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>> CASTILLO: HI, GOOD MORNING, THE TIME IS 10:09, THE COMMUNITY MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
>> CASTILLO: THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE COMMUNITY HEALTH MEETING ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2025.
CAN I GET A MOTION AND SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES?
>> MOTION. >> SECOND. >> CASTILLO: THERE'S A MOTION. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
MOTION CARRIES. NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENT.
SPEAKERS WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE AND WE HAVE
COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA TO SPEAK ON ITEM 5. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. SPEAKING ON ITEM 5 AND SAN ANTONIO'S LEE PRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND, IT'S OUR -- OF OUR RESIDENTS. IN A STATE WHERE POLICYMAKERS HAVE DRAMATICALLY AFFECTED THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PREGNANT INDIVIDUALS, IN SOME INSTANCES LEAVING THE STATE IS THE ONLY OPTION FOR LIFE. OUR PROPOSED $100,000 FUND CAN HELP NONPROFITS PROVIDE THIS ACCESS TO SAFETY. I THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR STANDING UP FOR LIVES AT RISK AND VOTING FOR THIS FUND IN THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING.
TODAY AHEAD OF THIS VOTE WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHAT IS THE PRICE OF A HUMAN LIFE. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES ARE INCREASING AND PEOPLE IN OUR STATE ARE DYING UNDER STATEWIDE ABORTION BANS. IT'S A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUE.
EXPANDING ABORTION ACCESS IS A CRITICAL STEP IN ADDRESSING THE INTERSECTING CRISIS OF PARTNER VIOLENCE THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT THE MOST VULNERABLE DISTRICTS. THE HIGHEST INCIDENT RATES IN DISTRICTS 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
OUR CITY WORKS TO FILL IN THE GAPS THAT THE STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING AND GOVERNMENT LEAVE OPEN. WHILE THEY CONTINUE TO STRIP MORE RIGHTS AND FUND, IT'S OUR DUTY TO ENSURE SAFETY BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE HAS EQUITABLE ACCESS TO CARE.
WE VOTED IN A BUDGET $52 MILLION FOR YOUR HEALTH CARE.
$100,000 IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET. WE HAVE TO STAND UP FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND NOT COWER TO LEGAL THREATS. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S AT STAKE. THE NEAREST CLINIC IS OVER 500 MILES AWAY.
THAT'S BURDEN THAT MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN'T AFFORD. NEARLY 20% OF WOMEN IN BEXAR COUNTY ARE UNINSURED. 20% OF MATERNAL DEATHS COULD BE PREVENTED.
THOSE ARE THE REASONS WHY THIS FUNDING MATTERS. THANK YOU.
>> CASTILLO: NEXT UP ANA TREVINO ON ITEM 5. >> HELLO AND GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS ANA TREVINO AND I'M WITH STATEWIDE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ORGANIZATION CALLED TEXAS RISING THAT SEEKS TO BUILD A MOVEMENT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS TEXAS. RHYME -- I'M ALSO HERE AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 7.
I WANT TO COMMENT ON THE REPRODUCTIVE FUND. SPECIFICALLY I WOULD LIKE TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THE FUND RECEIVING MORE MONEY INCLUDING FOR OUT-OF-STATE ABORTIONS. HAVING THIS ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH WILL PROVIDE OUR COMMUNITY WITH MORE RESOURCES TO OVERCOME BARRIERS THAT IMPACT THEIR AUTONOMY AND RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE AND LIFE-SAVING TREATMENT.
I ASK THIS COMMITTEE VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS FUNDING TODAY. I UNDERSTAND SOME COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE SKEPTICAL OF PROVIDING TAXPAYER MONEY FOR OUT-OF-STATE ABORTIONS.
HOWEVER, THIS FUND IS IN THE PUBLIC ABOUT BECAUSE IT PROVIDES CRUCIAL HEALTH CARE FOR SAN ANTONIANS WHO WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT OTHERWISE.
WE SHOW REAL COMMUNITY CARE AND MAKES LIVING IN SAN ANTONIO A BIT SAFER FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME IN COLLEGE WHO ARE STILL TRYING TO BUILD A LIFE FOR THEMSELVES IN AN AN OVERWHELMING ECONOMY. VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS AGENDA ITEM WILL MOVE -- MOVE IT TO A FULL CITY COUNCIL VOTE SO THEN IT CAN RECEIVE THE FULL ATTENTION, CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION BY CITY COUNCIL IT DESERVES. REPRO JUSTICE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY PEOPLE'S HEALTH CANNOT WAIT. THANK YOU.
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>> CASTILLO: NEXT UP BRIELL ON ITEM 5. >> HELLO.
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR SHOWING UP HERE TODAY AND THANKING THE COMMUNITY FOR BEING HERE TODAY. IT'S NOT EASY AND IT'S NOT AN EASY CONVERSATION TO HAVE. I'M HERE REPRESENTING MYSELF.
I'VE BEEN IN SAN ANTONIO 14 YEARS. I'M A MICRO BUSINESS OWNER.
MY CHILDREN WERE BORN AND RAISED HERE. MY PARENTS MOVED HERE, SPENT A LOT OF TIME GETTING TO KNOW THIS COMMUNITY AND DOING WHAT I CAN TO SERVE AS BEST AGO I CAN. I'VE SERVED ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS INCLUDING THE STATUS ON WOMEN, NONPROFITS OF A COMMUNITY HEALTH -- BOARD OF COMMUNITY HEALTH NON-PROFIT AND CURRENTLY SERVE AS CHAIR OF THE COUNTY CHILD WELFARE BOARD.
AS A MOM I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT ACCESS TO CARE IS IS.
I PLANNED MY FIRST CHILD AT PLANNED PARENTHOOD. I KNOW THOSE SERVICES ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO YOUNG MOMS WHO WANT TO GET STARTED. RIGHT NOW I'M WATCHING MIGHT RIGHTS I HAD AS A TEEN GROWING UP NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR MY DAUGHTER AS POLITICIANS PLAY GAMES WITH OUR LIVES ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN MY TIME HERE I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, MANY OF YOU PRETTY WELL, AND UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE ADVOCATES AT A LOCAL LEVEL IN A STATE THAT DOESN'T CARE IF WE LIVE OR DIE. THIS IS A LIFE OR DEATH ISSUE. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR STATE, RESIDENTS IN OUR STATE ARE DYING BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO CARE BECAUSE DOCTORS DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN DO THEIR JOBS. I KNOW THIS CITY HAS FUNDED HEALTH CARE AND HEALTH SERVICES AND NON-PROFITS ARE NOW LOSING MORE ACCESS TO FUNDING BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT A GOVERNMENT LEVEL.
I THINK $100,000 IS A DROP IN A BUCKET WHEN TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIVES AND I THANK YOU GUYS FOR SHOWING UP AND I HOPE WE CAN MOVE THIS TO FULL COUNCIL SO WE CAN GET THE COMMUNITY BEHIND US AND UNDERSTAND HOW WE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING OUR
RESIDENTS HERE. THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
UP NEXT IS KATIE SANCHEZ ON ITEM 5. >> HI, FRIENDS.
MY NAME IS INDICATE SANCHEZ. I AM THE -- SORRYS I GET MY TECHNOLOGY TO WORK.
I'M SENIOR MANAGER FOR ADVOCACY OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TEXAS.
2023 OUR STATE LED THE NATION WITH PEOPLE FORCED TO TRAVEL OUT OF STATE FOR ABORTIONS ALONGSIDE RECORD HIGH MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD SOUTH TEXAS STOPPED PROVIDING ABORTIONS IN 2022 WITH TEXAS' LAW CHANGE. WE DO HELP NAVIGATE POINTS TO OTHER SAYS IT.
WE HAVE LOTS OF REASONS AND ALL ARE VALID. MANY IT'S BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD A CHILD RIGHT NOW AND WITH SAN ANTONIO'S POVERTY RATES DEKNEING US HEALTH CARE WILL KEEP PEOPLE IN POVERTY. SOMETIMES IT'S TO ESCAPE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND MAYBE THEY ARE ARE ABUSED AB WE KNOW SOUTH TEXAS SEEINGS TEEN PREGNANCY RATES FOUR TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. ELIMINATING DOESN'T ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR ABORTION. IT DOESN'T STOP PEOPLE FROM TRYING TO END THEIR PREGNANCY, SOMETIMES IN DANGEROUS WAY AS WE SEE SEPSIS RATES SKYROCKET. FOR THOSE WORRIED ABOUT TAXPAYER DOLLARS BEING USED FOR THIS TYPE OF FUNDING, THE DEMAND REMAINS VERY HIGH AND THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE WORKING WITH VERY LIMITED RESOURCES NAVIGATOR FOR OUR SEVEN CLINICS IN SOUTH TEXAS AND RECEIVED NEARLY 700 CALLS PERTAINING TO ABORTION NAVIGATION OUT OF STATE. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS A GOVERNMENT CAN DO IS PROTECT ITS PEOPLE AND THIS IS OUR ASK TO CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO PARTNER WITH US TO COMMIT TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR NEIGHBORS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY AS SOMEONE RECENTLY SAID, $100,000 REALLY IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET AND IT WILL ACTUALLY SAVE LIVES. THANK YOU.
>> CASTILLO: ALLYSA SHEPHERD ON ITEM 5. >> GOOD MORNING, COUNCILMEMBERS. I'M HERE TODAY TO URGE THIS COMMITTEE TO SUPPORT THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND AND ALLOCATE MORE DOLLARS TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS. THIS IS A HUB HEALTH CRISIS. TEXAS HAS SEEN A 56%.
CASES OF SEPSIS IN PREGNANT PATIENTS IS. >> %.
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THIS IS ABOUT PREVENTING UNNECESSARY DEATHS. THIS IS ALSO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUE. TEXAS SHELTERS ARE REPORTING INCREASE IN PREGNANCY OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE SEEKING HELP. SAN ANTONIO HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE STATE. FOR MANY SURVIVORS ACCESS TO ABORTION IS A MATTER OF SAFETY AND SURVIVAL. I'VE HEARD COUNCILMEMBERS LYING TO CONSTITUENTS. THIS FUND DOES NOT USE PUBLIC SAFETY DOLLARS.THIS IS COMMENT TO BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH NON-PROFITS.
THE IDEA THIS WOULD TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM ROADS OR POLICE IS MISINFORMATION.
SOME ARGUE THE CITY SHOULDN'T BE INVOLVED IN HEALTH CARE.
HOWEVER, SAN ANTONIO'S METROPOLITAN HEALTH DISTRICT HAD A BUDGET OF OVER 106 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 DEMOGRAPHIC STATING COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
ALLOCATING FUNDS ALIGNS WITH OUR ONGOING SUPPORT FOR ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES.
SAN ANTONIO HAS A CHANCE TO BE A LEADER JUST AS AUSTIN HAS SUCCESSFULLY FUNDED ABORTION TRAVEL DESPITE LEGAL THREATS FROM THE STATE.
IF THEY CAN STAND UP FOR THEIR RESIDENTS, SO CAN WE. I DON'T JUST SUPPORT THIS FUND FOR PEOPLE ARE HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY. I BELIEVE EVERYONE LAST THE RIGHT TO ABORTION. I URGE THIS COMMITTEE TO SUPPORT THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND AND INVEST MORE IN PROTECTING RESIDENTS. ABORTION IS HEALTH CARE AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND WE MUST FIGHT FOR IT. THANK YOU.
>> CASTILLO: ERIKA GALINDO16789. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 5, I'M THE ORGANIZING PROGRAM MANAGER FOR [INAUDIBLE] FUND. SERVES PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH TEXAS BY PAYING FOR ABORTION CARE IN OTHER STATES. SUPPORTING TEXT ANSWER TRAVELING BACK TO OUR CARE AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE HAD ABORTIONS. LAST YEAR WE BROKE OUR RECORD ON SPENDING -- PROVING ABORTION BANS DO NOT STOP THE NEED FOR ABORTION, THEY JUST MAKE IT MORE COST THERE ANY AND DIFFICULT FOR REGULAR PEOPLE TO OBTAIN. TO SEE A CITY UNDERSTAND ABORTION ACCESS IN TEXAS IS EX EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN AND SOME FOLKS ARE USING THEIR POWER TO MAKE SURE AS MANY CAN MAINTAIN BODILY A AUTONOMY HAS WARRANTED SUCH A LENGTHY IT'S STILL A CAUSE TO SEE THROUGH.
MAKING THIS PROCESS EASIER FOR GRASS ROOTS ORGANIZATIONS AND ABORTION FUNDS TO RECEIVE THESE FUNDS IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE SHE'S RESOURCES GET TO PEOPLE FORCED TO TRAVEL FOR CARE. WORKING WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE THIS PROCESS EQUITABLE IS KEY AND HOPE WE KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN MOVING FORWARD.
WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO STAND WITH ABORTION FUNDS.
ANTI ABORTION WILL ALWAYS ABUSE THE COURTS, THEY CAN STOP OR PUNISH PEOPLE FOR TRYING TO ACTUALIZE BODILY AUTONOMY. OUR CITY LEADERS MUST NOT CARRY THEIR WATER BY STOPPING BASIC POLICIES. THESE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY HAVE CORRUPT FORCES ANNUAL DON'T NEED ANY MORE HELP T CRISIS CREATED BY THESE ABORTION BANS AND NEGLECT OF TEXAS HEALTH CARE NEEDS BOLD ACTION.
ABORTION BANS ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS CREATED BY PEOPLE PLAYING POLITICS WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES. WE HOPE WE CAN KEEP THIS MOMENTUM GOING.
THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. UP NEXT IS PAUL CUOMO.
PAUL CUOMO. PATRICK VONN DOLEN. >> GOOD MORNING.
IT'S WITH GREAT REGRET WE HAVE TO SHOW UP DOWN HERE AGAIN THIS MORNING IN YOUR CONTINUED IDEOLOGICAL SACRED COW MISSION TO PROMOTE ABORTION THAT HARMS WOMEN AND KILLS BABIES. ABORTIONS HARM WOMEN AND KILL BABIES.
WE HAVE NO BUSINESS AS A CITY, WE HAVE NO BUSINESS AS TAXPAYERS PAYING FOR THIS ILLICIT, IMMORAL, DESTRUCTIVE POLICY. HOW TERRIBLE OF YOU TO EVEN&
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CONSIDER IT. WE WERE HERE ON JANUARY 23 FOR NOVEMBER 21 AT CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS. YOU VOTED NO.IT'S CONTINUED. WE FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY.
IT'S COSTING TAXPAYERS MORE MONEY BECAUSE YOU CONTINUE TO VIOLATE STATE LAW.
YOU CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS OF POLICY THAT ARE ABOUT REGARDED STATE LAW. THEY ARE NOT CITY BUSINESS. GET BACK TO THE BUSINESS OF CITY CHARTER. GET BACK TO PUBLIC SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE, CLEAN WATER, SEWAGE, DRAINAGE. YOU ARE OFF THE MARK AGAIN. STOP YOUR IDEOLOGICAL BIAS.
YOU ARE GOING TO HARM THE CITIZENS, YOU ARE ALREADY HARMING WOMEN.
THEY DON'T NEED TRANSPORTATION, THEY NEED CARE, LOVE AND LOVE THEM BOTH BABY AND MOM. DADS NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEMSELVES. THERE'S RESOURCES AT SAN ANTONIO FAMILY ASSOCIATION.COM. WE'RE HELPING EVERY WEEK. PEOPLE NEED HELP, THEY NEED LOVE. THEY DON'T NEED MONEY TO DESTROY THEIR LIVES AND DESTROY BABIES. YOU ARE VIOLATING STATE LAW. I SEE A MAYORAL CANDIDATE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS. SHE WROTE LETTER AND SUBMITTED IT TO THIS COMMITTEE JANUARY 23 IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS ABORTION TRAVEL FUND.
WE HAD A SPLIT VOTE LAST TIME ON JANUARY 23, TWO, TWO, ONE.
I DON'T SEE ONE OF THE MEMBERS HERE, BUT I HOPE YOU DEFEAT IT AGAIN AND DON'T
PASS IT ON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
UP NEXT ADRIANA RODRIGUEZ ON ITEM 5. >> ROSIE JIM NECESSARY, CANDY MILLER, AMBER, TEXANS WE KNOW WHO HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF ABORTION BANS AND WE KNOW THERE ARE MANY NAMES THAT NEVER BE SPOKEN IN AREAS LIKE THIS.
I'M THE YOUTH ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER AT JAMES DUE PROCESS AND STAND HERE TODAY FOR CLIENTS TERRIFIED AND LACKING ACCESS TO CARE.
WE SEE THIS AS AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE.
WHETHER IT'S KEEPING OUR PARKS CLEAN, UP GRADING OUR LIBRARIES OR BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE CITY HAS INVESTED IN THOSE INITIATIVES BECAUSE THEY KNOW PEOPLE THRIVE WHEN THEY HAVE CLEAN SPACES TO RAISE THEIR FAMILIES.
WE SEE THIS INVESTMENT IN REPRODUCTIVE AND HEALTH CARE AS A SUSPENSION OF THAT.
WHEN PEOPLE CAN GET TESTED AND CHOOSE WHEN THEY BECOME PARENTS THEY ARE ABLE TO ENJOY OUR CLEAN ARGUES AND LIBRARY RESOURCES. WITHOUT THE POWER TO DECIDE WHEN TO BECOME PARENTS, NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN COMMUNITIES.
