Subject:
Title
Changes to the Health Care for the Homeless Program Bylaws.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of changes to the Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) program bylaws.
• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) conducted an operational site visit from April 2-4, 2024, which included a review of all program requirements.
• A review of the required documentation identified missing information and some recommendations to the program bylaws, including:
o Language to ensure that no other individual, entity, or committee reserves approval authority or has veto power over the health center board with regard to the required authorities and functions. In addition, no documents, including bylaws, confirm that the health center's collaborations or agreements with other entities do not restrict or infringe upon the health center board's required authorities and functions.
o Reducing quorum from 51% majority to a simple 50% majority.
o Adding roles and responsibilities of the Executive Committee.
• These changes and recommendations are required to ensure compliance with the health center program requirements and will be submitted to HRSA. The HCH co-applicant Board approved the changes at their April 9th meeting.
• There is no fiscal impact to this change.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener, and purchaser of services for those in need.
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach.
5.2 Be responsible stewards of the public’s resources.
Summary:
Every three years, HRSA conducts operational site visits of each federally funded health center program. The draft findings report prepared on behalf of the Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Primary Health Care (HRSA/BPHC) for the purposes of oversight of the Health Center Program contains HRSA’s findings and preliminary compliance determinations. For any findings indicating that
program compliance was not demonstrated based on the site visit, the health center has is provided an opportunity to respond with additional information that may correct these program compliance issues prior to issuance of the final site visit report.
Per the recommendations to achieve compliance, the HCH Co-Applicant Board amended and approved the recommended Bylaw changes on April 9, 2024 to add 1) language to ensure that no other individual, entity, or committee reserves approval authority or has veto power over the health center board with regard to the required authorities and functions. In addition, no documents, including bylaws, confirm that the health center's collaborations or agreements with other entities do not restrict or infringe upon the health center board's required authorities and functions; and 2) Reducing quorum from 51% majority to a simple 50% majority; and 3) adding roles and responsibilities of the Executive Committee.
Background Information:
The HCH Co-Applicant Board serves as the patient/community-based governing board to set health center policy for the Health Care for the Homeless Program on behalf of the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners. As a public center, the HCH Co-Applicant Board includes a representative majority of consumer/patient representatives, meets monthly, and fulfills all the required authorities of a governing board.
Fiscal Impact:
N/A
Staff Member Responsible:
Karen Yatchum, Director, Human Services
Partners:
Healthcare for the Homeless Co-Applicant Board
Attachments:
HCH Program Bylaws
HRSA Site Visit Draft Findings Report