TIME AND THE PLACE IS SORT OF, YOU KNOW, EVEN IT TO ME A LITTLE BIT IN QUESTION JUST BECAUSE IF MOST PEOPLE THAT MAYBE WORK DURING THE DAYTIME WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
SO I WONDERED IF THERE'S A, IF WE ALSO MIGHT EXPAND THAT TO WONDER IF, IF WE, IF THERE WAS AN, AN EVENT THAT WAS ALREADY BEING HELD SOMEWHERE WHERE PEOPLE THAT WE MIGHT THINK WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS MIGHT ALSO COME AND HAVE THIS AS, AS PART OF A SIDE OF IT, NOT RELATED TO SOMETHING ELSE PER SE, BUT I JUST WONDERED IF THERE WAS A TAG ALONG THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE WHERE THERE'S ALREADY 10,000 PEOPLE THAT MIGHT FIND, YOU KNOW, A A HUNDRED OF 'EM MIGHT FIND THIS OF INTEREST ANYWAY.
WELL, THE ONLY, THE ONLY QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS, IS THE INTENT AND THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION TO BE INWARD FACING FOR AN OUTWARD IMPACT.
MEANING WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE AGENCIES PRESENT IN THEIR UNDIVIDED TIME AND ATTENTION TO WORK ON THINGS.
UM, PLUS WE'RE MEETING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY RESIDENTS WOULD PROBABLY BE ABLE TO COME, OR IS THE INTENT TO BE MORE OF A TRADITIONAL COMMISSION OR A, A COMMITTEE THAT IS MORE ADVOCACY AND DOESN'T HAVE AS MUCH HEAVY ENGAGEMENT CONVERSATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE AGENCIES AND ENTITIES.
IT'S, IT'S TRYING TO INFLUENCE ONCE, I MEAN, I THINK THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ENTITIES CAN TRAVEL WHEREVER THEY NEED TO WHENEVER THEY NEED TO.
SO I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CONCERN HAVING THEM.
UM, AND I'M NOT EVEN SUGGESTING THAT ANYBODY IS GONNA WANT TO TALK.
THIS IS OUR FIFTH OR SIXTH MEETING AND NOT A SINGLE PERSON HAS SIGNED UP.
UM, FOR, I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT COMMUNICATION.
I MEAN, IF THEY DON'T WANNA SPEAK, THAT'S COMPLETELY FINE.
I JUST, ESPECIALLY, I GUESS GIVEN THAT IT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON, SOMEONE WHO LIVES DOWNTOWN CAN AFFORD 15 MINUTES TO WALK HERE, SPEAK THEIR PIECE IF THEY WANT, AND THEY GO BACK AND BE FINE, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO DRIVE, TAKE A BUS SOMEWHERE.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE US MORE ACCESSIBLE.
I'M TRYING TO MAKE US MORE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE CITY HALL'S THE BEST.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S, IS IS THE ONLY OPTION FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS TO DO IT IN PERSON OR DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO CALL IN AS WELL, OR, OR COME IN ON ZOOM OR WHATEVER VIRTUAL AS WELL? THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO COME IN, CALL OR DO A
[01:20:01]
VIRTUAL ACCESS.SO MAYBE JUST A, MAYBE A MORE OF A, A, UH, INTENTIONAL PUSH OF COMMUNICATION OF HAVING THAT OPTION AND MAYBE SEE IF THAT MAY BE A RESOLUTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DIGITAL DIVIDE, SO NOT EVERYBODY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO A, A VIDEO, YOU KNOW, CALL OR WHATEVER, BUT THEY COULD CERTAINLY DO A PHONE CALL THAT DOES MAKE SENSE AS WELL.
BUT AGAIN, I MEAN IT'S, I THINK IT'S ALSO OPTICS MM-HMM.
IT'S JUST WHERE ARE WE, WHERE ARE WE SITED? RIGHT? ARE WE IN THE IVORY TOWER RIGHT NOW, RIGHT.