JAMES DUE PROCESS IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE ADVOCATED FOR THIS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND HAVE BEEN AWARDED THAT MONEY. WE KNOW THERE IS FEAR WHEN IT COMES TO THIS FUNDING A AND I ASK HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE BEEN SQUARED BUT PUSHED THROUGH BECAUSE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO KNOWS IT'S IMPORTANT TO STEP UP WHEN PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND I ASK WHAT WILL WE DO
WHEW OUR PEOPLE IS SUFFERING. >> CASTILLO: THAT IS ALL SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE CAN MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER
2, MEASLES EXPOSURE. >> JACOB: GOOD MORNING. I JUST WANT TO TAKE TAKE MOMENT TO THANK COUNCIL FOR THIS INVITATION. I KNOW THIS WAS A LAST-MINUTE ADJUSTMENT TO OUR AGENDA. WE HAVE TWO OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA SO I WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK ANEAT THAT KURIAN AND OUR TEAM AND THE RESIDENTS AND PARTNERS ON THE GROUND FOR HELPING US ADDRESSER THAT HAS BEEN ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ACTION. LET ME INTRODUCE AND TURN IT
OVER TO TO DR. KURIAN. >> KURIAN: THANK YOU, DR. JACOB.
GOOD MORNING, COMMITTEE MEMBERS. CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE MEASLES OUTBREAK -- THE MEASLES OUTBREAK CENTERED IN WEST TEXAS CONTINUES TO GROW. PERSON FROM ONE OF THESE OUTBREAK COUNTIES HAD VISITED SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN SAN~MARCOS, NEW BRAUNFELS AND SAN ANTONIO AREA OVER THE WEEKEND, OVER THE VALENTINE'S DAY WEEKEND.
SO TODAY'S BRIEFING WE'LL BE PROVIDING A SITUATIONAL REPORT ON THESE EXPOSURES AND OUR PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO THESE EXPOSURES. BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE STAFF, THE KEY STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THIS INVESTIGATION ALONG WITH ME LOCK STEP. MIGUEL SANCHEZ, HE OVERSEES IMMUNIZATIONS PROGRAMS. I ALSO HAVE ADMINISTRATOR, SONIA GONZALES LEADS A TEAM
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OF MARKETING TEAM. TWO OTHER KEY MEMBERS, STAND UP, PLEASE.THEY DON'T GET THE RECOGNITIONS VERY OFTEN. IT'S THE PROGRAM MANAGERS FOR EPIDEMIOLOGY DIVISION AS WELL AS THE IMMUNIZATIONS, BY MICHELLE PARKER -- SORRY.
MICHELLE GILLSTRAP. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE A TEAM WE LEFT BEHIND. THEY WORK VERY HARD EVERYUARD TS COMMUNITY'S HELP SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO. SO HERE'S THE TIME LINE OF EVENTS THAT HAPPENED WITH THIS -- THESE EXPOSURES. ON FEBRUARY 23, THIS -- THIS PAST SUNDAY MORNING, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES COUNTY RESIDENT WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR MEASLES AND HAD VISITED IN OUR COMMUNITY ON "-BASED ON THE CLINICS CAL HISTORY THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME, THE PERIOD OF INFECTIOUSNESS IS FEBRUARY 15 THROUGH FEBRUARY 24. THE PERSON ARRIVED IN OUR COMMUNITY ON FEBRUARY 14. AND THIS PERSON WHILE INFECTIOUS VISITED ALL THESE LOCATIONS. THESE ARE LARGE PUBLIC LOCATIONS, LEADING TO LARGE COMMUNITYWIDE EXPOSURES. THE PERSON VISITED ON THE 15TH, VISITED UTSA CAMPUS BETWEEN 10:00 AND 2:00, SEVERAL LOCATIONS, AND -- FROM 2:30 TO 5:30 AND ENDED THE DAY ON THE 15TH BY DININGDI AS MR. CRAB'S SEAFOOD IN LIVE OAK AND THE EXPOSURE 6:00 P.M. TO 8:00 P.M. THIS PERSON LEFT SAN ANTONIO THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND -- SO BASED ON THE HISTORY THAT WAS GIVEN, THESE THREE LOCATIONS, WE CONSIDER THESE THREE LOCATIONS AS WHERE WE KNOW COMMUNITY WIDE EXPOSURES MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED. THIS PERSON MIGHT HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF VISITORS. WE ARE A DESTINATION CITY. SO WE DID HAVE REAL GREAT CONCERN OF POTENTIAL LARGE COMMUNITYWIDE EXPOSURES AT THESE PUBLIC SITES.
HENCE THE NEED TO ALERT THE COMMUNITY PROMPTLY AND THIS WAS DONE LATER ON THE SAME DAY ON FEBRUARY 23. THIS WAS THE DATE THAT WE WERE INITIALLY NOTIFIED.
WE HAD CONTACTED THE PLACE THE PERSON WAS STAYING WHILE IN SAN ANTONIO AND DETAILED INVESTIGATION AND HISTORY WAS TAKEN FROM THE STAFF AS WELL AS OTHER PATRONS, AND WE DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY POSSIBLE EXPOSURE AT THIS PLACE OF STAY.
HENCE THAT WAS NOT LISTED PUBLICLY IN OUR PRESS RELEASE.
BECAUSE MEASLES IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS AND IT CAN LINGER IN THE AIR FOR QUITE SOME TIME, UP TO TWO HOURS EVEN AFTER THE PERSON HAS LEFT, ESPECIALLY IN CLOSE CONFINED SPACES. THOSE EXPOSURE PERIODS WE'VE EXTENDED TWO HOURS BEYOND THE INFECT PERSON'S VISIT TIMES. SOME PEOPLE THINK MEASLES IS JUST A LITTLE RASH AND FEVER. IT CAN CLEAR UP IN A FEW DAYS. BUT I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS HIGHLY INFECTIOUS CONDITION. SORRY. IT'S A HIGHLY INFECTIOUS CONDITION. 90% OF FOLKS WHO ARE UNVACCINATED WHO COME IN CONTACT WITH A CONFIRMED CASE CAN GET THE DISEASE. SO THIS IS A PRETTY SERIOUS INFECTIOUS CONDITION. IT SPREADS -- IT'S AIR BORNE SPREAD.
IT SPREADS WHEN THE INFECTED PERSON COUGHS OR SNEEZES AND YOU CAN GET IT BY JUST BEING IN THE SAME ROOM AS THE INFECTED CASE. TENDS TO LINGER TWO HOURS AFTER THE INFECTED PERSON HAS LEFT. THE SYMPTOMS APPEAR SEVEN TO 14 DAYS AND IN SOME INSTANCES UP TO 211 DAYS AND THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS ARE THOSE LISTED UP HERE. HIGH FEVER, COUGH, RUNNY NOSE, PRETTY NON-SPECIFIC TO BEGIN WITH. WITHIN TWO TO THREE DAYS OF THE INITIAL ON SET YOU TEND TO SEE WHITE SPOTS IN THE MOUTH AND THREE TO FIVE DAYS THE CHARACTERISTIC MEASLES RASHES APPEAR. THESE RASHES ARE A FLAT, SMALL RED RASHES TYPICALLY
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BEGIN IN HAIRLINE, FACE AND SPREADS TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY.RASH CAN PERSISTIVE TO SIX DAYS AND THEN THEY FADE AWAY EXACTLY IN THE SAME ORDER IT APPEARED. ANYONE NO PROTECTED IS AT RISK.
IF YOU ARE NOT VACCINATED, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IMMUNITY THAT IS EITHER VACCINE INDUCED OR NATURAL. IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS HEALTH COMPLICATIONS IN FOLKS WITH HIGH RISK AND THOSE ARE CHILDREN, OUR BABIES AND CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE, PREGNANT WOMEN, FOLKS WITH UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. IN BABIES UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE, THE COMMON COMPLICATIONS ARE EAR INFECTIONS, DIARRHEA AND THEY CAN ALSO SEE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS IF NOT MANAGED APPROPRIATELY AND IN A TIMELY MANNER, IT CAN LEAD TO PNEUMONIA AND ENCEPHALITIS AND THE FATALITIES WE SEE ARE TYPICALLY BECAUSE OF THIS BECAUSE OF PNEUMONIA AND CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM ABNORMALITIES AND COMPLICATIONS. LIKE I MENTIONED, THE BEST PROTECTION AGAINST MEASLES IS THE MMR VACCINE. IT'S A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE VACCINE THAT PROVIDES LONG-LASTING IMMUNITY. AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO HAVE TWO DOSES. TWO DOSES OF MMR VACCINE AS A CHILD.
YOU SHOULD RECEIVE TWO DOSES MMR VACCINE. IT IS 97% EFFECTIVE AGAINST PREVENTING MEASLES. ONE DOSE 93% EFFECTIVE. THE FIRST DOSE IS GIVEN 12 TO 15 MONTHS OF AGE, THE SECOND FOUR TO SIX YEARS. OLDER ADULTS MAY RECEIVE ONE DOSE AND STILL CONSIDERED UP TO DATE WITH THE MMR VACCINATION.
HERE'S WHAT WE ARE SEEING NATIONWIDE. THIS IS THE CASES AND THE OUTBREAKS IN THE UNITED STATES. MEASLES WAS CONSIDERED ELIMINATED IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2000. SINCE COVID, WE ARE SEEING A RESURGENCE OF OUTBREAKS IN OUR NATION PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF TWO REASONS, GLOBALLY CASES ARE INCREASING. I ALWAYS SAY THIS MEASLES -- THREAT OF MEASLES OR CASE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT EVERYWHERE. IT CAN EASILY SPREAD INTO OTHER COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY COMMUNITIES WITH LOW VACCINATION COVERAGE.
THIS IS THE SECOND REASON SINCE COVID WHILE WE ARE SEEING A RESURGENCE OF CASES BECAUSE THE OVERALL MMR VACCINATION COVERAGE NATIONWIDE HAS FALLEN BELOW THE DESIRED TARGET VACCINATION COVERAGE RATE OF 95%.
AT THIS TIME NATIONALLY WE HAVE COVERAGE RATE APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 92.7% WITH REGARDS TO MMR VACCINATION AMONG OUR KINDERGARTENERS.
SO WHAT YOU SEE THE MAP THAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, IT'S THE CASES AND OUTBREAKS IN 2024. IN THE ENTIRE YEAR WE HAD 285 CASES IN 33 JURISDICTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES WITH 16 OUTBREAKS. IN CONTRAST LOOK AT THE MAP ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE. THAT'S THE MAP FOR 2025. AND IT IS JUST FEBRUARY OF 2025. WE ARE ALREADY DOCUMENTING OVER 100 CASES NATIONWIDE.
AND WITH THREE OUTBREAKS, THREE LARGE OUTBREAKS. HERE'S WHAT THIS SITUATION HERE IS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH REGARDS TO MEASLES CASES.
AND EVERYONE KNOWS THIS, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A VERY LARGE OUTBREAK GOING ON IN THE SOUTH PLAINS REGIONS IN TEXAS. IF FIRST TWO CASES REPORTED HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WAS FROM HARRIS COUNTY. AND THAT WAS THE FIRST CONFIRMED REPORTED CASES IN TEXAS SINCE 2023. NOW, THIS PARTICULAR LARGE OUTBREAK THAT'S ONGOING, WE EXPECT THESE NUMBERS TO CHANGE.
THE STATE IS UPDATING THESE NUMBERS ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THIS MORNING WE HAVE 146 CASES FROM THIS OUTBREAK, AND I EXPECT THESE NUMBERS TO GO UP EXPONENTIALLY ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF TRAVEL TO AND FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WE SAW WITH THE EXPOSURES THAT HAPPENED IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY. TWO DAYS AGO, FEBRUARY 26, DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERVICES REPORTED THE FIRST FATALITY IN THIS OUTBREAK IN AN UNVACCINATED SCHOOL-AGE CHILD. A GREAT REMINDER THIS CAN BE PRETTY SERIOUS FOR OUR YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY. AS FAR AS BEXAR COUNTY GOES, WE'VE HAD FOUR CASES IN THE PAST 20 YEARS. OUR LAST CASE WAS IN 2019, WE HAD ONE CASE IN 2019. PRIOR TO THAT THREE CASES IN 2007.
THESE TWO INSTANCES WERE TRAVEL ASSOCIATED. WE DID NOT SEE ANY
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WIDESPREAD TRANSMISSION OF THIS -- THESE CASES AS A RESULT OF THESE TWO INSTANCES. AND THAT WAS BECAUSE WE HAD PRETTY HIGH VACCINATION COVERAGE IN OUR COMMUNITY.IN CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS. AT THIS TIME OUR CURRENT COVERAGE AMONG KINDERGARTENERS HAS FALLEN ONE PERCENTAGE POINT BELOW THE DESIRED OUT COME, DESIRED TARGET OF 95%. AND WHAT'S MORE CONCERNING IS THAT A CERTAIN POCKETS OF CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS, LIKE, THE SOUTH AND WEST WHERE EVEN THOUGH OVERALL IT MAY BE -- THE VACCINATION COVERAGE MAY NOT LOOK BAD, THERE ARE POCKETS WITH VERY LOW COVERAGE. AND THESE ARE CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND WE ARE INTENSIFYING OUR RESPONSE EFFORTS IN THESE AREAS.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN THIS ONE. THIS SLIDE.
SO HERE'S THE -- SINCE THE EXPOSURE OR SINCE FEBRUARY 23 WHEN WE GOT THE INITIAL NOTIFICATION, THERE HAS BEEN A FLURRY OF RESPONSE ACTIVITIES WHICH I WOULD GROUP THREW THESE THREE AREAS. FIRST IS SURVEILLANCE AND HEALTH INVESTIGATIONS. THIS IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR RESPONSE.
IT'S TWO-FOLD. FIRST WE BEGIN WITH TIMELY CONTACT INVESTIGATIONS TO IDENTIFY ALL EXPOSURES, CONTROL AND PREVENTION MEASURES TO PREVENT THE TRANSITION OF INFECTION IF OUR COMMUNITY. THAT IS THE GOAL OF ALL PUBLIC HEALTH INVESTIGATIONS, TO PREVENT BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION OF DISEASE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SO THE DAY WE WERE NOTIFIED, I HAD A CALL WITH UTSA WHICH WAS ONE OF THE EXPOSURE SITES, NOTIFIED THEM, MADE THEM AWARE OF THIS EXPOSURE, GAVE THEM RECOMMENDATIONS AND OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE THEY MIGHT NEED. THEY HAVE A ROBUST STUNT HEALTH SERVICES AND CONSULTS ON STAFF SO THEY MANAGED THEIR EXPOSURES THEMSELVES AND DID A GOOD JOB.
THEY DID A BLAST NOTIFICATION TO STUDENTS AND STAFF QUICKLY.
WE ALSO CONTACTED THE OTHER EXPOSURE SITES AND MR. KRAVIS RESTAURANT AND IDENTIFIED SOME EXPOSURES AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED UP TO ABOUT 20 CONTACTS, CLOSE CONTACTS THAT FORTUNATELY MAJORITY OF THEM ARE VACCINATED, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN CONTACTED, NOTIFIED OF THEIR EXPOSURE AND EDUCATED ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE ARE DOING IS ASKING THESE CONTACTS REGARDLESS OF YOUR VACCINATION STATUS, PLEASE MONITOR, SELF-MONITOR FOR UP TO 21 DAYS.
FORTUNATELY NONE HAVE BROKEN DOWN WITH SYMPTOMS AND THEY ARE DOING WELL.
BUT EVERY DAY WE GET 60 TO 80 CALLS. WE ARE VOTING THOSE CALLS PRETTY DILIGENTLY. THE OTHER STEP IN OUR FIRST RESPONSE EFFORT IS IDENTIFYING NEW CASES. THIS IS, AGAIN, OUR GOAL TO PREVENT THE FURTHER SPREAD OF THE DISEASE. WE CAN ONLY DO THAT WHEN WE IDENTIFY NEW CASES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE CASE THAT EMERGES, IT CAN RESULT IN ABOUT 12 TO 18 NEW CASES AMONG UNVACCINATED. THIS IS HOW IT GETS WIDESPREAD AND GETS A STRONG HOLD IN ANY COMMUNITY. SO OUR GOAL IS IDENTIFY THESE NEW CASES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE -- BECAUSE MEASLES BEING REPORTABLE CONDITION HERE, NOT JUST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS BUT NATION. WHAT THAT MEANS IS HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, DOCTOR'S OFFICE, HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, SCHOOL NURSES, INFECTION CONTROL, ME'S OFFICE, ANYBODY WHO MAKES A DIAGNOSIS OF MEASLES ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW TO PROMPTLY REPORT THAT, IMMEDIATELY REPORT THAT TO LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SO WHAT WE DO AS SOON AS WE GET THE NOTIFICATION IS REACH OUT TO THE CASE AND DO A DETAILED INVESTIGATION AND THE GOAL OF THE INVESTIGATION IS ALWAYS ESTABLISH THE INFECTION TIME LINE, IDENTIFY THE SOURCE IF WE CAN, IDENTIFY ALL THOSE EXPOSED, AND THEN IMPLEMENT CONTROL AND PREVENTION MEASURES PROMPTLY. THE SECOND FOCUS AREA OF OUR RESPONSE IS DEVELOPING GUIDANCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS. WE HAVE SENT OUT -- WE HAVE DEVELOPED GUIDANCES AND SENT OUT HEALTH ALERTS TO OUR LOCAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER COMMUNITY. TWO OF THEM HAVE ALREADY SENT OUT.
WE GET CALLS ON -- AND DO CONSULTS ON INFECTION CONTROL, TESTING RECOMMENDATIONS, ISOLATION PRACTICES. SO MOST OF THE PROVIDERS WE
[00:35:03]
WORK VERY WELL WITH THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS AND CLINICIANS AND THE DOCTORS' OFFICES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THOSE ARE ONGOING EVERY DAY REGARDLESS OF THIS PARTICULAR EXPOSURE. WE DEVELOPED A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, DISTRIBUTED TO PD, EMS, FIRE. ESSENTIALLY ALERTING THEM TO THESE EXPOSURES AND GIVING THEM GUIDELINES, INFECTION CONTROL GUIDELINES AND PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES THEY CAN TAKE SHOULD THEY ENCOUNTER A CASE WHILE PATROLLING OUR STREETS. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH SCHOOL NURSES.CHRISTI AND HER TEAM ATTENDED A SCHOOL, NORTHEAST SIDE SCHOOL BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THEY HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS.
