The Houston Health Department (HHD) requests City Council approval and authorization of an ordinance to approving and authorizing an application to and accepting an award from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC issued the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Announcement: CDC-RFA-DD23-003: Pregnant People-Infant Linked longitudinal Surveillance – Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV).
HHD intends to apply for funding for the first- year performance period beginning September 30, 2023, through September 29, 2024, with a total budget of $503,994. The project period of performance is September 30, 2023, through September 29, 2027, with a cumulative award amount of $2,015,976.00.
The proposed project will include personnel, supplies, medical record fees associated with the surveillance and bilingual and translational services for recruitment of pregnant participants whose first language is not English.
HHD staff will address, extract, and perform review of electronic health record (EHR) data from pregnant person-infant dyads from pregnancy through six years of age for surveillance and submit the data to CDC.
HHD also requests City Council to authorize the Mayor to execute all related contracts, agreements and documents with the approval of the City Attorney in connection with the grant application and to authorize the Director or his designee to act as the City’s representative with the authority to apply for, accept and expend the grant funds as awarded, and to accept all subsequent supplemental awards, if any, and to extend the term and/or the budget and project period not to exceed five years, without any further City Council action, if extended by CDC during the project period and does not require matching funds.
HHD will utilize the funding to enhance surveillance data collection related to (cCMV) infection between clinical and public health partners in Houston. Epidemiologists will collaborate with identified birthing facilities and providers to increase access and availability of electronic health records of pregnant person-infant dyads.
The funding will support and enhance surveillance capacity for (cCMV) incidence and health outcomes in affected infants and children. The project will facilitate awareness and educate the populations most affected by cCMV, inform clinical recommendations and public health policies, improve the quality of surveillance data and provide the foundation for future intervention programs and collaborative research.
All project strategies and activities indicated in the application will be conducted in the Houston /Harris County jurisdiction with an estimated population of 7.15 million.
Fiscal Note:
No fiscal note is required for grant items.
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Stephen L. Williams, M.Ed., M.P.A.
Director, Houston Health Department