OR ARE WE WHERE OUR PEOPLE ARE WHO ARE, RIGHT.
SO ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS, AT LEAST ON THESE SIX ITEMS? UH, DO YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING ADDED? DO YOU THINK BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING TAKEN AWAY? I THINK THIS AT LEAST GIVES A BASELINE.
SO IF WE DO IDENTIFY SOMETHING RIGHT, THEN WE CAN BE ABLE TO MEET OFF, UH, AT AN ALTERNATE LOCATION.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS, THIS SHEET IS TRYING TO GET TO IS WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED.
SO IF YOU DO COME ACROSS A PLACE AND SAY, HEY, THIS, THIS MEETS, YOU KNOW, HEY, LET'S HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT MEETING OR TWO MEETINGS AFTER THAT AT THIS LOCATION, AND WE CAN BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
CAN I SUGGEST THAT WE, UM, UM, APPRECIATE AND CONSIDER THE IDEA OF AN OFFSITE A B CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THIS LIST? SEE MAYBE, AND I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT WHAT COMMUNICATION YOU COULD PUT OUT SO THAT YOU WOULD INVITE TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS ANY INTEREST AND SAY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE, 1.4 MILLION PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE DIGITAL, YOU KNOW, PHONES AND CELLS AND, AND CAN PROBABLY CALL IN AND, AND FIND OUT IF THERE'S A VOICE OUT THERE THAT WE'RE NOT FINDING THAT WE WANNA FIND.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD DO THAT, BUT IT COULD BE SOMETHING, UM, MAYBE A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT OR SOMETHING OR, YOU KNOW, ON, ON, UM, LOCAL, YOU KNOW, SA CABLE OR SOMETHING OR WHATEVER.
BUT TO SEE IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, POKE THE COMMUNITY WITH AN INVITATION TO, TO GIVE US SOME KIND OF A, A, A COMMENT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR VIDEO, UM, MECHANISMS. WELL, I THINK SINCE, JUST TO SEE IF WE GET ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, WELL, I THINK SINCE WE'RE FOUNDATION BUILDING, LET'S, LET'S IDENTIFY WHAT METRICS HAVE TO BE MET OR WHAT NEEDS HAVE TO BE MET FOR AN OFFSITE.
THEN ONCE WE HAVE THAT THEN IS BASICALLY EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE MET.
AND THEN IF YOU IDENTIFY SOMETHING THEN GREAT.
UM, SO ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS TO THIS OR DOES ANYBODY BELIEVE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OFF? AGAIN, TIME AND DATE OF THE MEETING NEED, UH, SHOULD BE THE SAME ACCESS TO RECORDING AND STREAMING EQUIPMENT ACCESS FOR A D A ACCESS FOR LANGUAGE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AND HAVE AN A SUFFICIENT PARKING.
I IMAGINE IT NEEDS TO BE FREE, FREE PARKING IS, IT IS FREE.
RESTROOMS. I KNOW IT'S FREE HERE.
I ASSUME THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT, OKAY.
SO ACCESS TO FREE PARKING AND ACCESS TO RESTROOMS AND ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
ANY OTHER ADDITIONS? NO, I JUST WANNA RAISE MY HAND A LITTLE BIT.
I DON'T, I DO MY BEST THINKING AN HOUR FROM NOW.
WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE'RE NOT GONNA VOTE ON IT NOW.
WELL, LOOK, I JUST GONNA SAY THIS STUFF.
I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE LIKE A FINAL THING.
AND WE THOUGHT, OH GEEZ, MAYBE EVERYBODY SHOULD WEAR SHOES.
AND WE SAY, WELL, OKAY, WELL THAT'S STUPID ANYWAY.
WELL, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO BE ADDED, THEN UM, DO, DO Y'ALL HAVE THOSE, UH, ADDITIONS FOR THE LIST? CAN YOU PLEASE ONCE YOU UPDATE THAT, SEND IT OUT TO EVERYBODY PLEASE.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UM, VOTE ON THAT, THAT NEXT MEETING.