WE ALSO HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE REGION 20. WE ARE HAVING TOWN HALL SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK. WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE WITH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS SCHEDULED FOR THIS NEXT FRIDAY. SO WE ARE MOVING AT WARP SPEED WITH REGARDS TO RESPONSE. WE ARE ALSO OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES TO HOST VACCINATION EVENTS SHOULD THERE BE A NEED, BUT FORTUNATELY OUR KINDERGARTENERS ARE PRETTY HIGH -- EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT THE DESIRED TARGET, THEY ARE PRETTY HIGHLY COVERED WITH REGARDS TO MMR VACCINES, BUT WE ARE KEEPING THAT OPTION OPEN. WE ALSO DEVELOPED GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THE FAQS ACKNOWLEDGE ABOUT DEVELOPED AND ALL THESE RESOURCES ARE ALL UPDATED ON OUR WEBSITE. THAT FAQ IS A LIVING DOCUMENT AND DAILY BASIS COLLECTING QUESTIONS THAT COME UP THAT WE INCORPORATE INTO OUR CLINIC, OUR CHWS, CHPS WALKING THE STREET, ANY QUESTIONS AND IF IT'S NOT COVERED IT'S UPDATED. IT'S A LIVING DOCUMENT. WE UPDATE IT ON DAILY BASIS.
THE THIRD FOCUS AREA IS OUTREACH. WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO -- IMMUNIZE SA PARTNERS. THIS IS A BIG STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE THAT ASSISTS US IN --N EFFORTS, WITH OUR IMMUNIZATION EFFORTS. I AM SO GLAD TO SAY EACH ONE HAS RESPONDED BACK SAYING THEY ARE WILLING TO ASSIST, COLLABORATE, HOSTING POP-UP EVENTS IF THERE IS A NEED. AT THIS TIME WE ARE ABLE TO MANAGE THE CAPACITY, METRO HEALTH HAS THE CAPACITY TO HANDLE THE POP-UP REQUESTS, BUT SHOULD WE RAMP UP OUR RESPONSE, IN ANTICIPATION, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THESE PARTNERS AND THEY ARE STANDING BY AND WILLING TO ASSIST. WE HAVE ALSO -- WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO HOST MORE POP-UP VACCINE EVENTS, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE AREAS THAT I SAID HAS LOW PROVIDER COVERAGE. SO WE ALREADY HAD ONE EVENT THIS WEEK.
THERE'S ANOTHER ONE ON I BELIEVE THE SATURDAY AT CORTEZ LIBRARY.
AND THE EASY WINS FOR US IS REACHING OUT TO THE PARTNERS WE WORKED WITH DURING COVID-19 TO HAVE THESE POP-UP EVENTS. WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO ALL THE LIBRARIES. WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO SOME OF THE CHURCHES THAT ARE OUR PARTNERS, ASKING TO SEE IF WE COULD HOST POP-UP EVENTS QUICKLY.
AS WE FINALIZE THESE DETAILS, IT WILL BE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, LOCATION, TIMING AND DATES. LAST BUT NOT LEAST WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST -- SONIA IS HERE, A ROBUST COMMUNICATION EFFORT. EVEN BEFORE THIS EXPOSURE, WE HAD ALREADY LAUNCHED A MASSIVE VACCINE CAMPAIGN WHICH IS RISK LESS, DO MORE.
WE HAVE MEASLES CRISIS AND COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND VARIOUS OTHER CHANNELS, MODES OF COMMUNICATION. SINCE THE EXPOSURES, THE NEWS STORIES WIDELY PICKED UP BY ALL FORMS OF MEDIA AND YOU SEE ALL THOSE SHARES AND IMPRESSIONS LISTED OUT THERE. WE WILL SOON START, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE PUSHED AHEAD OF THE SCHEDULED TIME. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED LATER IN MARCH, BUT THIS CAMPAIGN IS A NEW CAMPAIGN, THE HHS COMPARISON -- HHS CAMPAIGN, THIS WILL BE LAUNCHED AHEAD OF TIME AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THE WEBSITE, THE COMMUNITY, KEEP EVERYONE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE RESOURCES. WE HAVE GREAT RESOURCES ON OUR WEBSITE, LINKS TO THE STATE AND CITY WEBSITE. AND THAT PRETTY MUCH
[00:40:01]
CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. KURIAN.
I THINK YOU ALL BEING PREPARED TO PRESENT DEMONSTRATES THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND FRAMEWORK IN WHICH METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS PREPARED AND DOING THE WORK WHETHER THERE'S EXPOSURE OR NOT. JUST GRATEFUL FOR THE METRO HEALTH TEAM AND ALL THEY DO AND ENSURING WE'RE SAFEGUARDING OUR COMMUNITY.
AS DOCTOR MENTIONED THERE WAS EXPOSURE REPORTED IN THE MEDIA AND OUT OF ABUNDANCE OF DISCUSSION, MY TEAM HAD DISCUSSION AROUND WHAT PROCESSES ARE IN PLACE IN TERMS OF GETTING ACCESS TO VACCINATIONS. THANK YOU FOR BEING PREPARED TO EQUIP THE COMMUNITY WITH INFORMATION. IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE NUMBERS AND I KNOW THEY ARE CHANGING AND YOU TOUCHED ON IT IN TERMS THE IMPACT THIS CAN HAVE ON CHILDREN IN PARTICULAR, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE UNVACCINATED, I'M CURIOUS -- AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED ALREADY TALKING, PRESENTED TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT PRE-K 4 SA STUDENTS. WHAT WORK IS THERE TO MAKE SURE -- I KNOW WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT IN THE CASE THERE IS, WHAT STEPS ARE WE TAKING TO ENSURE THERE IS A PLAN -- THE ONES AT PRE-K 4 SA IN TERMS OF EXPOSURE.
>> KURIAN: THAT'S ONE THING I FORGOT TO MENTION. DURING THE OUTREACH TO SCHOOLS, CHILDCARE FACILITIES AND PRE-K 4 SA AS WELL, WE ARE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THEM. WE DID SEND THEM THE GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS WITH REGARDS TO INFECTION CONTROL. WE ARE IN CONSTANT
COMMUNICATION. >> CASTILLO: YOU ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS DURING THE PRESENTATION. LAST NIGHT AT A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION I ASKED HOW IS ALL THIS INFORMATION RELAYED FROM ONE ENTITY TO ANOTHER. YOU EMPHASIZED WHETHER THERE'S AN OUTBREAK OR NOT, THERE IS INFORMATION SHARED BY AN ENTITY.
WALK US THROUGH THAT PIECE ONE MORE TIME IN TERMS OF IF YOU GET TESTED THEY ARE
REQUIRED TO RELAY IT TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. >> KURIAN: I'M GOING THE TAKE ONE STEP BACK FROM THE TESTING. THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF ALL OUR SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES IS REPORTABLE CONDITIONS LIST.
WE HAVE ABOUT 77-PLUS INFECTIOUS CONDITIONS ON THAT LIST.
AND THAT LIST IS THE ONE THAT I WAS REFERRING TO WHERE ANY PROVIDER, ANY LAB, ANY SCHOOL NURSE, ME'S OFFICE, ANYBODY WHO MAKES A DIAGNOSIS OF INFECTIOUS CONDITIONS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO REPORT TO THE LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WITHIN THAT DESIGNATED TIME FRAME. I'M VERY PROUD OF THIS COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A GREAT COMPLIANCE WITH OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS. THEY ARE ALSO PART OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM. SO WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION WITH THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, WITH DOCTORS' OFFICES. THE TEAM IS POUNDING THE PAVEMENT ALL YEAR LONG, EDUCATING THESE DOCTOR OFFICES ABOUT THESE REPORTABLE CONDITIONS.
INFECTION NURSES ARE PRETTY MUCH CALLING REGULARLY. YOU HEAR US TALK ABOUT THIS ONLY WHEN THERE IS A CRISIS, BUT THIS IS THE WORK ONGOING YEAR ROUND BEHIND THE SCENES. WE GET ABOUT 60 TO 80 CALLS ON ANY OF THOSE CONDITIONS ON ANY GIVEN DAY. AND THEN DURING AN OUTBREAK THOSE CALLS GO UP.
WE ARE WORKING AND IF YOU DON'T HEAR FROM US, THAT IS A GOOD THING.
YOU HEAR FROM US ONLY DURING A CRISIS OR OUTBREAK. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR
QUESTION? >> CASTILLO: YES. DURING THE THREE PLUS NINE BRIEFING, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN MENTIONED WHENEVER WE EXPERIENCE AN OUTBREAK, WE KNOW IT'S CONCENTRATED IN SPECIFIC AREAS. I APPRECIATE YOU ARE GOING TO LEAN ON THE COVID PARTNERSHIPS BECAUSE WE KNOW WHERE THOSE EXISTS, SOUTH SIDE, WEST SIDE, EAST SIDE. AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU ARE EMPHASISSING THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO CARE IF NECESSARY IS READY TO GO, YOU ARE ALREADY HAVING ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS AND I'LL HAND IT OVER TO MY
COLLEAGUES. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, DR. KURIAN, FOR COMING AND PRESENTING. I KNOW YOU ARE DOING IN AUDIO] BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING WHERE IT'S LIKE THAT LIST OF 77, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD YOU SAY THAT BEFORE. I WANT TO LOOK AT THE LIST,
DON'T LOOK AT THE LIST. SHE WILL COME. >> IT MIGHT BE BACK WHEN
TIMES ARE GOOD. >> VIAGRAN: YES. SO I SPENT THE MORNING WITH
[00:45:04]
HARLANDALE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND IT WAS A GREAT WAY TO START THE MORNING BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING A RESOURCE FAIR FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.BUT AS I'M THERE, I'M WALKING AWAY HAVING THIS UPDATE ON MEASLES.
AND I'M LIKE -- I'M TELLING SOME OF THE HEALTH WORKERS THERE, IT'S 2025 AND I'M HAVING TO GO GET AN UPDATE ON A MEASLES OUTBREAK. AND WHERE WE'RE ALL LIKE PEOPLE NEED TO GET VACCINATED. I AM SO MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS AND APPLAUD WHAT YOU ARE DOING. I THINK THE ONE THING WE ALSO NEED TO COMMUNICATE, AND CLAUDE, I KNOW THE COMMUNICATION TEAM IS OUT HERE IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE VULNERABILITIES ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN.
CHILDREN ON THE SOUTH SIDE WHICH WE HAVE JUVENILE DIABETES.
THERE'S A LOT WITH ASTHMA. THERE IS CANCER IN AND AROUND THOSE COMMUNITIES WITH TEENAGE -- LOTS OF PEOPLE, BUT IT IMPACTS OUR YOUTH AND THE TEENAGERS IT SEEMS TO. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT OF WHO CAN GET VACCINATED AND WHEN AND WHAT INFORMATION THEY NEED TO HAVE.
THE OTHER I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DURING THE -- NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE. SOME PEOPLE HAD CHILDREN DURING THE PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, STARTED TO EXPAND THEIR FAMILY AND I THINK THOSE ARE THE ONES WE NEED TO MAKE SURE ARE YOU UP TO DATE ON YOUR VACCINATIONS WITH YOUR CHILD.
BECAUSE THE RISK IS REAL. WE KNOW THAT ENVIRONMENTALLY, YOU KNOW, IT CAN EASILY SPREAD, AND WE LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC THAT PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS WASH THEIR HANDS OR COVER THEIR MOUTHS WHEN THEY COUGH.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THEY ARE MOVING. ON SLIDE NUMBER 3, IF WE GO BACK TO SLIDE NUMBER 3, SO THIS -- THIS DARK BLUE WHICH IS IN TEXAS, THAT IS -- THAT IS BECAUSE WE REACHED OVER 100 NOW IN 2025? IT'S.
>> THE OTHER SLIDE. >> VIAGRAN: I'M SORRY, 4. >> KURIAN: AS OF THIS
MORNING WE HAVE 146 CASES REPORTED. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY.
AND I'M -- MY CONCERN IS IT'S GOING TO BE SPRING BREAK AND I LOOKED AT SOME OF THOSE COUNTIES AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, STUDENTS FROM THOSE COUNTIES ARE GOING TO COME TO -- BACK HOME TO SAN ANTONIO OR BACK HOME TO THEIR BIGGER CITIES.
AND I'M -- I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE GETTING AHEAD OF THIS, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO -- I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING THAT, PREPARE JUST FOR THE CASE TO COME HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY. BECAUSE THE COUNTIES THAT YOU -- AND WE ALREADY LEARNED THIS WITH THIS PAST REPORT ON THE OUTBREAK IS THAT PEOPLE FROM THESE COUNTIES ARE COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL, ARE VISITING SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE OF SPRING BREAK, AND IT'S A TOURIST DESTINATION SPOT. SO HOW DO WE PREPARE OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE MASKING UP IF NEEDED OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY CAN DO BECAUSE IT IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR VACCINATION STATUS IS. SIGN ME UP FOR THE POP-UPS IN DISTRICT 3 AND I'LL WORK WITH YOU -- I MEAN WE HAVE A LOT OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
I KNOW THEY ARE VERY HELPFUL, BUT I DO HAVE KIDS GETTING HOME SCHOOLED, KIDS NOT IN PRE-K YET, SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT MY OFFICE CAN DO FOR THE POP-UP.
JUST AS WE LOOK THROUGH THE UPDATES, WHEN CAN WE -- I KNOW IT'S HARD FOR YOU TO ANSWER, WHEN SHOULD WE EXPECT AN UPDATE? LIKE ARE YOU JUST GOING TO PROVIDE THAT ON THE WEBSITE VIA DASHBOARD OR WILL YOU SEND -- WILL OUR MEDIA THAT'S HERE PROBABLY ASK YOU THE QUESTION AND GET THAT OUT THERE?
>> KURIAN: WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING, I THINK MR. MCCARY WITH WORK OUT SOMETHING FOR REGULAR BRIEFINGS. YOU BROUGHT UP A COUPLE POINTS, IF I MAY TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO RESPOND TO THAT. THESE EXPOSURES, WE EXPECT TO SEE ANY CASES COMING OUT OF THESE EXPOSURES BY MARCH 8TH.
THIS IS TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE INCUBATION PERIOD.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN NOT HAVE OTHER CASES OF MEASLES. MEASLES, YOU CAN HAVE SOME INTERNATIONAL TRAVELER, NOT NECESSARILY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EXPOSURE.
BUT CASES WITH WITH THESE EXPOSURES ARE EXPECTED BETWEEN NOW AND MARCH 8TH.
[00:50:07]
IF YOU DON'T HAVE CASES, YOU WON'T HEAR FROM US. LIKE I SAID, IT'S NOT JUST THESE CASES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EXPOSURE, CONTACTS ASSOCIATE WITH THIS EXPOSURE WE ARE INVESTIGATING. WE DO THIS YEAR ROUND. TRAVEL IS PRETTY EASY SO WE DO GET THESE SUSPECT FEBRILE RASH ILLNESSES TO RECORD AND WE HAVE A HANDFUL WE ARE MONITORING. WE COORDINATE TESTING WITH THE PROVIDERS AND WE DON'T JUMP THE GUN AND COME OUT AND TALK ABOUT SUSPECT CASES UNLESS WE HAVE ALL THE FACTS STRAIGHT. IF WE HAVE A CONFIRMED CASE, ABSOLUTELY YOU WILL HEAR FROM US. BIG BELIEVER OF VACCINATIONS, BUT VACCINES HAVE REALLY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED CHILDHOOD SURVIVAL. THAT'S AN INTERESTING STUDY IN LANSING, EVERYBODY SHOULD READ IT. PAST 50 YEARS, VACCINATIONS HAVE SAVED CLOSE TO 150 MILLION LIVES. THAT'S BIG.SO YES, EVERYONE SHOULD REVIEW THEIR VACCINATION RECORDS AND BE UP TO DATE WITH THEIR VACCINES. I WANT TO TAKE THIS PODIUM TO SEND A PLEA OUT AND URGE THE COMMUNITY, WE SAY THIS IN EVERY PHONE CALL WE GET, IF YOU ARE SICK, PLEASE STAY HOME. EXCLUDE YOURSELF FROM PUBLIC SETTINGS.
DON'T GO TO NORTH STAR MALL OR DON'T GO TO THE MOVIE THEATER OR LARGE RESTAURANTS. IF YOU ARE SICK, PLEASE EXCLUDE -- DON'T GO TO SCHOOLS. PLEASE EXCLUDE YOURSELF. GET EVALUATED AND LET US RULE OUT ALONG WITH YOUR PROVIDER ANY INFECTIOUS DISEASES LIKE MEASLES THAT COULD BE PUTTING THOUSANDS OF FOLKS AT RISK FOR EXPOSURE.
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.
DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THE CURRENT VACCINATION RATES AMONG SOME OF OUR MOST
VULNERABLE RESIDENTS IN SAN ANTONIO? >> KURIAN: I DON'T HAVE THAT YET. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THAT BECAUSE VACCINES ARE A REQUIREMENT FOR K-12 SO WE HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THAT, WHICH ABOUT THIS TIME IS
ABOUT 94.2%. >> GARCIA: DO YOU REMEMBER OR DO YOU KNOW WHEN METRO HEALTH STARTED PROVIDING VACCINATIONS, ACCESS TO VACCINATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO?
>> KURIAN: I THINK FOR THE PAST 35 YEARS. >> GARCIA: I WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE -- A PRETTY GOOD STEADY RECORD, IT LOOKS LIKE.
OKAY. CAN YOU REMIND ME HOW LONG IT TOOK FOR YOU TO INFORM ON
THIS FIRST CASE OR POTENTIAL EXPOSURE, HOW LONG WAS THAT? >> KURIAN: I WAS NOTIFIED DURING THE A.M. HOURS, EARLY MORNING ON SUNDAY, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS BEGIN ON FRIDAYS AND MONDAYS. [LAUGHTER] SUNDAY MORNING WAS THE NOTIFICATION. BY 5:00 P.M. ON SUNDAY, WE HAD NOTIFIED ALL POTENTIAL SITES OF THIS COMMUNITYWIDE EXPOSURES AND SENT OUT A PRESS RELEASE.
