ORDINANCE amending Ordinance No. 2018-0327 to increase the maximum contract amount of contract between the City of Houston and GILBREATH COMMUNICATIONS, INC, for Social Marketing Services for the Houston Health Department - $2,500,000.00 - Grant Fund

S69-T26256.A1 – Approve an Amending Ordinance to Ordinance No. 2018-0327, passed on April 18, 2018 to increase the maximum contract amount from $1,500,000.00 to $4,000,000.00 for Contract No. 4600014815 between the City of Houston and Gilbreath Communications, Inc.  the provision of all services relating to creating and executing social marketing services for the Houston Health Department (HHD) Bureau of HIV/STD and Viral Hepatitis Prevention.

Specific Explanation:

The Director of the Houston Health Department and the Chief Procurement Officer recommend that City Council approve an amending ordinance to increase the maximum contract amount from $1,500,000.00 to $4,000,000.00 for the contract between the City of Houston and Gilbreath Communications, Inc. for the provision of all services relating to creating and executing social marketing services for the Houston Health Department (HHD) Bureau of HIV/STD and Viral Hepatitis Prevention.

The contract was originally awarded by Council on April 18, 2018 by Ordinance No. 2018-0327, for a one-year term with two one-year options in the total amount of $1,500,000.00.  Expenditures as of January 29, 2019 totaled $1,088,084.16.  The increased spending authority is required to allow the utilization of grant funds to continue to implement the complete campaign that was developed by Gilbreath Communications, Inc.  This will include additional information on billboards, transit stops, public service announcements, and other marketing and advertising services.

The scope of work requires the contractor to provide consulting and assistance with Marketing and Advertising, Campaign Branding, Digital Marketing, and Market Research and Analysis to reduce new diagnoses of HIV in communities of color among MSM and transgender individuals by supporting the HHD programs designed to achieve two goals (1) PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), increasing awareness of Truvada® as PrEP; and (2) Data to Care, reconnecting and retaining individuals living with HIV in medical care.

• PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is an HIV prevention method, in which an HIV–negative individual takes one pill daily to prevent HIV acquisition. Currently, the only medication approved for this use is Truvada®. In studies, Truvada® is proven to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV from sex by more than 90% when used consistently. According to the CDC, in the U.S., approximately 24.7% of sexually active adult MSM have substantial risk for acquiring HIV and are currently eligible for PrEP. Yet in a national survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2014, only about a quarter (26%) of MSM knew PrEP existed demonstrating a huge knowledge gap.  Consumer and provider education is needed to increase awareness and uptake of this intervention to reduce the number of new HIV infections, especially among MSM and transgender populations. 

   

• Data to Care is a program that uses laboratory data submitted to the health department to identify individuals that have been diagnosed as HIV–positive by a provider but have fallen out of care for a minimum of 12 months and encourages them to re-engage with medical and social services. Data to Care is based on the effective HIV prevention strategy called “treatment as prevention” (TasP) where the benefit of linking individuals living with HIV into care is they are then able to keep their virus under control, aka “virally suppressed”, and not transmit the virus to others.

M/WBE Participation:

The contract was awarded with a 24% goal. Currently, Gilbreath Communications, Inc. is achieving 12.7%.

Fiscal Note:

No fiscal note required for grant funds.

$2,500,000.00

Federal Government Fund

Fund No.: 5000