[6. Discuss and approve the Austin Travis County Public Health 2024 meeting schedule.]
TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS TO DISCUSS AND APPROVE THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH 2024 MEETING SCHEDULE, WHICH I DON'T HAVE IN MY BINDER.SO ACTUALLY IF YOU GO TO TAB NUMBER ONE.
AH, IT'S IN THE FRONT AND IT SHOULD BE THE FIRST PIECE OF PAPER.
DOES THIS CONTINUE? I'M SURE TO BE THE FIRST WEDNESDAYS OF THE MONTH PRETTY MUCH.
MAYBE WITH A HOLIDAY EXCEPTION OR SOMETHING.
JULY THE, THE FOURTH WOULD BE AN EXCEPTION, RIGHT? WE, UM, WOULD THAT, THAT CALENDAR IS GENERATED BASED OFF OF WHAT IS CURRENT.
SO THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER AND DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT YOU NEED TO ALTER THOSE TIMES.
WE DO HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT BOOKING SPACE IS ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE KIND OF THING.
AND SO WE TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, TRY TO BE VERY CONSISTENT WITH THAT TIME.
BUT IF WE DO, WE'LL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN NOW AND I THINK THE, BE THE END OF THIS MONTH TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE ON OTHER DATES AND TIMES THAT THE ROOMS MIGHT BE AVAILABLE.
UM, THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU CAN CONSIDER ONE OF THOSE DATES FOR AN OFFSITE MEETING AS YOU'RE IDENTIFIED IN YOUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSION SO THAT STAFF CAN START WORKING ON THOSE LOGISTICS TO SEE WHERE IT IS BEST SUITED, UM, WHICH WILL GIVE
[01:25:01]
DANNY PLENTY OF TIME TO WORK ON IT.SO, UH, FOR THIS ONE TO START THE CONVERSATION WOULD BE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
UM, MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT THIS CALENDAR IS BASED OFF OF WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
IS THERE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO DISCUSS THIS? YEAH.
AND SECONDED, UH, QUESTIONS TO THE MOTION? UH, THANK YOU.
ON JULY, IT SAYS WEDNESDAY THE 12TH.
THE 12TH IS, IS THAT A WEDNESDAY? YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
SHOULD IT BE THE 10TH? THE 10TH? OKAY.
SO NOW WE GOTTA SCRATCH THE WHOLE THING.
DO I HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO THE MOTION? YES, GO AHEAD.
UH, SECOND IS NOT A WEDNESDAY, THE FIRST WEDNESDAY IS THE SEVENTH.
I THINK I PROBABLY PROBABLY WENT BACK ON THE, ON THE DATES.
I'LL GO BACK, MAKE SURE THAT WE
SO, SO, SO THE MOTION IS THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH FOR 2024, EXCEPT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JULY.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE FOURTH HOLIDAY THERE IN THE MIDDLE.
IF IT DOES, I DUNNO IF IT DOES ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? ANY RECOMMENDED AMENDMENTS TO THE MOTION? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED RAISE YOUR HAND.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
IS, UH, UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL PRESENTATIONS FOR NEXT MONTH? I KNOW WE TRIED TO COORDINATE INTEGRAL CARE, SOBERING CENTER.SO ARE ANY OF THOSE GONNA HAPPEN NEXT MONTH OR WE NOW INTO TOPICS? UM, SO WITH THE SOBERING CENTER THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO THIS MONTH, UM, I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH HER JUST TO CONFIRM.
UM, I ALREADY HAVE THE PRESENTATION READY TO GO FOR THEM.
UM, I AM ALSO IN CONTACT WITH CHA CHIP TO MAKE TO SEE IF THEY'RE ABLE TO COME IN AS WELL.
UM, ANY OPPOSITION WITH, UH, ONE OR BOTH OF THOSE PRESENTATIONS FOR NEXT MONTH? GO AHEAD.