>> GARCIA: I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AND TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BECAUSE WHILE THERE'S OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY THAT DON'T WORK ON HOLIDAYS OR THAT SAY, OH, IT'S SUNDAY, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON MONDAY, METRO HEALTH IS ALWAYS WORKING. A SHOUT OUT TO ALL YOUR HEALTH CARE HEROES BEHIND YOU AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF MY FRUSTRATIONS.
WE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE WORK 24/7, WE'RE EXPECTED, AND SO ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF CRISIS. AGAIN, I JUST CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU ALL ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY. ON THE CHILDREN'S IMMUNIZATIONS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, ARE THEY FREE AND IF THEY ARE NOT, HOW MUCH DO THEY COST? I KNOW THERE'S LIKE CHIP AVAILABLE, BUT HELP ME GET
THE MESSAGE OUT TO RESIDENTS. >> KURIAN: MMR VACCINE IS WIDELY AVAILABLE, EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND COVERED BY MOST INSURANCES.
SO THE VACCINES WE PROVIDE IN OUR CLINT ARE THROUGH THE VACCINE FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM AND THE SAFETY NET PROGRAM. THESE VACCINES ARE SERGEANT SPECIFICALLY FOR UNDER INSURED AND UNINHAVE YOU HAD TO COME AND GET THOSE VACCINES.
IF YOU ARE INSURED, GO TO YOUR PHARMACY, DOCTOR'S OFFICE.
LEAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THAT AT PUBLIC SERVICE CLINICS AND POP-UP CLINICS BECAUSE THOSE VACCINES WE GET FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE AT NO COST, WE CHARGE MINIMAL ADMINISTRATIVE FEE. I THINK FOR VFCS, 14.74,
[00:55:03]
SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ONE THING I WANT TO SAY, WE NEVER DECLINE SERVICES BECAUSE OF SOMEBODY'S INABILITY TO PAY EVEN THAT NO, MA'AMAL ADMINISTRATIVEFEE. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
ANOTHER QUESTION WE HAVE BEEN GETTING AS THIS CONTINUES AND IN SPANISH IT'S CALLED -- LOT OF THE POPULATION THAT I'VE BEEN REPRESENTING AND THEY ARE TRYING TO TELL THEIR NEIGHBORS NOT TO BE AFRAID TO COME TO METRO HEALTH IF THEY NEED THAT SERVICE. HELP ME UNDERSTAND, LIKE WHAT DO YOU ASK FOR WHEN SOMEBODY COMES TO ASK FOR VACCINATION? WHAT KIND OF IDENTIFICATION
DO THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE, ET CETERA? >> KURIAN: WE EXPECT YOU TO BRING YOUR VACCINATION RECORDS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GIVING THE RIGHT VACCINES. IF YOU ARE VACCINATED, IT'S NOT SO IMPORTANT VACCINATING YOU WITH SOMETHING ELSE. BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, LIKE I SAID, WE NEVER TURN FOLKS AWAY. WE HAVE A WAY OF LOOKING UP YOUR VACCINATION RECORDS.
IF YOU HAVE THEM, PLEASE BRING THEM AND THIS IS JUST SO WE CAN SERVE YOU BETTER.
>> GARCIA: BIRTH CERTIFICATE, WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO SHOW?
>> KURIAN: FOR VACCINATION RECORDS, NO. FOR RECEIVING VACCINE, WE ARE NOT THAT STRINGENT. AS LONG AS WE HAVE SOME RECORDS HOW OLD YOU ARE, HOW OLD THE CHILD IS, BUT IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT TO RECEIVE SERVICES.
>> GARCIA: I APPRECIATE YOU MEETING WITH REGION 20. DO YOU -- WOULD IT BE HELPFUL FOR US TO HAVE JUST LIKE A COMMON MESSAGING? I KNOW YOU DID PROVIDE SOMETHING, BUT KIND OF LIKE UPDATES. I KNOW THE COMMUNITY IS JUST WORRIED AND HYPER AWARE. ANY UPDATE THAT YOU HAVE THAT WE CAN SHARE LIKE TODAY'S NUMBERS. DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS CASES START GOING
DOWN, ET CETERA? >> KURIAN: WE DON'T HAVE A CASE HERE ON THE COMMITTEE.
YOU ARE TALKING STATE OF TEXAS, THE FAX IS A LIVING DOCUMENT -- FAQ IS A LIVING DOCUMENT. WE CAN SEND TO ALL COUNCIL OFFICES AND YOU CAN DISSEMINATE FURTHER. IT'S ALWAYS POVERTIED ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> CASTILLO: COUNCILMEMBER
KAUR. >> KAUR: THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I WANT TO ECHO THE COMMENTS THAT YOU ALL ARE SUPER IMPORTANT DEPARTMENT THAT DOES WORKDAY IN AND DAY OUT. NOT THAT ANY OF US HAVE FAVORITES, BUT WE ALL APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU DO. AND YOU GET A LOT OF ACCOLADE FROM US. I HAD THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT DATA.
FROM THE 94%, BECAUSE IF I'M A PARENT AND I'M ENROLLING, I CAN WAIVE MY RIGHT TO SUBMIT VACCINATIONS. IS THERE A WAY TO ACCESS FROM SCHOOLS THAT INFORMATION TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE PARENTS?
>> KURIAN: VACCINE EXEMPTIONS? >> KAUR: YES.
>> KURIAN: THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT POINT TO BRING UP. TEXAS IS ONE OF THE 16 STATES IN THE NATION THAT HAS VERY PRODUCED VACCINE EXEMPTION LAWS.
WE ARE ONE OF THOSE 16 STATES IN THE NATION THAT ALLOWED -- UNDERSTAND TO MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS AND -- IN ADDITION TO MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS, A PARENT CAN DO AN AFFIDAVIT AND OBJECT AND THAT IS ACCEPTABLE. AND THIS IS A REAL THREAT FOR US. THIS IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN. IF YOU LOOK AT THE VACCINE EXEMPTIONS DATA FROM 2013 UP UNTIL RECENTLY, 2024, IN 2013 THE EXEMPTION RATES WERE .79%. WAY BELOW 1%. CURRENTLY IT IS CLOSE TO 3%, 2.81%. AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THESE BROAD VACCINE EXEMPTIONS
LAWS. >> KAUR: DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE THOSE
CONSCIENTIOUS? >> KURIAN: I CAN GET IT. I DON'T HAVE IT AT MY FINGERTIP. YES, WE CAN GET THAT. LIKE I SAID, VACCINATIONS ARE IMPORTANT, THEY SAVE LIVES. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ELIMINATE OR ERADICATE DEADLY INFECTIOUS DISEASES LIKE SMALLPOX BECAUSE OF
VACCINES. >> KAUR: IS THAT PROTECTED INFORMATION AT THE SCHOOLS? CAN THE SCHOOLS PROVIDE YOU WITH THE LIST OF FAMILIES THAT HAVE SUBMITTED THOSE?
>> KURIAN: THAT IS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. WHAT WE GET IS THE OVERALL BREAK DOWNS. AB IT'S AVAILABLE AT THE TA WEBSITE.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IT'S PROTECTED.
[01:00:02]
>> KAUR: BUT IT'S PROTECTED SO THAT'S WHY WITH YOUR CAMPAIGNS WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO THE SCHOOLS AND SHARING AN OUTBREAK SITUATION, THEY WOULD KNOW TO DIRECTLY REACH OUT TO.
>> KURIAN: SCHOOL NURSES ARE ALREADY REVIEWING VACCINATION STATUS AMONG THEIR STUDENT POPULATIONS BECAUSE SHOULD THERE BE AN EXPOSURE, THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFY WHO IS AT RISK. THESE ARE UNVACCINATED AND IF THERE ARE UNVACCINATED EXPOSURES, REGARDLESS OF SYMPTOMS, IF YOU ARE UNVACCINATED, YOU HAVE A CONFIRMED CASE IN YOUR SCHOOL, YOU ARE TO BE EXCLUDED FOR 21 DATES FROM LAST EXPOSURE. SCHOOL NURSES ARE ALREADY PREPPING, REVIEWING VACCINATION RECORDS IDENTIFYING WHO MIGHT BE AT
RISK BEFORE WE HAVE A CRISIS. >> KAUR: A LOT OF SCHOOLS DON'T KEEP THEIR SCHOOL NURSES. IT'S LIKE THE JOB OF A
BUSINESS SECRETARY. >> KURIAN: THAT IS TRUE. >> KAUR: THAT'S NOT A DEBATE FOR THIS COMMITTEE. BUT THE NEXT QUESTION I WANTED TO JUST ASK AND COMMEND YOU ON ALL IS THE EDUCATION AWARENESS. IECC THINK A PART OF THE REASON THAT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT WE SEE THE -- CHOOSING NOT TO GET VACCINES. LIKE ON THE SIDE OF THAT, THEY ARE NOT HELPFUL OR NOT NEEDED. AND HAVE YOU ALL THOUGHT ABOUT LIKE DOING A CONCERTED EFFORT, LIKE THE TERMS OF THE SHRINES YOU SAID ON THAT SLIDE, BUT GETTING CREATE I HAVE WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF EDUCATION AWARENESS. RYAN ON MY TEAM WAS DOING RESEARCH AND THERE'S OFFERING INCENTIVES OR HAVING A VACCINE EDUCATION CENTER. THESE ARE SOME IDEAS OTHER STATES ARE DOING.
>> KURIAN: NO INCENTIVES AT THIS TIME, BUT WE ARE USING RELIED -- THAT'S ONE OF THE CAMPAIGNS WE ARE WORKING ON USING INFLUENCERS.
FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY HAVE SOME CREDIBILITY. ME COMING SAYING GETTING VACCINATED IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY PERCEIVED. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE
EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS WE ARE WORKING ON. >> KAUR: I LOVE THAT.
CONTINUING TO PARTNER WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO SEE HOW THEY CAN HOST FUN EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE TO GET DOUBLEY CREATIVE NOW GIVEN THE OPPOSITION COMING. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
>> GARCIA: DR. KURIAN, IS THERE MAYBE A WAY TO FOCUS ON MEDICAL DESERT AREAS AND
MAKE SURE WE HAVE VACCINE ACCESS THERE? >> KURIAN: THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BECAUSE THESE ARE THE PROVIDERS WHO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE UNINSURED AND UNDER INSURED. WE ARE TARGETING ACTUALLY THOSE.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, DR. KURIAN, WE APPRECIATE YOU PRESENTING TO THE COMMUNITY AND YOU ALL CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK WHETHER THERE IS EXPOSURE OR NOT, YOU ARE BEHIND THE SCENES FIELDING CALLINGS AND COLLECTING DATA AND SHARING INFORMATION.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AT THE METRO HEALTH TEAM AND DR. JACOB AND TEAM.
>> KURIAN: THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND WE DON'T LIE, WE SAY WE DON'T SLEEP,
WE DON'T SLEEP. >> CASTILLO: IF MY COLLEAGUES ARE COMFORTABLE,
CAN WE MOVE UP ITEM 5 FOR DISCUSSION NEXT? >> CASTILLO: WE ARE GOING TO HEAR ITEM FIVE, THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND ADDITION OF DOWNSTREAM
SERVICES. >> JACOB: OUT OF ORDER. I DIDN'T CATCH THAT.
OKAY. THANK YOU AGAIN. GOOD MORNING, DR. JACOB FROM METRO HEALTH. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS UPDATE. WE JUST HEARD AGAIN, YOU SAW AN ILLUSTRATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN ACTION. THIS TOPIC IS AT LEAST I WANT TO TEE IT UP, THIS IS A FAMILIAR TOPIC FOR THIS GROUP. JUST KNOW WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS BRIEF OVERVIEW TO FRAME THE CONTEXT OF THIS MORNING'S DISCUSSION AND TO ASSIST YOU WITH THE REQUEST THAT WAS ISSUED BY THE COUNCIL SINCE
[01:05:02]
LAST FALL TO CONSIDER A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION TO SUPPORT OUR ONGOING REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE EFFORTS. THIS PRESENTATION OUTLINES THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE AND FACTORS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND THE REQUEST TO ADD DOWNSTREAM REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES FOR AREA VENDORS AND LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS.I'M JOINED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE MEDICAL DIRECT TOREOR OF THE LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY. I WANT TO ADD MY APPRECIATION TO THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ACCESS TO CARE OFFICE FOR ANCHORING THIS EFFORT AT OUR DEPARTMENT.
WE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
AGAIN, YOU HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE. THIS IS A SMAP SNAPSHOT ON WHAT'S BEING DONE IN OTHER LARGE CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN EXHAUSTIVE LISTING, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE GIVEN THE TRANSITION WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, THIS SITUATION REMAINS VERY FLUID ACROSS A MYRIAD OF STATES AND JURISDICTIONS, INCLUDING HERE IN TEXAS. KEEP IN MIND THE AMOUNTS REFER, ARE REALLY JUST A SNAPSHOT. SOME PLACES THEY READ REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE OR REPRODUCTIVE EQUITY PACKAGES. THE FUNDING FOR HEALTH EDUCATION EXISTS ACROSS VARIOUS MUNICIPAL BUDGETS, PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES.
THERE MAY BE A VARIETY OF FUNDING STREAMS TO SUPPORT THESE RELATED ACTIVITIES, WHETHER IT'S ANCHORED TO THE LOCAL TAXES, THE GENERAL FUND, AREA FOUNDATIONS, ET CETERA. THIS SNAPSHOT IS REALLY INTENDED TO ILLUSTRATE THE VARYING LEVELS OF INVESTMENT ACROSS VARIOUS CITIES AND SOME COMMON AREAS OF ALIGNMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, PRIMARY PREVENTION EFFORTS ANCHORED TO HEALTH EDUCATION, IMPROVED ACCESS TO WRAP-AROUND SERVICES AND CARE, AS WELL AS ACCESS TO ABORTION CARE WHICH COULD INCLUDE NAVIGATION CARE OR OUT OF STATE TRAVEL.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A FRAMEWORK, GIVEN THE NEW REQUEST FOR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING, HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED DOWNSTREAM REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES. AGAIN, A REMINDER THAT UPSTREAM WORK AIMS TO INCREASE ECONOMIC STABILITY AS WELL AS MAINTAINING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WHILE MIDSTREAM SERVICES MAY INCLUDE ENHANCED ACCESS TO TRUSTED MEDICAL CARE AS WELL AS A FULL RANGE OF FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES SUCH AS SEXUAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION. BY CONTRAST, THE DOWNSTREAM SERVICES FOCUS ON MORE DIRECT CARE. THIS SLIDE SHOWS A LIST OF EXAMPLES THAT MAY BE APPLICABLE USING THIS FRAMEWORK.
THE EXACT LANGUAGE IN THE ORIGINAL RFP WE RELEASED LAST YEAR, WE HAD DOWNSTREAM REFERENCE ACTIVITIES THAT DEMONSTRATE A GAP IN DIRECT SERVICES FOR PRENATAL CARE, STI CARE OR ABORTION TRANSPORTATION TO THE EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY LAW.
SO AGAIN, JUST A REMINDER OF WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY DONE ON THE GROUND RELATED TO THE ADOPTION OF THE COUNCIL LAST FALL FOR ADDITIONAL CONCEPTS OF THE INVESTMENTS AND COMMITMENTS UNDER WAY, THIS IS A REMINDER OF WHERE WE LANDED WITH THE FIRST REQUEST FROM CITY COUNCIL CALLING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DEDICATED FUND IN RESPONSE TO THE DOBBS DECISION. YOU MAY RECALL THE EVALUATION PANEL RECOMMENDED A TOTAL AWARD OF $499,179 TO FOUR VENDORS. POWERHOUSE LATCHED SUPPORT, THE AIDS KPZ FOUNDATION AND YWC. THE YEAR-LONG EFFORTS ARE NOW UNDER WAY.
THE CONTRACTS WERE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL THIS PAST NOVEMBER AND WILL EXPIRE LATER THIS CALENDAR YEAR ON NOVEMBER 30TH OF 2025. I WANTED TO SHARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT'S BEEN REPORTED TO OUR DEPARTMENT BASED ON ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE OVER THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS INITIATIVE. FOR EXAMPLE, LATCHED INCRECEIVED 59 APPLICATIONS FOR 10 AVAILABLE SPOTS. THE YWCA AND POWERHOUSE COLLABORATED ON A CURRICULUM FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH WORKSHOPS ON PRENATAL CARE, CONTRACEPTION AND STI PREVENTION. THERE ARE FOUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WHO COMPLETED THEIR CERTIFICATION, 17 INDIVIDUALS WERE NAVIGATED TO PRENATAL CARE AND FOUR INDIVIDUALS WERE NAVIGATED TO STI CARE. THE SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION PERFORMED 69 SCREENINGS IN DECEMBER FOR WOMEN AND INDIVIDUALS WITH FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS. SO WITH THIS, IN OUR FIRST REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, TRANSPORTATION TO ABORTION CARE SERVICES WAS ONE OF THE AVAILABLE OPTIONS.
WE ASSESSED WHERE THE GAPS WERE IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND INVITED VENDORS TO PROPOSE SOLUTIONS. IN THE END, NONE OF THE FOUR RECOMMENDED AWARDEES PROPOSED ABORTION TRANSPORTATION OR NAVIGATION. TWO RESPONDENTS INCLUDED THESE SERVICES AS AN ELEMENT OF A BROADER PACKAGE. AGAIN, AT THAT TIME, THE COALITION TRUST AND PARENTING PLUS. PARENTING PLUS DID ADVANCE TO THE INTERVIEW PHASE BUT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FINAL AWARD.
ABORTION NAVIGATION WAS NOT ADDRESSED BY ANY OF THE OTHER RESPONDENTS.
