Committee backs forwarding amendment to Mission Neighborhood Health Center HIV services contract

The Budget and Finance Committee on Oct. 11 voted to forward to the full Board a resolution amending the Department of Public Health agreement with Mission Neighborhood Health Center to continue HIV health services.

Nick Menard of the Budget and Legislative Analyst’s Office said the amendment increases the contract, which is entirely funded by Ryan White and other federal funds, by approximately $2.6 million to a projected not-to-exceed amount of about $11.3 million and extends the agreement term (the BLA described the amendment as extending the agreement through February 2030). The BLA report also noted that, for one contract year under review, units of service delivered were about 58% of contracted units; the report said the provider nonetheless served roughly the budgeted number of clients and that the office was comfortable recommending approval.

Bill Blum, representing the Department of Public Health, described Mission Neighborhood Health Center as a longtime partner providing comprehensive HIV care and said staffing shortages and patient reluctance to meet in person during the pandemic reduced deliverable units; DPH said it is considering ways to make some visits more flexible. "They really have been kind of a leader, an innovator, a standard setter," Blum said of the contractor.

Vice Chair Rafael Mendelmann asked to be added as a cosponsor; the committee voted to forward the item to the full Board with a positive recommendation (aye votes recorded for Mendelmann and Chair Chan).