YOU WERE ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING.
I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT, UM, ANOTHER TOPIC WHICH COULD BE ADDED AND IF IT SLOTS IN MORE EASILY ONE MONTH OR THE OTHER DOESN'T MATTER.
THIS, THIS I WOULD PROBABLY JUST SAY, JUST EMAIL THEM THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC.
BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE GETTING READY TO HIT OUR FOUR O'CLOCK.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHY THE AND WELL ALSO IF SOMEBODY'S RAISED THEIR HAND.
UM, WHY THE MEETING WAS CANCELED LAST MONTH.
UM, THERE WAS A SLIGHT MIX UP IN VERBIAGE AND SO, UM, DISCONNECTING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, THEY DECIDED TO PULL THE AGENDA AND WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED UNTIL MONDAY, NO TUESDAY EVENING THAT THAT COMMUNICATION WAS MISSED.
AND SO WE DIDN'T ADDRESS IT IN TIME AND THEN WE, WE HAD TO FOLLOW PROTOCOL OF CANCELING.
WELL THANKS FOR ALL THE EMAILS.
UM, SO I WANTED TO SPEAK ON THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL BE COMING ON OUR NEXT MEETING IN CASE OF ONE OF THEM.
HOPEFULLY SOBER DOES COME IN, BUT IN CASE THE OTHER ONES ARE, THE OTHER ORGANIZATION IS NOT ABLE TO, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN ACTUALLY TRY TO REACH OUT TO HAKA? UM, BECAUSE ON THE THING, THE THINGS THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER FUENTES WAS SPEAKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, FOOD ACCESS AND, WELL, I'M MORE RIGHT NOW CONCERNED ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, I DO SEE THAT HOUSING PLAYS A BIG PART WHEN YOU COME WITH MENTAL HEALTH, SOBERING AND HOUSING.
AND RIGHT NOW I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH A LOT OF CLIENTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF OP, UM, BARRIERS TO BE ABLE TO GET HOUSING.
NOW HCAS DOING THEIR DI DILIGENCE BY GIVING OUT VOUCHERS.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT SOME OF THE CLIENTS, WHICH WE HAVE TO REALIZE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE SERVING AND WE ARE PART OF, IS THAT A LOT OF THEM HAVE CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS OF TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.
SOME OF THEM HAVE OBVIOUSLY IF THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE SOBERING AND THEY'RE GOING THROUGH REHAB AND GO, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH, WHICH SOMETIMES IS COPING, RIGHT? WHICH IS A RIPPLING EFFECT OF THINGS, IS, UH, THEY HAVE, UM, CHARGES THAT GO BACK.
THESE HOUSING, UH, PROPERTIES THAT ARE ACCEPTING HOUSING VOUCHERS, SECTION EIGHT
[01:30:02]
ARE NOT PROVIDING THE HOUSING.SO NOW YOU HAVE 50,000, MAYBE LET'S SAY IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE, 50 VOUCHERS OUT THERE FOR SOME OF THE UNHOUSED WHO HAVE ALL OF THESE THINGS IN THEIR BACKGROUND THAT ARE GONNA END UP, THEIR VOUCHER ENDS IN NOVEMBER AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THEM.
ECUADOR HOUSING, WHICH OF COURSE GOES BACK INTO, THEY'RE GONNA GO BACK ON THE STREETS UNHOUSED, WE'RE GONNA KEEP ON WORKING WITH THEM, BUT THEN NOW THEIR MENTAL HEALTH STARTS DETERIORATING, START WORK, GOING THROUGH COPING, COPING WITH EVERYTHING ELSE AGAIN.
SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEHIND THAT.
AND IF ANY OF THESE PROPERTIES THAT ARE ACCEPTING VOUCHERS ARE RECEIVING TAX EXEMPTIONS, WHICH I'M SURE THEY ARE, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RECEIVING THESE VOUCHERS ARE GONNA COME WITH THAT KIND OF HISTORY.
AND SO WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING.