[01:10:02]
AGAIN, THE CONTRACTS WERE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL THIS PAST NOVEMBER 21ST AND WE HAVE BEEN UNDER WAY. SINCE THEN, AS YOU HEARD DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, COUNCIL MEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA SUBMITTED A MEMO TO ADDRESS THIS SPECIFIC NEED BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL. THIS SLIDE SHOWS HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MEMO.THE REQUEST IS FOR AN ADDITIONAL $100,000 FOR DOWNSTREAM ACTIVITIES NOT YET ADDRESSED. THIS PROPOSAL IS TO LIMIT THE SOLICITATION PROCESS TO THE 10 ORIGINAL APPLICANTS USING THE SAME SCORING MATRIX FROM THE PREVIOUS ROUND OF THIS INITIATIVE. WE UNDERSTAND THIS ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A QUICK TURN-AROUND WITH A 30 DAY SOLICITATION PERIOD FOLLOWED BY A 30-DAY PERIOD REVIEW FOR REVIEW AND SCORING. AGAIN, THIS MORNING, THE GLIDE PATH TO A COUNCIL A SESSION SHOULD BE ONE OF THE POINTS OF CONFIRMATION BASED ON TODAY'S DISCUSSION.
LESSONS LEARNED SO FAR, INCLUDING POTENTIAL OBSTACLES THAT WE ANTICIPATE MAY BE EXPERIENCED BY APPLICANTS BASED ON OUR INTERACTIONS THIS PAST ROUND.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE APPLICANT POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL LITIGATION. IN A GOVERNMENTAL CONTEXT, OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS ARE ANOTHER BURDEN FOR VENDORS THAT COULD BE EXPECTED GIVEN THE DELICATE AND VERY HIGH PROFILE NATURE OF THIS PROCESS. ROUTINELY, SMALLER VENDORS FACE CHALLENGES NAVIGATEING THE CITY'S PROCESS FOR SOLICITATIONS AND CONTRACTING. YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD THE RFP OPEN FOR 36 DAYS, THEN EXTENDED IT TO 42 DAYS. SO WE HAVE RECEIVED QUESTIONS DURING THE PRESUBMITTAL CONFERENCE ABOUT WHETHER ADVANCED PAYMENTS ARE ALLOWED. TYPICALLY, THEY ARE NOT BUT AGAIN, WE WILL DEPEND -- WE WILL DEFER TO THE COUNCIL AND LEAN ON THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO NAVIGATE THIS PROCESS. WITH THAT, JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST PUT THIS IN THE CONTEXT AND WE WILL BE HERE
TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
IN 2022 I FILED A RESOLUTION WITH THE MAYOR TO DISCUSS PROTECTING THE REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OF SAN ANTONIO WOMEN AND WITHIN THAT RESOLUTION, IT STATED THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FORMALLY CONDEMNS ANY ACTION INTENDED TO ABROGATE THE FUNDAMENTAL LIBERTIES OF ITS PEOPLE AND AFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF ITS RESIDENTS TO MAKE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH DECISIONS. AND PART OF THAT RESOLUTION WAS TO ENSURE WHETHER IT WAS OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA OR WITH FUTURE BUDGETS, PRIORITIZED INVESTING IN SAN ANTONIO'S HEALTH AND PARTICULARLY WITH ITS WOMEN.
I WANT TO THANK THE METRO HEALTH TEAM FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, WITH THE LAST PRESENTATION AND THE ONE WE GOT LATER ON THE AGENDA AS WELL.
ASSURING TO THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO SAN ANTONIO WOMEN. I WANT TO THANK THE FOLKS WHO GAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL, ALL THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELPED MOBILIZE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS THE $500,000 EARMARKED FOR ACCESS TO CARE AND OF COURSE, TODAY WE ARE DISCUSSING AN ADDITIONAL $100,000 SO I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS DOING THE WORK, AND THEN OF COURSE MY COUNCIL MEMBERS, COLLEAGUES ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO RECONSIDER THIS ITEM TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION. OF COURSE, MY SENTIMENT HAS NOT CHANGED FROM THE LAST TIME THAT THIS BRIEFING CAME TO COUNCIL. I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE $100,000 IN THE CASE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE APPLICANTS THAT ARE APPLYING WITH ACCESS TO ABORTION TRAVEL IN PARTICULAR, MY EXPECTATION DIRECTION IS THAT IT STAYS WITHIN THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE BUCKET TO ENSURE THOSE RESOURCES ARE STILL ACCESSIBLE TO FOLKS DESPITE HOW MANY APPLICATIONS WE RECEIVE.
THEN THIS IS MORE OF A PROCUREMENT POINT AND I MADE IT DURING THE LAST BRIEFING.
I THINK IT'S OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT WE DO NOT SHARE ANY DATA RELATED TO INDIVIDUALS SEEKING ACCESS TO CARE WITH THESE NON-PROFITS. THAT'S MY EXPECTATION AND I KNOW THERE ARE HIPAA LAWS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THAT INFORMATION AND DATA IS -- WON'T BE SHARED. BUT WITH THAT, THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM AND I WILL HAND IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR ANY THOUGHTS, COMMENTS OR
QUESTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. THEN I WILL SHARE MY POINT. I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
SO AGAIN, WE ARE HERE AGAIN. I KNOW THAT I DID THIS LAST TIME AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO THIS. COMMON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CONCERN FOR WOMEN INCLUDE ENDOMETRIOSIS, POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME, UTERINE FIE BR FIEFIBROIDS, GYNECOLOGICAL CANCERS, UTERINE CANCER, VA VAGINAL CANCERS, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES, STDS AND STIS, STRESS IS A FACTOR FOR WOMEN, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DEPRESSION, ALL RELATED TO THEIR REPRODUCTIVE
[01:15:05]
ORGANS. WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IS THE CORRECT AMOUNT TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. WE KNOW THAT MY BELIEF IS IT NEEDS TO BE DOWNSTREAM WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE DONE IT, THAT I TRUST IN THE PROVIDERS WE ARE PUTTING IT OUT TO WILL WEIGH IN AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN PROVIDE TO THIS COUNCIL. THAT IS GOING TO BE ON THEIR DECISIONS. WE KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT IT SHOULD BE USED FOR BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S WHAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE AS AN ORGANIZATION PUTTING FORWARD. WE SUPPORTING THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE OF YOU THAT YOU ARE SERVICING FEEL PROTECTED AND YOU FEEL SAFE IN THIS PROCESS.SO YES, WE NEED THIS $100,000. WE NEED TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT PROGRAMS THEY PROVIDE AND WHAT SERVICES THEY PROVIDE FOR US. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND, THIS IS USING TAXPAYER MONEY RESPONSIBLY BECAUSE ONE, WOMEN PAY TAXES AND TWO, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE POVERTY RATE, 20% OF SAN ANTONIANS LIVE IN POVERTY. OF THAT 20%, OVER 50% ARE WOMEN. THE FIRST THING THEY ARE GOING TO SAY NO TO IS THEIR HEALTHCARE, WHICH THEY SHOULDN'T. SO THEY RELY ON THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP AND YOU ARE DOING A VERY SPECIFIC THING IN TERMS OF REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE AND WHAT THEY DO WITH THEIR RIGHTS AND THEIR BODIES.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING THIS FORWARD. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ANY TIME WE CAN SPEND MORE MONEY ON THIS ISSUE, I WANT TO. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT AND AGAIN, I WILL BE SUPPORTING IT AND I WILL HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AS MANY
TIMES AS WE NEED TO. THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER
KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, CHAIR. I CAN'T GET OVER THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT THINK THAT THEY CAN SAY WHAT WOMEN CAN DO WITH THEIR BODY.
INDIVIDUAL SELF-DETERMINATION IS AN INHERENT RIGHT THAT WE -- OUR COUNTRY IS FOUNDED UPON. UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ACCESS, YOU CAN'T MAKE A DECISION FOR WHAT SOMEONE ELSE SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO, REGARDLESS OF WHAT FAITH YOU BELIEVE IN.
I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THE LEVEL OF PRIVILEGE THAT FOLKS HAVE WHEN THEY'RE SPEAKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS FUND SHOULD BE CREATED. VERY RECENTLY, I HAD A VERY CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER WHO WENT THROUGH A VERY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE AND HER DOCTOR WAS NOT ABLE TO GIVE HER THE ADVICE THAT SHE NEEDED BECAUSE OF HER GETTING CARE IN THIS STATE. BUT KNOWING HER SITUATION AND WITHOUT DIVULGING TOO MUCH, SHE WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO, IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WITHIN SEVERAL DAYS, TO GET ACROSS THE STATE TO A PLACE WHERE SHE COULD ACTUALLY GET CARE.
AND WE SAT THERE AND IN THAT MOMENT REALIZED THE LEVEL OF PRIVILEGE THAT WE ARE IN, BECAUSE WE WOULD -- WE KNEW SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO WHATEVER IT TOOK TO GET THAT CARE. AND THE AMOUNT OF WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT DON'T HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE AND WOULD HAVE HAD TO LIVE WITH POTENTIALLY A BABY THAT NO LONGER EXISTS IN THEIR BODY FOR MONTHS UNTIL THEY CAN BE TERMINATED. AND THAT IS HEART-BREAKING.
IT'S HEART-BREAKING TO ME THAT WE WOULD NOT MAKE A DECISION TO SUPPORT WOMEN IN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES AT ANY POINT. THERE HAVE BEEN ARGUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THAT I QUITE FRANKLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THEIR RELEVANCE TO. I REMEMBER LAST TIME WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, THERE WAS AN ARGUMENT MADE THAT WE WOULDN'T PAY FOR CANCER TREATMENT IN HOUSTON, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT IS ANYWHERE RELEVANT TO BEING ABLE TO ACCESS A FUNDAMENTAL HEALTHCARE NEED. WE EVERY DAY AT THIS CITY DEAL WITH ISSUES OF LAWSUITS.
EVERY DAY, WE DEFEND OUR BELOVED OFFICERS WHO WE HONOR, EVEN YESTERDAY, IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY ARE IN. EVERY DAY, WE DEFEND INCIDENCES THAT HAPPEN WITH THE CITY. IF WE CAN DEFEND THOSE, WE CAN DEFEND THE WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT NEED THIS CARE. SO I ABSOLUTELY WHOLE-HEARTEDLY BELIEVE, I WAS HOPING THIS WORK WOULD HAVE COME OUT IN THE FIRST
[01:20:02]
ROUND, BUT I'M SO GRATEFUL TO COUNCIL MEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA, SO GRATEFUL TO THE COUNCILWOMAN FOR MAKING THIS EFFORT TO BRING IT UP. I AGREE WITH CHAIR'S REMARKS THAT IT SHOULD, REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS, IT SHOULD STAY IN THE FUND BECAUSE WE WERE HOPING IT WOULD BE BUDGETED IN THE NEXT, CONTINUOUSLY BUDGETED FOR, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THIS FUND WILL BE A PERMANENT FUND AND NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR AS A MODIFICATION EVERY YEAR. BUT THE LAST THING I WILL END WITH IS, I HAVE BEEN THINKING A LOT A IS CALLED THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND AND NOT JUST THE CHOICE FUND, BECAUSE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE TRULY MEANS THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BODILY AUTONOMY WITHOUT INTERFERENCE OF GOVERNMENT.I THINK THAT IS SUPER IMPORTANT THAT WE GIVE AND MAKE SURE WE PROTECT ALL OF THE WOMEN REGARDLESS OF WHICH ZIP CODE THAT THEY LIVE IN AND ENSURE THAT THEY GET THE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE THAT THEY DESERVE AND WERE BORN WITH.
THANK YOU ALL TO THE FOLKS THAT CAME OUT AND SPOKE. THANK YOU FOR THOSE ADVOCATES. THANK YOU FOR MY PLAQUE THAT SAYS SAN ANTONIO IS A REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE CITY. I LOVE THAT. IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA?
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU EVERYBODY, FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. THE FIRST ONE IS WITH THE UPCOMING SB-730 WHICH PROHIBITS THE PLANNING, PAYING OR ASSISTING WITH ABORTION TRAVEL, IF AND WHEN IT PASSES, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THIS ITEM IF THAT NEW BILL WENT INTO EFFECT?
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. FOR THOSE THAT WERE IN OUR BRIEFING YESTERDAY, YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A CURRENT BILL THAT'S PROPOSED, 730, THAT PURPORTS TO RESTRICT CITY'S ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO SPEND MONEY ON ABORTION-RELATED CARE AND SO TO YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN, AS WE WOULD WITH ANY OTHER EVOLUTION OF THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE, WE WOULD
ENSURE THAT WE ARE COMPLYING. >> GARCIA: SO WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THAT?
>> THE LAST I UNDERSTOOD BASED ON YESTERDAY'S BRIEFING IS IT'S JUST BEEN FILED.
IT'S JUST BEEN INTRODUCED. IT HAS NOT BEEN SET. THE SESSION IS IN JUNE SO WE
WILL WATCH IT. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE, DR.
JACOB, ON SLIDE TWO, THAT INCLUDES ALL PUBLIC FUNDING OR DID YOU SAY THAT ALSO
INCLUDES PRIVATE FUNDING? >> JACOB: THIS WAS BASED ON OUR OWN RESEARCH.
SO IT'S A MIXED BAG. BUT WHAT WE KNOW IS DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS HAVE MADE THESE
INVESTMENTS AND WE TRY TO AT LEAST ORGANIZE THESE BUDGETS. >> GARCIA: OKAY.
NO PROBLEM. LAST TIME I HAD A QUESTION OF WHERE ARE WE TAKING THE $100,000 FROM? WHAT AREA ARE WE TAKING IT FROM?
>> JACOB: BASED ON THE DECISION OF COUNCIL, WE WOULD HAVE TO IDENTIFY THAT FROM
WITHIN OUR CURRENT OPERATING BUDGET AT METRO HEALTH. >> GARCIA: OKAY.
SO I KNOW THERE'S A REDUCTION IN FEDERAL FUNDING THAT COULD POSSIBLY AFFECT US.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED THAT LAST TIME. THAT'S KIND OF WHY I'M ASKING AGAIN THAT THERE'S -- DO YOU -- HAVE YOU STARTED LOOKING TO SEE WHERE IT MIGHT COME FROM
AT ALL? >> JACOB: SO YES, THIS IS A CONSTANT PROCESS FOR US, AS WE ARE ALREADY PLANNING OUR FY '26 OPERATING BUDGET. WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACTS FOR THIS, IF THIS WERE TO MOVE FORWARD, AND ANY ADJUSTMENTS SINCE
THIS WAS NOT BUDGETED FOR IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. >> GARCIA: WOULD WE BE LOOKING TO ALSO ADJUST THE BUDGET FOR THE MEASLES, IF WE DID -- FOR THE MEASLES
VACCINATION OUT OF THE SAME BUDGET OR NO? >> JACOB: AGAIN, HALF OUR OPERATING BUDGET COMES FROM EXTERNAL FUNDING. SO WE DAILY LOOK AT OUR NEEDS AND WHEREVER WE HAVE RESOURCES SO BASED ON WHAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL, WE HAVE A CAPITATION ON OUR CURRENT OPERATING BUDGET AND THIS WOULD BE A SUPPLEMENT TO THAT. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS, LIKE ANYTHING ELSE. IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM ONE AREA, THEN YOU HAVE TO
OFFSET IT SOMEWHERE ELSE. >> GARCIA: OKAY. GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, DR. JACOB. >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER
VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: I HEAR THE BUDGETARY CONCERNS, DR.
JACOB, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE, AND THE OTHER REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND I SIT ON THE COMMITTEE, SUNSET COMMITTEE, AND I KNOW THERE ARE SOME INITIATIVES THAT ARE -- AND COMMITTEES THAT POSSIBLY SHOULD BE SUNSET AND
[01:25:07]
KIND OF -- WOULD THAT GO TO A COMMITTEE TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHERE WE GET THAT$100,000 FROM? >> JACOB: AGAIN, I WILL DEFER THE DECISION TO COUNCIL AND I WOULD CONFER WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. FOR NOW, IT'S NOT IN OUR CURRENT OPERATING BUDGET. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT.
>> VIAGRAN: I KNOW I REMEMBER SAYING THIS LAST TIME. WE ARE GOING TO BE FACING FEDERAL CUTS AND IT IS GOING TO MAKE AN IMPACT. BUT I THINK THAT IS WHERE WE AS A CITY NEED TO PRIORITIZE. IF IT IS TO PRIORITIZE PEOPLE OF COLOR, WOMEN OF COLOR, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED MOST BY THESE CUTS, I THINK WE NEED TO FIND THE DOLLARS.
TO SEE HARRIS COUNTY GIVE $1.3 MILLION AND FOR HARRIS -- FOR HOUSTON, WE KNOW THE KIND OF MONEY THAT'S IN HOUSTON. I THINK AS SAN ANTONIO, WE NEED TO SHOW THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO THIS. I'M COMMITTED AS A COUNCILPERSON TO FIND THAT MONEY, WHETHER IT'S IN OFF-SYSTEM SALES, WHETHER IT'S IN MY OWN -- ON MY OWN BUDGET, YOU ALL KNOW I'M ALWAYS GOING TO GO OFF SYSTEM SALES. I THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WILL LOOK AT THEIR BUDGET TO MAKE SURE METRO HEALTH IS OKAY.
>> GARCIA: I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL BECAUSE I HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT.
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IF THERE'S AN INCREASE, THAT MIGHT BE THE WAY TO GO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD AGENDAIZE IT. I'M AGAIN REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE DOCUMENT EVERYTHING BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE ALL EYES ARE ALWAYS ON US. SO -- BUT ANYWAY, I LOVE THAT CONSIDERATION.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY KUDOS ON THAT. THANK YOU.
>> CASTILLO: A COUPLE THINGS IN TERMS OF FUNDING OFF SYSTEM SALES.
RIGHT, I WANT TO BE FRANK, IT'S $100,000 AND EVERY FIESTA, WE ORDER IMMEDIATE JALS MEDALSTHAT COST IN THE THOUSANDS.
