Committee forwards retroactive DPH grants for early childhood behavioral health and predictive analytics

The Budget and Finance Committee on March 6 voted to forward to the full Board two retroactive Department of Public Health grant acceptances and heard a related public comment describing a separate foundation award.

Carol Taniguchi, deputy director of primary care for the San Francisco Health Network, described the Children's Health Centers 'Healthy Steps' program targeting children 0–5 and their caregivers. "It's a program for children 0 to 5," Taniguchi said, explaining the program emphasizes dyadic care, screening, prevention and early intervention and was piloted with UCSF. The item requests approximately $373,000 for the period Nov. 1, 2023–June 30, 2024 and retroactive authorization because the department received notice of the award shortly before the predetermined start date.

Elizabeth Connolly, an analyst with the Department of Public Health who co‑directs the innovation machine‑learning lab, described in public comment a separate $250,000 Siegel Family Endowment grant to build a readmission and mortality risk model for heart‑failure patients that would support provider decision tools and resource allocation. Connolly said the project start date was July 1 and that the department did not receive notice of the award until December 2023; she asked the committee for retroactive approval.

Both resolutions (items 2 and 3) were moved by Chair Connie Chan, recorded as "Aye" by Vice Chair Rafael Mandelman and Supervisor Myrna Melgar, and forwarded to the full Board with a positive recommendation.

Next steps: the items will proceed to the Board of Supervisors agenda for further action.