SO YEAH, YOU'RE THROWING 50 VOUCHERS OUT THERE, BUT HOW MANY ARE REALLY GONNA BE ABLE TO BE HOUSED WHERE THEY FEEL SAFE, WHERE THEY START BRINGING ALL THAT ADRENALINE OUT WHERE THEY FEEL NO MORE FOR THEIR LIVES, WHERE THEY CAN SLEEP IN PEACE AND THEN NOW WE CAN START FOCUSING ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE WE CANNOT ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH WHEN THERE'S NOT A SAFE SPACE OR PLACE FOR SOME OF OUR CLIENTS TO SLEEP AND THINK AND REFOCUS WHERE WE CAN.
THEY CAN HEAR US AND NOT HEAR THE WORLD.
AND, UH, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST IT, MAYBE NOT NEXT MONTH, BUT IF WE CAN AT ANY POINT REACH OUT TO HAKA.
'CAUSE I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEHIND THAT AND HOW, BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FILLING IN THE GAP AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL FALLING THROUGH THE GAP, AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THIS BECAUSE IT HAS HAPPENED WITH VARIOUS OF MY CLIENTS AND RIGHT NOW A LOT OF THEM ARE ON CRUNCH TIME FOR NOVEMBER THE FIRST, THEIR VOUCHER, MIND YOU, THEY'RE STILL ON HOUSE AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM AND THEY'RE STILL ON HOUSE AND NOVEMBER 1ST COMES, THEY LOSE THAT VOUCHER.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, KIND OF ASK SOME QUESTIONS ON THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND SOME OF THESE THINGS.
THEN WE TALK ABOUT FOOD ACCESS AND REPRODUCT, WELL, WE CAN TALK ABOUT ALL OF THIS, BUT THIS, ALL OF THIS IS PRETTY MUCH MM-HMM.
DO, UH, ANYBODY IN OPPOSITION OF HAVING HAKA AS A PRESENTATION, UM, DO I HAVE SUPPORT IN RECOMMENDATION OF, UH, POTENTIALLY HAKA AND INTEGRAL CARE, UH, TOGETHER, UH, FOR NEXT MONTH? ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE, THE TIMEFRAME THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OF, UH, MORE OF IMMEDIATE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AND SEE, UM, HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS MORE SO THAN THE SOBERING CENTER? ANY, ANY OPPOSITION? NONE.
UM, ARE Y'ALL ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT ONE AND TRY TO SEE IF HAKA MAY BE AVAILABLE ALONG WITH INTEGRAL CARE FOR NEXT MONTH? YOU JUST ASSESS? WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHO THE BEST CONTACT IS.
UM, AND FORGIVE MY, UH, LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON THIS ONE HAKA ACRONYM.
WHAT ABOUT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN? OKAY, SO WHAT ABOUT THE TRAVIS COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY? OKAY, REACH OUT TO PATRICK HOWARD.
UM, AND THEN MY RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO THE GROUP IS, UH, IF NOT DECEMBER, STARTING JANUARY, WE, WE GO DOWN TO AT LEAST ONE PRESENTATION.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE'S STILL OTHERS OUT THERE, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE AUSTIN ECHO AND, AND OTHERS.
AND ONE KEY TOPIC TO START FOCUSING ON.
SO, UH, MAYBE NEXT MONTH OR DECEMBER, WE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT THAT ONE TOPIC IS GONNA BE THAT WE BELIEVE WE CAN START GETTING SOME GROUND ON AND REALLY FOCUSING ON A TOPIC THAT WE BELIEVE WE CAN HELP MOVE THE NEEDLE.
UM, SO WE DON'T START GETTING INTO, YOU KNOW, PIE IN THE SKY DISCUSSIONS AND, AND WE DON'T SEE ANY MOVEMENT.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, ANY, ANY OPPOSITION ADDITIONAL REMARKS, UH, REGARDING THAT? IF NOT, I'LL CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED AT 4:04 PM THANK YOU.