I DON'T WANT TO POTENTIALLY CUT VACCINATIONS OR THAT IMPORTANT PROGRAMMING TO ENSURE WE PROVIDE THE SUPPORT THAT THIS REQUEST IS SEEKING. I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT
WE WOULDN'T BE REALLOCATING FROM IMPORTANT PROGRAMMING. >> JACOB: LET ME JUST BE CLEAR. THE LAST FEW WEEKS, IT'S NO SECRET THAT THE DEPENDENCE AND SUPPORT OF FEDERAL FUNDING THAT PASSED THROUGH THE STATE TO US, I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT IT'S BEEN A TURBULENT SEASON FOR US ON THE GROUND.
WITH THAT REALITY, ALL I CAN ATTEST TO IS WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR CURRENT OPERATING BUDGET AND WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ACCORDINGLY. BASED ON THE DIRECTIONS FROM COUNCIL AND THROUGH TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THAT'S ALL I CAN TELL YOU TODAY.
THIS IS NOT AN ITEM BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, DR.
JACOB. WE HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAYAYE.
MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU, DR. JACOB. WE WILL GO BACK TO ITEM THREE, GIVE METRO HEALTH A BREAK. I WANT TO THANK KRYSTAL JONES FOR HER PATIENCE. THE PREQUALIFIED PUBLIC ART LIST.
>> JONES: GOOD AFTERNOON OR MORNING. SORRY.
GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL, CHAIR. WE HAVE OUR PREQUALIFIED PUBLIC ART LIST.
BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WANT TO THANK TWO KEY TEAM MEMBERS THAT HAVE HELPED PULL THIS TOGETHER. WE HAVE KIMBERLY MORALES, OUR PUBLIC ART PROGRAM MANAGER, RIGHT HERE. WE ALSO HAVE JORDAN PETREAS, THEY WORK VERY HARD ON GETTING THE PREQUALIFIED PUBLIC ART LIST TOGETHER AS WELL AS A TEAM EFFORT OF MARKETING INDIVIDUALS. I WANT TO GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
SO I KNOW, WE COME TO YOU OFTEN ABOUT THE PREQUALIFIED PUBLIC ART LIST BUT I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND DO A REFRESH ON WHAT THAT IS. IT IS A LIST OF ARTISTS AND SUPPORT SERVICES THAT HELP US PUT THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM TOGETHER.
WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OVER 50 PROJECTS WE ARE WORKING ON THAT ARE NEW PROJECTS AND WE ALSO HAVE, SINCE COUNCIL PROVIDED US MAINTENANCE MONEY FOR PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE, WE HAVE BETWEEN, WE HAVE 20 AND 30 MAINTENANCE PROJECTS A YEAR SO THESE INDIVIDUALS HELP US MAINTAIN OUR PUBLIC ART THAT WE HAVE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO CREATE NEW PUBLIC ART.
WE WILL HAVE THE 2027 BOND COMING UP AND WE WILL ALSO HAVE AIRPORT COMING UP SO WE NEED AS MANY ARTISTS ON THIS LIST TO PULL FROM WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING NEW PROJECTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THESE ARE THE TYPE OF SERVICES THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS WHO CAN DESIGN AND THEN WE WORK WITH FABRICATORS AND INSTALLERS. WE HAVE ARTISTS THAT CAN DO THE DESIGN, THE FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THIS IS THE VERY FIRST STEP IN TERMS OF GETTING A PUBLIC ART CONTRACT.
[01:30:03]
THERE'S MANY APPROVALS THAT HAPPEN AFTER THIS. SO THE TIMELINE I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW. THIS PAST FALL, WE HAD APPLICATIONS OPEN.I WILL GO OVER IN A BIT ABOUT OUR EXTENSIVE MARKETING OUTREACH.
BUT WE HAVE INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS WHERE PEOPLE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PREQUALIFIED LIST, HOW IT WORKS, HOW TO APPLY. WE HAD THE APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR A LITTLE BIT OVER A MONTH AND THEN WE HAVE EVALUATION AND SCORING APPLICATIONS.
THIS IS INDEPENDENT PANELS OF ART EXPERTS, NOT ONLY, MAINLY IN THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY BUT A FEW FOLKS THAT ARE A BIT BROADER, MAYBE IN TEXAS OR ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT MAINLY IN SAN ANTONIO. BUT ART EXPERTS THAT CAN EVALUATE THE APPLICANTS TO SEE IF THEY MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS AND MEET THE SKILLS AND EXPERTISE NEEDED FOR THIS LIST. WE ALSO TAKE IT TO OUR PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMISSION. BOTH OF THOSE ENTITIES DID APPROVE THE LIST THAT'S PRESENTED TODAY. THEN WE BRING IT HERE TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE AND FINALLY, IF APPROVED HERE, WE WILL TAKE IT TO CITY COUNCIL WITH A TARGET OF MARCH 20TH AS THE DATE. AGAIN, THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE STEP PROCESS WHEN IT COMES TO THE PREQUALIFIED LIST.
WE HAVE THE APPLICATIONS, THE EVALUATION AND THEN THE THIRD STEP IS ONCE THE ARTISTS AND SUPPORT SERVICES ARE ON THE LIST, WE CAN PULL THEM FOR ARTIST SELECTION PANELS FOR DIFFERENT PROJECTS BASED ON THOSE QUALIFICATIONS BECAUSE AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, EVERY SINGLE PUBLIC ART PROJECT REQUIRES -- IS SO UNIQUE, SO IT REQUIRES A DIFFERENT EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND A DIFFERENT AESTHETIC THAT THESE ARTISTS PROVIDE.
THESE WERE OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS. ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE WILL KIND OF GO INTO HOW SUCCESSFUL WE HAVE BEEN WITH OUTREACH.
NOT ONLY ARE WE DOING E-MAILS, CALLS, COMMUNICATION TO DIRECT ARTISTS, ALSO ARTIST COLLECTIVES, BUT WE ARE TABLING GALLERIES, WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR NON-PROFITS AND WE WORK WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GET THIS OUT THROUGH ALL CHANNELS THAT WE CAN. THIS IS JUST A SNIPPET OF HOW MANY FOLKS THAT WE HAVE WORKED WITH TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT ABOUT THIS PREQUALIFIED LIST.
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS THAT WE HAVE DONE THIS, WE HAVE VENAL A HUGE UPTICK IN APPLICATIONS AND PEOPLE KNOWING THAT THIS LIST EXISTS AND THAT THEY CAN WORK WITH US.
ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WAS ACTUALLY ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE IS THAT THIS APPLICATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY AND THESE APPLICANTS, WE WORKED WITH THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE AND THE ARTS COMMISSION TO SAY THEY WOULD BE APPROVED FOR A SIX-YEAR PERIOD AND WHY SIX YEARS? IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S MANY PROJECTS THAT, OF COURSE, IF YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH AND I KNOW WE HAVE WORKED WITH YOU ALL IN OUR PUBLIC ART PROJECT, THEY TAKE ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO DELIVER, AND WE HAVE A FIVE-YEAR BOND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE PREQUALIFIED LIST AND ARTISTS AREN'T EXPIRING ON THE LIST IN THE MIDDLE OF A BOND PROGRAM OR THE MIDDLE OF A PUBLIC ART PROJECT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE ON THE LIST THIS IS THE SCORING RUBRIC. WE DID HAVE THE APPLICATION SCORED BY INDEPENDENT PANELS.
ARTISTS ARE LOOKED AT FOR THEIR ARTISTIC MERIT. THEIR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS AND ALSO COLLABORATIONS, BECAUSE PUBLIC ART PROJECTS DO TAKE A SERIES OF COLLABORATIONS. THEN WE ALSO HAD SOME IMPACT POINTS FOR EQUITY, SO WE LOOKED AT FOLKS THAT ARE BASED IN SAN ANTONIO, GIVING THEM UP TO FIVE POINTS, THEN WE HAD DIVERSITY, EQUITY INCLUSION. THIS NOT ONLY INCLUDES WOMEN, L LGBTQIA+ BUT THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS DISABLED AS PART OF THIS SCORING MATRIX. PRF HERE IS THE SNAPSHOT. WE HAD 227 APPLICATIONS.
ONLY 40 LESS THAN OUR -- THE MOST NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS WE HAVE RECEIVED SO WE ARE DEFINITELY GETTING OUT THERE AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THIS PREQUALIFIED LIST EXISTS.
WE HAVE ALL 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS REPRESENTED. WE HAVE ARTISTS FROM EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT. 41% HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN PREQUALIFIED.
SO IT REALLY SHOWCASES THAT WE ARE OUTREACHING TO NEW ARTISTS ALL THE TIME.
ANY OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT RECEIVED A SCORE ABOVE 75 OR ABOVE 75 ARE BEING RECOMMENDED. SO WE HAVE 227 APPLICATIONS AND 216 WERE RECOMMENDED.
AGAIN, THIS PREQUALIFIED PUBLIC ART LIST, IT'S A VERY PARTICULAR LIST BECAUSE IT'S FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY PREPARED TO DO PUBLIC ART AND THOSE SERVICES.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHY WE REALLY SEE THAT THERE'S JUST A SMALL DROP-OFF IN WHAT'S RECOMMENDED BECAUSE PEOPLE REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GETTING INTO WHEN IT COMES TO OUR INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS. WE HAVE 158 SAN ANTONIO AREA, THAT'S THE GREATER SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN AREA, ARTISTS REPRESENTED FROM THIS AREA.
AGAIN, A REALLY GREAT SHOWCASE OF HOW MUCH TALENT IS SURROUNDING US.
THEN WE HAVE ABOUT 58 NON-SAN ANTONIO AREA ARTISTS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE
[01:35:01]
DEMOGRAPHICS OVERALL, WE HAVE GOT A PRETTY EVEN SPLIT WHEN IT COMES TO GENDER.YOU SEE THE LGBTQIA+ REPRESENTED HERE AND ALSO THE NEXT SLIDE WILL REALLY GO INTO THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, ESPECIALLY IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA.
WE HAVE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL AGAIN TO REALLY TRY TO GET OUR ARTIST LIST, ESPECIALLY FROM THE SAN ANTONIO AREA, TO BE REFLECTIVE OF THE GREATER DEMOGRAPHICS OF SAN ANTONIO. SO YOU WILL SEE 40% LATINA/LATINO.
WE HAVE 8% THAT IDENTIFY AS BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN, 3% ASIAN, ASIAN AMERICAN, WE HAVE NATIVE AMERICAN AND THEN WE DID HAVE 21% PREFER NOT TO ANSWER.
15% WHITE. YOU KIND OF SEE THE DEMOGRAPHICS REFLECTED OF A GOOD AND HEALTHY DEMOGRAPHIC LIST WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAN ANTONIO AREA.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A LIST OF INDIVIDUALS AND ARTISTS AND I REALLY WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SHOWCASE WHAT THAT MEANS. IT'S THE BEST TO SHOWCASE THROUGH THEIR ART. WE HAVE ARTISTS HERE ON THE NEXT FEW SLIDES TO SHOWCASE WHAT KIND OF ARTISTS AND WHAT ART WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. WE HAVE BARBARA FELIX, WHO LIVES IN DISTRICT 1. I MET HER SEVEN YEARS AGO, SHE WAS A PART-TIME ARTIST.
SHE IS NOW FULL-TIME. SHE'S DONE WORK WITH CENTRO SAN ANTONIO.
SHE HAS BEEN EXHIBITED IN A NUMBER OF GALLERIES. WE HAVE ANDREA RITAWHO HAS DONE A HUGE MORAL WHEN IT CAME TO PARTNERING WITH DISTRICT 3.
WE ALSO HAVE NINAFROM DISTRICT 4, A POET AND ARTIST WHO REALLY REFLECTS ON MEMORIES IN SAN ANTONIO. THEN WE HAVEADRIANAGARCIA IN DISTRICT 5.
HER WORK, ESPECIALLY AS YOU SEE IN THE BOTTOM PHOTO, SHE WAS AN ARTIST WE WORKED WITH ALONGSIDE THE WORLD HERITAGE OFFICE ON THE WORLD HERITAGE CENTER.
THE METAL SCREEN THAT'S OUTSIDE, BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK WHERE SHE WORKED WITH DESIGNERS TO MAKE SURE SHE HAD IMAGES OF SAN ANTONIO REFLECTED IN THE WORLD HERITAGE IMAGES. THAT'S JUST A WAY WE ARE REALLY WORKING TO MENTOR ARTISTS AS WELL, TO TAKE ARTISTS WHO MAY BE DOING 2D OR MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH MURALS TO REALLY WORK WITH THE DESIGNERS TO INCORPORATE ARTWORK AS PART OF THE BUILDING. THEN WE HAVE CELESTADELUNA. SHE'S FANTASTIC.
THESE ARE SOME SUPPORT SERVICES EXAMPLES THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE ROBERT DE LEONE, A BLACKSMITH AND ARTIST, FABRICATOR AND INSTALLER.
NOT ONLY CAN HE DESIGN ARTWORK, FABS RICATE AND INSTALL IT, BUT IF THERE'S AN ARTIST WHO CAN JUST DO THE DESIGN, WORKING WITH HIM TO FABRICATE AND INSTALL THE DESIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S VIABLE FOR A PUBLIC ART PROJECT.
THEN WE HAVE, I THINK IT'S THE COOLEST NAME, BLAZING LASER.
THEY DO A LOT OF ENGRAVING. THEY COULD DO ENGRAVING IN SIDEWALKS WITH ARTWORK.
THEY CAN DO SO MANY THINGS WHEN IT COMES TO EVEN ENGRAVING IN STEEL.
THESE ARE JUST EXAMPLES OF NON-SAN ANTONIO AREA ARTISTS TO SHOW HOW BIG OUR REACH HAS BEEN. WE HAVE DALLAS, TEXAS REGION REPRESENTED HERE WITH JESSICA BELL. THEN WE HAVE FERNANDEZ IN PHOENIX AND OUR OUTREACH MADE IT TO DUBAI. WE HAVE ARTISTS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD THAT ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF OUR PREQUALIFIED LIST.
FINALLY, WITH THAT, TODAY, I'M JUST ASKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD FOLLOW SUIT, WE WILL GET READY TO NOTIFY THE APPLICANTS THAT THEY ARE ON THE PREQUALIFIED LIST AND THEY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR ARTIST SELECTION PANELS THAT AGAIN, GO THROUGH A SERIES OF APPROVALS. NOT ONLY THE ARTIST SELECTION PANELS THAT HAPPEN IN COMMUNITY, BUT THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE AND ARTS COMMISSION HAVE TO APPROVE THE ARTIST BEFORE THEY CAN WORK ON A PUBLIC ART PROJECT.
WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO FIELD ANY QUESTIONS. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO SEE IN TERMS OF THE AGE LIMIT THAT THERE WASN'T A CAP AND/OR A STARTING AGE. I THINK ABOUT SAN ANTONIO CULTURAL ARTS AND ALL THE YOUTH THAT PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROGRAMMING, AND THE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE AND BE SELECTED AS AN ARTIST.
I KNOW WITH ISDS IN PARTICULAR, IT WORKS IN COHORTS AND THIS IS POTENTIALLY A SIX-YEAR LIST AND THE STUDENT MAKEUP MAY CHANGE.
WOULD THERE BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ART CLUBS WITHIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO APPLY AS A
POTENTIAL APPLICANT? >> JONES: WE CAN LOOK AT THAT.
REALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO DOING PUBLIC ART PROJECTS, WHOEVER IS THE LEAD, THEY HAVE TO BE SOMEONE THAT'S ABOVE THE AGE OF 18 BECAUSE IT'S ASSIGNING A CITY CONTRACT. BUT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES IN THAT WE HAVE REALLY WORKED WITH ARTISTS TO INCORPORATE COMMUNITY. IF YOU REMEMBER THE PUBLIC
[01:40:05]
ART PIECE THAT WAS BY SANDRA GONZALES THAT WENT TO THE AIRPORT RECENTLY, WE ACTUALLY HELD A COMMUNITY PAINT DAY WHERE WE CAN INVITE THOSE STUDENTS WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ARTS COLLECTIVES, WHETHER THEY ARE IN THE ART COLLECTIVE IN THEIR SCHOOL OR JUST INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL TO ACTUALLY COME PAINT THAT MURAL WITH US.THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER IT COMES TO SIGNING A CONTRACT OR NOT OR GETTING A PUBLIC ART PIECE THAT WE CAN INVOLVE STUDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY IN
THE CREATION OF THE ART. >> CASTILLO: WONDERFUL. WHAT COMES TO MIND ARE THE COMMUNITY MURALS WHERE YOUTH COME OUT, FOLKS OF ALL AGES, TO FACILITATE.
YOU TOUCHED ON ONE OF MY LAST QUESTIONS, IN TERMS OF THE NON-SAN ANTONIO AREA ARTISTS, THIS MEANS THEY WOULD BE SELECTED TO CONDUCT ART IN THE STIFF SACITY OF SAN ANTONIO
NECESSARILY IN THE CITY OR TOWN THEY ARE APPLYING FROM? >> JONES: NO, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS ARE PART OF THE 1.5% FOR PUBLIC ART THAT ARE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
IF WE WERE TO ENGAGE WITH THEM, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PUT THE ARTWORK IN THE LOCATION
WE HAVE SELECTED. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THAT.
IN TERMS OF THOSE THAT MAY BE WITHIN THE COUNTY BUT NOT WITHIN CITY LIMITS, WOULD THERE BE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SHARE WITH US THAT DATA? I'M CURIOUS HOW MANY ARE WITHIN SPECIFIC PRECINCTS AND HOW CAN WE ASK THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO ALSO HELP SUPPORT THE ARTS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY TO ARTISTS IN THE COUNTY AS WELL, WHETHER THAT'S CONTRIBUTING TO WHAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS DOING OR ARE THEY CREATING
THEIR OWN OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL FOR COUNTY ARTISTS. >> JONES: YEAH, WE CAN TAKE THE LIST AND GIVE IT OUT. WE CAN EVEN PROVIDE YOU, WE ALREADY HAVE IT BROKEN OUT, WITH THE ARTISTS IN YOUR DISTRICT, TOO, SO YOU KNOW WHICH WERE SELECTED.
WE CAN GET THAT DATA. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. W COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA?
