Fund For Public Health In New York Inc

THE FUND FOR PUBLIC HEALTH IN NYC IS DEDICATED TO THE WELL-BEING OF ALL NYC RESIDENTS, IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NYC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, LEVERAGING ITS EXPERTISE IN FUNDRAISING, PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, AND AGILE OPERATIONS TO HELP THE NYC HEALTH DEPARTMENT DO MORE, MORE QUICKLY.

THE FQHC VACCINE EXPANSION PROJECT IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN FPHNYC, THE NEW YORK HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S BUREAU OF EQUITABLE HEALTH SYSTEMS (BEHS), AND THE CITY'S VACCINE COMMAND CENTER TO EXPAND OVERALL VACCINATION CAPACITY IN"GAP" NEIGHBORHOODS CRITICAL TO ACHIEVING THE CITY'S EQUITY GOALS ONCE ADEQUATE VACCINE SUPPLY BECOMES AVAILABLE. IN COORDINATION WITH THE VCC, BEHS HAS IDENTIFIED FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS (FQHCS) WITH SITES IN OR ADJACENT TO THESE AREAS WITH CAPACITY TO EXPAND THEIR CURRENT VACCINATION PROGRAMS WITH FUNDING FROM FEMA. EMERGENCY FUNDING WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO INCREASE THE CITY'S VACCINE ADMINISTRATION CAPACITY BY 14,000 DOSES/WEEK ACROSS 19 SITES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE COVERAGE IS NEEDED MOST. THIS ALLOWED THE COMMUNITY PROVIDERS TO MODIFY EXISTING SPACE (AT THEIR LOCATIONS) AND/OR BUILD-OUT NEW SPACES (E.G., HOUSES OF WORSHIP), HIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF, PURCHASE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT TO ADMINISTER THE COVID-19 VACCINE, AND SUPPORT OTHER OPERATING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPANDING SERVICES. IN ADDITION TO RECEIVING FUNDING, THE FQHCS WERE PROVIDED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO INCREASE THEIR VACCINE THROUGHPUT.

THE NEGOTIATED ACQUISITION AGREEMENT, FPHNY PROVIDES SERVICES TO DOHMH ON A REQUIREMENTS BASIS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY BASED PUBLIC HEALTH PROJECTS. ONE MAJOR PROJECT WAS THE VACCINE EQUITY PARTNER ENGAGEMENT PROJECT IS TO SUPPORT EQUITABLE ACCESS TO COVID-19 VACCINES AND VACCINE INFORMATION BY PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS (C/FBOS) TO LEAD OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT AND NAVIGATION FOR COMMUNITIES DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY COVID-19, RACISM, AND DISINVESTMENT. TAILORED STRATEGIES LED BY CREDIBLE MESSENGERS ARE IMPERATIVE TO INCREASE REACH AND BUILD VACCINE LITERACY, CONFIDENCE, AND TRUST WITH PRIORITY COMMUNITIES. THROUGH THE INITIATIVE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FPHNYC, PROVIDED FUNDING TO CBOS AND FBOS TO LEVERAGE THEIR EXPERTISE WITH THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT TAILORED, ACCESSIBLE, DIVERSE, AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT MESSAGES AND ENGAGEMENT.

THE OVERDOSE DATA TO ACTION (ODTA) COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT GRANTED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AN INNOVATIVE SURVEILLANCE STRATEGY TO SUPPORT OVERDOSE DATA TO ACTION (ODTA) INTERVENTIONS. WE PROPOSED TWO ANNUAL SURVEYS: ONE TO BE CONDUCTED FEBRUARY-AUGUST 2020 AND THE SECOND IN FEBRUARY-AUGUST 2021. IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT PUBLIC HEALTH PANDEMIC, WE ARE PROPOSING TO AMEND THE YEAR 1 SURVEY TO FOCUS ON COVID-19 AND THE IMPACT IT HAS HAD ON PWUD, THEIR OVERDOSE EXPERIENCES, AND PREVENTION EFFORTS AND SERVICES. OUR ORIGINAL GOAL REMAINS THE SAME: WE AIM TO INFORM AND SUPPORT ODTA INTERVENTIONS, WITH THE ADDED PURPOSE OF IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ODTA NEEDS AND GAPS RESULTING FROM THE PANDEMIC. MANY SERVICES IN NYC, ESPECIALLY METHADONE CLINICS AND SSPS, HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERRUPTIONS DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING PRACTICES, STAFF SHORTAGES, AND A BROAD CITY SHUT DOWN. SIMULTANEOUSLY, EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE HAS BEEN AT CAPACITY, AND IT IS UNCLEAR HOW THIS IS IMPACTING THE HEALTH NEEDS OF PWUDS AND OVERDOSE RESPONSE. FOCUSING OUR WORK ON THE IMPACT COVID-19 ON PWUD HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ILLUMINATE GAPS IN INTERVENTIONS AND SERVICES. IT IS OUR HOPE THAT DOING SO WILL BETTER INFORM EFFORTS TO BUILD THE RESILIENCY OF SERVICES AND, CONSEQUENTLY, THE RESILIENCY OF THOSE AT RISK FOR OVERDOSE. SURVEY DATA WILL GUIDE DOHMHS IMPLEMENTATION AND EXPANSION OF SEVERAL ODTA INITIATIVES: CLINICAL CASE EDUCATION FOR CLINICIANS TO PROMOTE AWARENESS AND USE OF PDMP AS A DECISION-MAKING TOOL; ONGOING SUPPORT FOR THE RXSTAT PUBLIC HEALTH-PUBLIC SAFETY COLLABORATION; ENHANCED RAR ACTIVITIES IN HIGH-NEED NEIGHBORHOODS; OVERDOSE PREVENTION SERVICES FOR PEOPLE ENGAGED IN HEPATITIS C TREATMENT; ANTI-STIGMA CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION; AND SUPPORT FOR BUPRENORPHINE INDUCTION IN EDS AND CONNECTION TO ONGOING CARE. ADDITIONALLY, SURVEILLANCE DATA WILL IDENTIFY RISKS EXPERIENCED BY HIGH-BURDEN POPULATIONS (E.G., SSP PARTICIPANTS AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS) AND EMERGING ISSUES RELATED TO DRUG USE PRACTICES AND THE PRESENCE OF FENTANYL IN THE ILLICIT DRUG MARKET, ALL OF WHICH WILL INFORM OVERDOSE PREVENTION STRATEGIES AND MESSAGING.

VARIOUS ACTIVITIES AND GRANTS SUPPORTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF ALL NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS AND IN SUPPORT OF THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.