To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Public Health
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
title
Data Use Agreement between the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)- Public Health, with Obligatory Information Privacy and Security Requirements with Respect to All Data from the National Fatality Review Case Reporting System (NFRCRS).
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the attached Data Use and Disclosure Agreement and User Confidentiality Statement by and between the County of Humboldt and the CDPH; and
2. Authorize the DHHS - Public Health Director, or designee thereof, to execute the attached Data Use and Disclosure Agreement and User Confidentiality Statement by and between the County of Humboldt and the CDPH; and
3. Authorize the DHHS - Public Health Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all subsequent amendments, certifications, attestations and documents directly associated with the attached Data Use and Disclosure Agreement and User Confidentially Statement, after review and approval by County Counsel, Risk Management and the County Administrative Office; and
4. Direct the Clerk of the Board to provide the DHHS - Contract Unit with one certified copy of the Board Order pertaining to this item.
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Safe & Healthy Communities
Strategic Plan Category: 1002- Remove barriers to quality healthcare
DISCUSSION:
The CDPH administers a broad range of public and clinical health programs that provide health care and preventative services to Californians, including programs within the Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (IVPB) and the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division (MCAH). Under legislative mandate, CDPH is required to perform special investigation studies of the sources of morbidity and mortality and the effects of localities, employments, conditions and circumstances on public health; and perform other duties as may be required in procuring information for state and federal agencies regarding the effects of these conditions on the public health. CDPH may conduct surveillance for child fatalities in California using data from multiple sources, including state level data sources and data obtained by local Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) and Child Death Review Team (CDRT). The Fatal Child Abuse and Neglect Surveillance (FCANS) Program, now called the California Child Fatality Surveillance System (CCFSS), was established in July 2000 to allow CDPH to conduct surveillance on child fatalities. As an aggregate data system, the data collected by CCFSS is intended to inform policy and programs that focus on improving child wellbeing. Data submitted to CCFSS could potentially be reimbursed $150 per case for data submission on a first come, first serve basis, until funds are expended.
CDPH chose to administer the NFRCRS in order to conduct surveillance on child fatalities for California. Two State programs, IVPB and MCAH, will primarily be involved with granting data access and assisting local health jurisdictions (LHJ) by providing direct access to the NFRCRS, which is managed by CDPH for analysis and reporting of California cases pertinent to their jurisdiction. CDPH is providing access to a federal government database for the efficiency of collecting, reporting and reviewing death information by LHJs.
In 1993, 15 LHJs were mandated by CDPH MCAH to conduct FIMR and Child Death Review (CDR). In 2021, the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 65, also known as the California Omnibus Bill, mandated reviews for all California LHJs that meet an annual threshold number of infant fatalities. However, the changes in funding resulted in CDPH MCAH overhauling the FIMR program and mandating FIMR review in only two LHJs during a beta testing of the revised program. Humboldt’s FIMR/CDR is in hiatus and currently there are no formal reviews of fetal, infant and child deaths. Until CDPH MCAH mandates more LHJs to hold formal team reviews, a group composed of appropriate DHHS Staff such as the Health Officer and MCAH Supervising and Senior Public Health Nurses would conduct reviews for the purpose of providing data for the NFRCRS.
The NFRCRS is a web-based standardized case report tool available to states that was first created in 2005 and is an agency of Michigan Public Health Institute. NFRCRS provides data collection tools, standardized data reports, and consistent technical support to equip review teams to collect standardized case review information to drive prevention. A data use agreement, protecting information privacy and security in compliance with applicable state and federal laws, must be completed to participate. To better identify and address health disparities, the NFRCRS system allows LHJs to enter data on fatalities for fetal, infant and child cases resulting in summarized findings and standardized reports.
Accordingly, DHHS - Public Health recommends that the Board approve, and authorize the Director of Public Health, or their designee, to execute, the Data Use Agreement and User Confidentiality Statement with NFRCRS, managed by CDPH for analysis and reporting of California cases pertinent to their jurisdiction. It is also recommended that the Board authorize the DHHS - Public Health Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all subsequent amendments to the attached Data Use agreement with NFRCRS, managed by CDPH, after review and approval by County Counsel, Risk Management and the County Administrative Office, in order to avoid any unnecessary delays in the continued access to NFRCRS.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Public Health Funding (1175) MCAH (420)
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Narrative Explanation of Financial Impact:
There is no direct financial impact associated with the attached Data Use and Disclosure Agreement and User Confidentiality Statement. Should Humboldt County data submission to CCFSS generate $150 in revenue per case, a supplemental budget will be presented before your Board for review and approval.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impact:
Approval of the attached Data Use and Disclosure Agreement and User Confidentiality Statement will not impact current staffing levels or workload.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may choose not to approve the attached data-use agreement with CDPH regarding the compilation and dissemination of Fetal Infant Mortality and Child Death Review case findings into a data base designed to be a source of comprehensive information on infant and child deaths not available through other sources. However, this alternative is not recommended as it would limit DHHS - Public Health’s ability to provide support on FIMR/CDR functioning, data collection and taking findings to action.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. CDPH MCAH Data Use and Disclosure Agreement
2. CDPH MCAH User Confidentiality Agreement
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A