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR THE ENTIRE ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT FOR ORGANIZING THE IN-PERSON SESSION. I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
COULD WE MAYBE POSSIBLY CONSIDER INCREASING THE POINT SYSTEM, SPECIFICALLY, TO APPLICANTS WHO LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO? IS THERE A WAY TO DO THAT?
>> JONES: WE CAN LOOK AT THAT. YEAH.
WE CAN TAKE THAT TO THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE AND THE ARTS COMMISSION FOR ANOTHER APPLICATION. WHEN WE OPEN -- WE ARE GOING TO REOPEN THE APPLICATION IN
FALL OF '26 SO WE CAN LOOK AT THE POINTS SYSTEM. >> GARCIA: DO YOU, WILL YOU
SEND US A LIST OF THE ARTISTS PER DISTRICT? >> JONES: YES.
WILL DO. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. WHAT IS THE PERCENT OF ARTISTS PER DISTRICT? I'M WONDERING WHAT DISTRICT HAS THE MOST ARTISTS.
>> JONES: WE CAN GET THAT DATA. I BELIEVE IT'S DISTRICT 1.
>> GARCIA: I'M ASSUMING. OKAY. GOT IT.
THEN ON SLIDE TEN, WHAT AREAS OF THE CITY WERE TARGETED FOR TABLING?
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR OUTREACH IS EQUITABLE. >> JONES: OH, YES.
WE LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT. NOT ONLY IS IT TABLING MAYBE AT A NON-PROFIT OR GALLERY, BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY PARTNERING WITH EVENTS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE REALLY HAVE A TABLE IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
>> GARCIA: GOT IT. >> JONES: OH, WE DID IN THIS ROUND, WE LOOKED AT THE LIST AND THERE WERE SOME DISTRICTS THAT HAD SOME LOWER NUMBERS. WE DID SOME ADDITIONAL OUTREACH IN THOSE DISTRICTS. BUT WE DO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING SOME SIGNIFICANT
OUTREACH IN EVERY DISTRICT. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. I HAD NEVER MET THE CREATIVE ADRIANAGARCIA. EVERYBODY CONFUSES US. EVERYBODY'S LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE AN ARTIST. NO, I'M NOT. THAT'S THE CREATIVE ONE.
I GOT TO MEET HER AND I JUST WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE WORLD HERITAGE CENTER AND SHE IS SO THOUGHTFUL ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WAS INCORPORATED IN THERE AND THE WATER AND JUST THE SIGNIFICANCE. IT WAS SO INCREDIBLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE GOT TO GO TO THAT OPENING, BUT IT WOULD BE SO COOL TO JUST KIND OF, I THINK -- I DON'T REMEMBER IF THE BOOKMARK TELLS THE ACTUAL STORY OF IT, OR I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE MEMORIALIZED THE STORY OF HOW SHE CAME UP WITH THAT.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR WORLD HERITAGE PERIOD. I THINK EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT. I WAS THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT DAY, BUT I WOULD LOVE FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO LEARN ABOUT IT AND IT WAS JUST SO SPECIAL.
WHATEVER YOU CAN DO TO PLUG THAT IN OR MAYBE HAVE HER MEMORIALIZE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE OTHER COLLEAGUES, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK. I'M EXCITED TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
I DO THINK WE NEED TO DO A CHECK COMMITTEE FIELD TRIP AND HAVE THE MEETING OVER AT THE WORLD HERITAGE CENTER AND TRY OUT THEIR AUDIOVISUAL. BUT IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
I HAVE THREE PIECES FROM THIS LIST THAT I THINK WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST.
THE OFFICE OF WORLD HERITAGE USED THEM FOR A POETRY AND PAINTING ART AND I CURRENTLY,
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THE PIECES, THERE'S THREE OF THEM, HANG AT THE FIELD OFFICE.DISTRICT 3 FIELD OFFICE IS BECOMING A LITTLE LIKE ART GALLERY.
I THINK THAT SHOULD BE COUNTED IN THE COMPETITION. I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING MORE OF THE OUTREACH IN. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE ARE PRODUCING.
I THINK IT'S REALLY GETTING US TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITHIN THE ARTS SCENE THROUGH THE
STATE AND NATIONALLY ALSO. THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER
KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
WE ARE ALL BIG FANS OF THE PUBLIC ART DEPARTMENT AND EVERYTHING YOU DO.
I THINK YOU WON'T BE SURPRISED BY MY COMMENTS. I JUST FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE IN SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME. SHOCKER.
JUST TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, THIS IS JUST FOR I GUESS OUR CONVERSATION, BUT A PROJECT CAN TAKE, WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THIS WHEN WE WERE THINKING ABOUT SOME OF OUR PROJECTS, A PROJECT CAN TAKE FROM BIDDING TO COMMUNITY DESIGN TO UP TO ALMOST TWO YEARS TO COMPLETE. RIGHT? TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE PROJECT TIMELINES AND IS THAT NORMAL ACROSS ALL PROJECTS OR DO THEY KIND OF VARY?
>> JONES: THEY ARE PRETTY STANDARD ACROSS ALL PROJECTS. THERE'S A COUPLE, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS. THE VERY FIRST THING WE WILL DO IS SCOPE, MAINLY WITH PUBLIC WORKS, IF IT'S WITH PARKS OR LIBRARIES, WHEREVER THE BOND PROJECT IS.
WE ARE REALLY TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF BOND PROJECTS SO IT STARTS WITH THE SCOPING OF THE PUBLIC ART PROCESS. BECAUSE OUR PUBLIC ART PROCESS REALLY FOCUSES ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE DO SA SPEAKUP SURVEYS AND TABLING WHEN IT COMES TO THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT AND THAT PARTICULAR DISTRICT. THAT'S THE VERY FIRST THING THAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT 18 MONTHS IS THE SURVEY. THEN THAT DETERMINES THE THEME OF THE PROJECT WHERE WE THEN LOOK AT THE PREQUALIFIED LIST THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE, FIND ARTISTS THAT MATCH THAT THEME, MATCH WHAT THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IS, TAKE THE LIST OF ARTISTS TO THE COMMUNITY SO THEY CAN SELECT THE ARTISTS THEY WANT TO WORK WITH. FROM THERE, IT'S THE CONTRACT WITH THE ARTIST.
THEY DO THE DESIGN AND THEN THE DESIGN AND FINAL DESIGN GOES BACK THROUGH THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK PROCESS. THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE, THE ARTS COMMISSION, UNTIL IT'S FABRICATED AND INSTALLED. I WILL SAY WE ALSO WORK ON OUR TIMELINE TO MAKE SURE IT'S MATCHING PUBLIC WORKS' T TIMELINE SO IT'S NOT THE STREET IS DONE AND YOU ARE WAITING FOR THE ART. IT'S ALIGNED SO BEST CASE SCENARIO, THE PROJECT IS DONE WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND WE CAN HAVE KIND OF A JOINT CELEBRATION. WILL IT'S REALLY MATCHED WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE
TEAM'S TIMELINE, WHEREVER WE ARE PARKI WORKING WITH PARKS. >> KAUR: YOU GUYS DO A REALLY GOOD JOB OF THAT. WE WERE BOTH AT THE KICKOFF LAST YEAR, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THAN LAST YEAR, FOR THE ONE RIGHT HERE ACROSS THE STREET.
THAT IS A GREAT CELEBRATION. THAT PLACE IS MORE ACTIVE NOW BECAUSE OF THE ART, TOO.
IT GETS VIEWED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. MY SECOND QUESTION WAS GOING TO BE WHEN YOU COME BACK TO COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE START WITH THE SURVEY, HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH GROUP YOU ARE GOING BACK TO AND SEEING? ANYONE THAT SUBMITS A SURVEY
RESPONSE? >> JONES: WE REALLY WORK WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICE BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY, LIKE WHERE IS THE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION SO IF THERE'S A COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, WE TRY TO WORK WITH THEM. PLUS THE COUNCIL OFFICE, TO IDENTIFY WHO ARE THOSE KEY STAKE HOLDERS IN THE AREA THAT COULD REPRESENT THE LARGER, IF THERE'S A PRESIDENT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, IF THERE'S A BUSINESS THAT'S DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET OR RESIDENT DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET, WE WORK TO INCORPORATE EVERYONE IN THE ARTIST SELECTION THAT ARE THOSE KEY FOLKS. WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGN, IT CAN BE OPEN TO REALLY, WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEETINGS WHERE IT COULD BE OPEN TO THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD TO COME GIVE FEEDBACK ON THE DESIGN. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICES.
>> KAUR: HOPEFULLY IF WE ARE ALL HERE, THE IDEA IS THAT IF YOU HAVE AN AREA AND -- THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG BOND PROJECT, TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THEY WANT PUBLIC ART THERE, THEY SHOULD ADVOCATE FOR IT DURING THE BOND PROCESS.
>> JONES: YES. YES. >> KAUR: JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT-OUT. WE ARE WORKING WITH MUSIC IN OUR BUSINESSES THIS SUMMER SO HOPEFULLY WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON GETTING SOME LATIN MUSIC FOR SOME OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES THROUGH SOME DISTRICT 1 FUNDING. THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH US
ON THAT. >> JONES: THANK YOU. ALWAYS PLUGGING THE ARTIST REGISTRY. THE ARTIST REGISTRY IS A GREAT RESOURCE, SA.GOV/ART.
IF YOU WANT ARTWORK FOR YOUR HOME OR FIELD OFFICE, GO TO THE ARTIST REGISTRY.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF ARTISTS WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU. >> KAUR: WE WERE LOOKING AT IT THE OTHER DAY. THERE'S A LOT OF ARTISTS. I ALMOST WISH I WAS LIKE I NEED HELP PICKING THROUGH, HOW TO FILTER THROUGH THEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
WORK. >> JONES: THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM. CAN WE GET -- WE HAVE A
[01:50:06]
MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. MOTION CARRIES.THANK YOU. UP NEXT, WE HAVE ITEM 4, COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST TO CREATE A PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE COMMISSION. PRESENTED BY DR. CLAUDE
JACOB. >> JACOB: GOOD AFTERNOON. AGAIN, DR. JACOB, METRO HEALTH. WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS BRIEFING IN RESPONSE TO THE CCR THAT WAS ISSUED LAST SUMMER AND PRESENTED TO THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE LAST FALL REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE COMMISSION. I DO WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES AND CO-PRESENTERS.
I'M JOINED BY ED VANOSFROM UNIVERSITY HEALTH AND LISA OCHOA.
THEY WILL BRIEFLY INTRODUCE THEMSELVES DURING THEIR SEGMENT OF THE PRESENTATION.
THIS WAS INTENDED TO BE A FEATURE OF EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS THE ONGOING EFFORTS THAT IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF AREA RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO THE CITY. I WILL SPEED-TALK GIVEN THE TIME BUT I DID WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING FORTH THIS ITEM.
THE PRESENTATION YOU WILL GET THE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS SHORTLY AND I WILL CONCLUDE WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S OVERALL RECOMMENDATION AND PROPOSED NEXT STEPS.
GENTLE REMINDER, THE RESOLUTION PUT FORTH LAST SUMMER BY BOTH DISTRICT 8 COUNCIL MEMBER PELAEZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA WITH THE SUPPORT OF MEMBERS OF THIS BODY, KNOW THE GOALS OF THE PUBLIC AND HEALTHCARE COMMISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE POPULATION HEALTH OUTCOMES BY ESTABLISHING A HEALTHCARE COMMISSION THAT PROMOTES A CONSENSUS-DRIVEN, DATA-INFORMED AND INTERDISCIPLINARY STRATEGY TO ADDRESS HEALTH CHALLENGES IN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU SAW AN EXAMPLE EARLIER OF METRO HEALTH ON THE GROUND. JUST KNOW THIS PROPOSED COMMISSION WOULD BE STAFFED BY OUR DEPARTMENT WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM A VARIETY OF DISCIPLINES TO INCLUDE ACADEMIC PARTNERS, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COUNCIL. JUST KNOW THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO MENTION AT THE OUTSET THAT THERE CURRENTLY EXISTS THE BEXAR COUNTY HEALTH COLLABORATIVE THAT INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES FROM PARTICIPATING HOSPITALS, THE HEALTH COLLABORATIVE HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1999. WE ARE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE COLLABORATIVE. THERE'S THE SOUTHWEST TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, WHICH ANCHORS OUR BROADER HOSPITAL NETWORKS, THE BEXAR COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY AND COMPLEMENT OF THE VARIOUS NON-PROFITS ACROSS THE CITY LIKE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES. ALL OF THESE ENTITIES SERVING AS ACTIVE PARTNERS THAT SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE CITY AND GREATER BEXAR COUNTY WHILE HAVING THE RESPECTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. OUR DEPARTMENT HAS BENEFITED IMMENSELY FROM THE ROBUST COLLABORATIONS WITH THESE ENTITIES OVER THE YEARS AND YOU HEARD AN EXAMPLE FROM DR.
KURIANTHIS MORNING. OUR PANDEMIC RESPONSE EFFORTS WERE MADE POSSIBLE BY HAVING DIRECT, REGULAR ACCESS TO THIS BROADER NETWORK WHICH MAGNIFY THE LINKAGES TO OTHER COSA DEPARTMENTS LIKE FIRE, POLICE, HUMAN SERVICES, PARKS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TO NAME A FEW. JUST A REMINDER IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS REFERENCED AND IS REFERENCED IN THE CCR, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 11 TASKS OUTLINED THAT CALLED FOR PUBLISHING AN ANNUAL REPORT ON THE STATUS OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE STRATEGY, ADVISING OUR DEPARTMENT AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS ON IMPROVING HEALTH-RELATED GOALS, SERVICES AND OUTCOMES, COORDINATING WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE BEST PRACTICES, COLLABORATING WITH ECONOMIC AND WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS TO BETTER ALIGN OUR EFFORTS, SEEKING INPUT FROM SECTORS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, ADVOCATING FOR POLICY IMPROVEMENTS TO BETTER SERVE THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, RESEARCHING WAYS TO INCENTIVIZE HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS, PRIORITIZING HEALTH LITERACY, SUPPORTING A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPING A MEDICAL CENTER ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND RESEARCHING HOW THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AFFECTS VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. JUST KNOW THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE LISTING SPEAKS TO THE COMPLEXITIES OF ADDRESSING THE VARIETY OF CONDITIONS THAT IMPACT ALL THOSE WHO LIVE, LEARN, WORK, PLAY OR PRAY IN OUR JURISDICTION.
AND ACROSS THE GREATER BEXAR COUNTY. SO IT ALSO SPEAKS TO OUR COMMITMENT AND RESOLVE TO ADDRESSING THE DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF DISEASE EXPERIENCED IN SPECIFIC POCKETS OF THE CITY, MOSTLY EAST, WEST AND SOUTH, AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAN IN EVEN MORE, ESPECIALLY DURING THESE MOST UNCERTAIN OF TIMES. WITH THAT, JUST KNOW THAT OUR TEAM IS DELIGHTED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY EFFORTS AROUND THE ESTABLISHMENT, THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED CENTER FOR HEALTH EQUITY IN SOUTH TEXAS ON OUR CITY'S SOUTH SIDE.
MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY THAT WAS DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC DUE TO PRE-EXISTING HEALTH DISPARITIES AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES. THIS INITIATIVE ALIGNS WITH A NUMBER OF THE TASKS OUTLINED IN THE CCR. YOU WILL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.
I DID WANT TO AT LEAST REMIND COUNCIL THAT YOUR ADVOCACY AND THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY
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MANAGER'S OFFICE ALLOWED US TO CODIFY AND EARMARK SEED FUNDING OVER THE CURRENT AND NEXT FISCAL YEAR AMOUNTING TO A TOTAL OF $600,000. AS YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACT WAS ADOPTED DURING YESTERDAY'S A SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ADDITIONAL CONTEXT OF THE INVESTMENTS ALREADY MADE THAT ADDRESS MANY OF THE TENETS REFLECTED IN THE CCR.IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO MENTION AGAIN, IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A HEALTHY COMMUNITY AND THE COLLABORATIONS REFLECTED WITH THE INITIATIVE INCLUDE PARTNERS SUCH AS METHODIST HEALTHCARE MINISTRIES, UT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH SAN ANTONIO AND THE UNIVERSITY HEALTH'S INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.
YOU WILL HEAR MORE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION. DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS BODY, I'M A REGULAR ATTENDEE HERE, IT'S RARE THAT IN THE SPAN OF THE COMMITTEE THAT I COVER THE THREE CORE FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE SAME PRESENTATION AROUND ASSESSMENT, ASSURANCE AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT. JUST KNOW THIS BODY IS ASSIGNED TASKS BY THE MAYOR AS AN EXTENSION OF THE WORK OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CHARGE OF COMMITTEE REFLECTED ON THIS SLIDE.
IT'S A REMINDER OF THE AUTHORITY ALREADY IN PLACE TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT FOR THE POLICIES, THE PLANS AND PROGRAMS THAT IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF RESIDENTS.
AGAIN, PANDEMIC RESPONSE EFFORTS, INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING SUCH AS THE LAUNCH OF THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK FOCUSED ON FOOD INSECURITY AND UPDATES PERTAINING TO COMMUNICABLE DISEASES LIKE CONGENITAL SYPHILIS AS WELL AS THE ITEM EARLIER THIS MORNING RELATED TO THE STATE-WIDE MEASLES OUTBREAK. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS FORUM HAS WORKED WELL AND ALLOWS US THE SPACE TO ENGAGE THE COUNCIL WHILE ENSURING THE ALIGNMENT OF OUR EFFORTS WITH PARTNERS ON THE GROUND LIKE UNIVERSITY HEALTH AND NOW THE CHEST INITIATIVE. THE COMPLEXITIES AROUND OUR HEALTHCARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES, THIS IS JUST A SHORT LIST. WE KNOW THESE CONDITIONS WERE EXACERBATED DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT, WE DID LAUNCH BACK IN APRIL OF 2022 THIS FIVE-YEAR PLAN, SA4 SAN ANTONIO FORWARD.
