ADOPTED - NOVEMBER 25, 2008

Agenda Item No. 20

Introduced by the Human Services Committee of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

 RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE COOPERATIVE OPERATIONAL AGREEMENT WITH THE INGHAM COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER BOARD

RESOLUTION #08-316

WHEREAS, Ingham County operates a network of community health centers that provide outpatient ambulatory primary care health care services to approximately 25,000 low-income and at-risk persons, including about 10,000 persons enrolled in the Ingham Health Plan and about 8,000 persons enrolled in Medicaid HMO’s; and

WHEREAS, several of the Community Health Centers operated by the Ingham County Health Department have been designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) with the initial designation awarded in September 2003; and

WHEREAS, Congress has enacted preferential payment policy for FQHCs that helps ensure adequate reimbursement for care provided to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, thus allowing federal and other grant funds to be used to provide care to the uninsured; and

WHEREAS, the Health Center Clusters Programs (i.e. FQHC Program), as established through Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, requires that a Community Health Center’s governing board be comprised of a majority of members who are patients of the health center; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has indicated that a FQHC operated within a local unit of government may fulfill this governance requirement through a co-applicant Community Health Center Board; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners adopted Resolutions #02-293 and #02-294 that authorized the establishment of the Ingham Community Health Center Board (ICHCB), this body’s By-Laws, and a Cooperative Operational Agreement that defined the ICHCB’s authority as it relates to the Health Department’s FQHC operation; and

WHEREAS, the Cooperative Operational Agreement between the Ingham County Board of Commissioners and the ICHCB has been renewed on an on-going basis since January 1, 2003 with the current agreement set to expire on December 31, 2008; and

WHEREAS, the Health Officer has recommended that the Board of Commissioners authorize execution of the Cooperative Operational Agreement for the period of January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners authorizes execution of a Cooperative Operational Agreement with the Ingham Community Health Center Board, as originally authorized in Resolution #02-294.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board Chairperson is authorized to sign the agreement after review by the County Attorney.

ADOPTED - NOVEMBER 25, 2008

Agenda Item No. 20

RESOLUTION #08-316

HUMAN SERVICES: Yeas:  Schor, Bahar-Cook, Hertel, Soule, Severino, Dougan

         Nays:  None       Absent:  None        Approved 11/17/08