EACH SPRING WE PROVIDE AN UPDATE BASED ON PROGRESS MADE TIED TO THIS COMMUNITY BLUEPRINT. WE HAVE INVESTED IN THIS SPACE, HAD A GAME PLAN ALL ALONG. IT MAGNIFIES THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS A SUBSET OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET. SO JUST WANT TO REMIND US ALL, I WILL BE BACK NEXT MONTH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, TO PROVIDE UPDATES AROUND OUR SA FORWARD PROGRAM AND PROGRESS TO DATE. WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ED. HE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DR. OCHOA.
I WILL COME BACK AT THE END FOR NEXT STEPS. >> GOOD AFTERNOON.
AS CLAUDE MENTIONED, I'M CEO OF UNIVERSITY HEALTH. I WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE TODAY ON SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING TO HELP ADDRESS HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND ALL ACROSS BEXAR COUNTY. WHAT WE WANTED TO SHOW ON THIS FIRST SLIDE IS THESE ARE, THE DOTS ON THESE -- ON THIS MAP ARE THE CLINICS AND SERVICES THAT UNIVERSITY HEALTH HAS INDIVIDUALLY PROVIDED EITHER PROVIDERS OR DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SHADED AREA AND THE UNSHADED AREA, YOU CAN SEE THE CLINICS THAT WE PROVIDE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 90.
ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PARTS THAT I KNOW WAS MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT VACCINATIONS, WE ARE IN FIVE SCHOOL-BASED CLINICS ON THE SOUTH SIDE WHERE WE DO PROVIDE VACCINATIONS. IT'S BEEN A LONG-STANDING FOCUS FOR UNIVERSITY HEALTH IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE THAT NEED VACCINATIONS CAN GET THEM.
MANY OF THESE CLINICS ARE OVER 20 YEARS OLD. OUR COMMITMENT TO THE SOUTH SIDE HAS BEEN VERY STRONG OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME AND WE ARE ALSO ON THE VERY, ABOUT 6:00 DOT, WITH TWO CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THERE FOR UNIVERSITY HEALTH P PALOALTOWHICH WILL BE A COMMUNITY CLINIC AND THAT WILL BE OPENING BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
IT WILL BE A FULL SERVICE HOSPITAL. IT WILL START OFF WITH 166 BEDS, COMPLETE MEDICAL CAPABILITIES. WE WILL HAVE AN 80,000 SQUARE FOOT MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE SPECIALISTS AND OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE VERY NEEDED ON THE SOUTH SIDE. WE ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVELY RECRUITING FOR THOSE PHYSICIANS NOW AND EXPANDING OUR CLINICS ON THE SOUTH SIDE AS WE HIRE PHYSICIANS. THIS IS THE CLINIC WE WILL OPEN IN A YEAR, IT WILL BE THE HOME FOR OUR INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH TO ADDRESS THE HEALTH IN EQUITIES.
THE FIRST FLOOR WILL ACTUALLY BE 20 SPECIALISTS AS WELL AS DIAGNOSTICS.
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IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE A PHARMACY AND ALSO AN URGENT CARE SO THE HOURS WILL BE OPEN LATER AT NIGHT SO PEOPLE CAN GET ACCESS. THIS IS CURRENTLY SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION WE ARE DOING HERE. THE BUILDING IS MOVING UP VERY QUICKLY. IT SHOULD BE COMPLETED AND WE SHOULD BE MOVED IN BY THE END OF THE YEAR. THE OTHER THING THAT WAS ADDED RECENTLY IS THE THIRD FLOOR WILL ACTUALLY HAVE AMBULATORY ADOLESCENT AND ADULT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES WITH PHYSICIANS AND CLINICIANS. WE ALSO ARE OPENING A MULTI-SPECIALTY CLINIC ON I-10 IN HOUSTON STREET CALLED THE WHEATLEY CLINIC.THIS WILL BE A SPECIALTY CLINIC WITH URGENT CARE. A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT CAME ON THE EAST SIDE AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS CLEARLY IN NEED WAS A NEED FOR AFTER-HOURS PHYSICIAN CARE. SO THIS CLINIC ALSO, WHILE PROVIDING PRIMARY AND SPECIALTY SERVICES, WILL ALSO PROVIDE URGENT CARE INTO THE EVENING HOURS AND MULTIPLE DAYS OF THE WEEK, INCLUDING WEEKENDS. THIS IS CURRENTLY ALMOST, WE THINK THIS CLINIC WILL BE OPEN IN EARLY FALL. THIS IS MOVING ALONG VERY QUICKLY. AGAIN, LABORATORY, FARMLY, EVER PHA PHARMACY, EVERYTHING THAT IS NEEDED AS WELL AS COMMUNITY SPACE. WE KNOW HEALTH LITERACY NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED SO ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS ARE COMMITTED WITH SPACE THAT CAN HELP WITH HEALTH LITERACY.
NOW I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DR. OCHOA. >> THANK YOU, COMMITTEE, FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK. THANK YOU, CLAUDE, DR. JACOB, FOR INVITING ME TO TALK ABOUT THE CENTER FOR HEALTH EQUITY IN SOUTH TEXAS. I'M DR. OCHOA, FOUNDER AND CEO OF THE SAVE CLINIC. I WANT TO START WITH THE REASON CHEST EVEN EXISTS.
IT STARTS FROM THOSE CHRONIC STATISTICS THAT WE ALL HEAR THAT LIFE SPAN CAN VARY UP TO 20 YEARS NORTH AND SOUTH OF SAN ANTONIO. WHEN IN MAY OF 2023, ONE OF OUR SOUTH SIDE HOSPITALS SHUT DOWN, WE SAW WHAT REALLY WAS AN EPIDEMIC OF NEED FOR ACUTE CARE. WE HAD OUR LEADERS ON THE SOUTH SIDE COME TOGETHER AND REALIZE THAT WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING AND WHERE ACUTE CARE BEDS, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY BEING ADDRESSED BY UNIVERSITY HEALTH, WE REALIZED THERE'S A BIGGER PICTURE OF HOW WE GOT HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO THIS IS WHY CHEST EXISTS.
THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF CHEST IS TO FACILITATE COLLABORATIVE CRITICAL THINKING, AT LEAST TO MORE EFFECTIVE USE OF EXISTING RESOURCES, AND DEVELOPMENT OF CUTTING EDGE STRATEGIES AND NEW RESOURCES THAT WILL LEAPFROG US TO HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE EMBRACED WITH THE FULL SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION OF THE R THE RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE OUR MISSION AND OUR MISSION IS TO ADDRESS THOSE AREAS OF SAN ANTONIO ON THE SOUTH SIDE, THE NEAR EAST SIDE AND WEST SIDE WHICH YOU SAW ON THAT MAP AND REALLY ADDRESS ALL THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH THAT LED TO THESE HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES.
EVERYTHING FROM EDUCATION ACCESS AND WE DO THAT BY CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION.
WE HAVE A VISION THAT WE ARE GOING TO CREATE A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM THAT WHEN OUR COMMUNITIES STEP OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOMES, THAT THE HEALTHY CHOICES ARE THE EASY CHOICES.
SO WE HAVE FOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES WE ARE ADDRESSING HEALTH INEQUITIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITIES THAT ARE RESILIENT. WE WANT TO CREATE AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION THROUGH COLLABORATION WHETHER ACADEMIC AND NON-PROFIT PARTNERS AS WELL AS OUR COUNTY PARTNERS WHICH AS YOU SEE ARE HAPPENING TODAY.
REALLY HIGHLIGHTING KEY TECHNOLOGIES WITH AI AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS IN THIS DIGITAL WORLD, AND OF COURSE, TOGETHER, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY. WE HAVE THREE PILLARSWE ARE FOCUSING ON.
I LET YOU READ THROUGH THE EXAMPLES. ONE, WE BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION AND WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT IS KEY. WE NEED TO CREATE A HEALTHCARE WORK FORCE THAT IS CULTURALLY COMPETENT, THAT HAS EMPATHY WITH THESE COMMUNITIES AND THE WAY WE DO THAT IS WE EDUCATE AND TRAIN THEM FROM WITHIN.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE PIPELINES FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL AND PARTNER TO MAKE SURE EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS EQUITABLE PATHWAYS, EACH SINGLE ONE OF THEM, NOT SOME AND NOT OTHERS. HEALTHCARE IS KEY.
WE NEED ACCESS NOT ONLY ACUTE HEALTHCARE LIKE MORE HOSPITAL BEDS.
WE NEED ACCESS TO MORE PRIMARY CARE, TO MORE SPECIALTY CARE, TO ALL THE ANCILLARY SERVICES THAT COME. WHAT'S HAPPENING AT VIDAAND A & M AND UH AND THE SOUTH SIDE, THIS WILL REALLY SPUR GROWTH IN THAT AREA. ULTIMATELY, THE BIG ONE.
WHAT DO WE REALLY WANT TO DO? THE IDEA IS WE WANT TO IMPROVE LIFE EXPECTANCY.
THAT MEANS ADDRESSING ALL THOSE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH NEEDS, WHETHER IT'S FOOD INSECURITY, TREE COVERAGE, GREEN SPACES, TRANSPORTATION, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND HOW DO WE ALIGN ALL THESE SECTORS AND WORK GROUPS TO REALLY COME OUT WITH INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS. AS OF TODAY, NOW THANK YOU FOR THE SEED FUNDING THE CITY
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HAS PROVIDED, WE HAVE A ROBUST BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND EACH ONE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, I CAN TELL YOU, ARE PASSIONATE AND DEDICATED TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CREATE THESE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS. EVEN THOUGH SEED FUNDING JUST HAPPENED YESTERDAY, I CAN SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SOME PROJECTS AND SOME OF OUR CURRENT INITIATIVES. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES.ONE IS TO CREATE AN ASSET MAP OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HEALTHCARE PATHWAYS ON THE SOUTH BEXAR COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS. WE HAVE A COLLABORATION TO CREATE THAT SURVEY. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MEDICAL STUDENTS FROM UT HEALTH AND UIW. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE IS BRIGHT AND WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITIES AND PRACTICE MEDICAL SPANISH AND ARE CREATING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WITH THEM.
WE ARE PILOTING A HIGH SCHOOL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM ON HOW DO WE TAKE OUR STUDENTS FROM HIGH SCHOOL WHO MAYBE COLLEGE IS NOT IN THEIR FUTURE BUT HOPEFULLY, AN ENTRY LEVEL JOB IN HEALTHCARE IS AVAILABLE, SO WE ARE TAKING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR FOUR HOURS ON A MONDAY AFTERNOON AND HAVE THEM SHADOW OUR MEDICAL ASSISTANTS AND MEDICAL RECEPTIONISTS TO GIVE THEM SOFT SKILLS, GIVE THEM EXPERIENCE SO THEY KNOW HOW TO GET A JOB OR APPRENTICESHIP WHEN THEY GRADUATE.
WE HAVE SOME PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS ON A POTENTIAL CHEST CORRIDOR IN TERZ.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN A GRANT WRITER TO BE ABLE TO START LOOKING FOR NEW GRANTS.
OUR NEXT STEPS, AS WE FINALIZE OUR CITY SEED FUNDING AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, CITY COUNCIL, FOR THE SEED FUNDING BECAUSE I THINK THAT HIGHLIGHTS THAT THE CITY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE NEEDS OF THESE AREAS ARE. THESE COMMUNITIES, AND HOW THEY ARE PRIORITIZING THAT. WE WILL ORGANIZE OUR BOARD RETREAT, MORE GRANTS AND FUNDING. IT'S IMPORTANT WE LISTEN TO OUR COMMUNITY, WE HEAR WHAT THEY NEED, AND THAT'S OUR NEXT STEPS AS WELL. WE WILL BEGIN TO IDENTIFY THOSE KEY WORK GROUP INITIATIVES AND HOW WE WILL CAPITALIZE ON THAT.
OF COURSE, WE WILL CONTINUE RECRUITING KEY COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS.
I KNOW I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS WORK BUT NOT EVERYBODY.
SO WE ARE LOOKING TO INVITE ALL ORGANIZATIONS, NON-PROFITS, TO COME TO THE TABLE WHEN WE ASK FOR THIS IN SESSIONS BECAUSE WE WANT YOUR IDEAS.
THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. >> JACOB: AGAIN, OUR AGILITY HAS BEEN OUR BEST ASSET. TODAY WAS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THAT.
I WANT TO THANK ED BANOSAND DR. OCHOAFOR BEING AVAILABLE. I KNOW WE ARE WELL INTO EXTRA INNINGS. JUST KNOW THAT GIVEN THE CHARGE OF THIS COMMITTEE AND THE ROBUST ENGAGEMENT OF OUR HEALTHCARE PARTNERS ON THE GROUND, STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING A SEPARATE COMMISSION AT THIS TIME.
JUST KNOW THAT RATHER, IT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ANCHOR THE ONGOING WORK OF OUR DEPARTMENT BY PROVIDING REGULAR UPDATES TO THIS COMMITTEE THAT ADDRESS THE TASKS OUTLINED IN THE CCR. THIS WILL HELP MINIMIZE THE DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS WITHIN 16 STRUCTURES AND ENTITIES THAT HAVE THE RESPECTIVE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS AND INITIATIVES ALREADY UNDERWAY THAT SPEAK TO THE INTENT OF THE CCR.
MY JOURNEY, PUBLIC HEALTH JOURNEY, SPANS FOUR STATES OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS.
THIS ECOSYSTEM HERE IS COLLABORATIVE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS. IT'S AN HONOR, TRULY AN HONOR TO LEAD THE FANTASTIC TEAM AT METRO HEALTH WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR CITY'S LEADERSHIP AND THE ROBUST PARTNERSHIPS ON THE GROUND. WE ARE A NATIONALLY ACCREDITED HEALTH DEPARTMENT, JUST ONE IN FOUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ON THE GROUND HAS MET THESE NATIONAL STANDARDS.
I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING ON THAT NATIONAL BOARD. WE ARE CONSIDERED HIGH-PERFORMING URBAN-CENTRIC. WITH THAT, WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM, ESPECIALLY DURING THESE MOST UNCERTAIN OF TIMES SO WE ARE AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I REALIZE WE NEEDED TO PIVOT THIS MORNING AND SO THAT CONCLUDES MY FORMAL PRESENTATION. WE WILL OPEN UP FOR ANY
QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
FIRST I WANT TO OF COURSE COMMEND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR TAKING THE LEAD TO ENSURE THAT WE CLOSE THE GAP TO ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO.
OFTENTIMES WHEN FOLKS REFER TO ME AS A WEST SIDE COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M ALWAYS QUICK TO SAY AND SOUTH SIDE, TOO, BECAUSE I BORDER BOTH DISTRICT 3 AND 4, TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM SOUTH PARK MALL. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE, TO ENSURE THAT WE FILL THOSE GAPS. I WILL HAND IT OVER TO DR. GARCIA, WHO LED THIS CCR.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. DR. JACOB, I APPRECIATE THIS. I FEEL LIKE A FEW, EVEN JUST YEARS AGO BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, PEOPLE DIDN'T REALIZE OR DIDN'T THINK THAT THIS CITY SHOULD BE INVOLVED AS MUCH IN HEALTHCARE. BUT I THINK THAT WHAT THE PANDEMIC PROVED WAS THAT THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH REALLY IS A RESULT OF THE
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DISINVESTMENT OR FRANKLY, NON-INVESTMENT IN AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THAT BECOMES A HEALTH PROBLEM. THIS MORNING, THANK YOU, ED, FOR BEING HERE AND OF COURSE, DR. OCHOA, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL. THIS MORNING I WAS AT THE FAMILY SERVICES ASSOCIATION FOR THEIR SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH MEETING AND THE FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO AND SPECIFICALLY INVESTING IN OUR KIDS.I MET DR. LEO, WHO DOES ALL THE SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH SYSTEMS. I WAS FORTUNATE WHEN I WAS AT SOUTHWEST ISD THAT WE OPENED HEALTH-BASED CLINIC.
I SAW HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS. I APPRECIATE THE WORK. THE REASON THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PELAEZ AND I BROUGHT FORWARD THE CCR IS BECAUSE WE HADN'T SEEN THE LEVEL OF COORDINATION THAT NOW EXISTS, FRANKLY, WHEN WE BROUGHT IT FORWARD, WE STILL DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF I WOULD SAY I GUESS FEEDBACK ON WHAT WOULD HELP OR WHAT WOULD BE A RESULT OF THE CHEST INITIATIVE. WE KNEW WE WANTED TO SUPPORT IT. WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD REGULAR UPDATES.
NOW WE KNOW THAT EVERY TURN OF ADMINISTRATION HERE AT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL, THIS COMMITTEE MIGHT NOT EXIST. IT WILL BE ENTIRELY UP TO THE NEW MAYOR AND THE NEW COUNCIL. I GIVE THIS AS A PRIME EXAMPLE.
THERE HASN'T BEEN AN EDUCATION COMMITTEE AT CITY COUNCIL SINCE JULIAN CASTRO WAS MAYOR, DEDICATED TO EDUCATION. MY FEAR IS THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE A COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE WHEN THE NEXT MAYOR COMES ON BOARD, BECAUSE THAT NEXT MAYOR DOESN'T THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT, THAT WE LACK AGAIN THAT COORDINATION.
THAT'S WHY I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER PELAEZ AND I WERE SO ADAMANT IN MAKING SURE THAT THERE WAS AN ESTABLISHED CITY REPRESENTATION. SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT CHEST HAVE DONE. I HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES CONTINUE TO FUND THE CHEST INITIATIVE AND I FEEL COMFORTABLE, BUT I DID WANT TO CAUTION, SO THAT'S THE REASON. AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON WHATEVER ADMINISTRATION IS IN PLACE AND THAT'S WHY WE WERE REALLY PUSHING TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WAS DEDICATED AND FORMAL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE. >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER
VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, CLAUDE.
THANK YOU, ED AND LISA, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I AM REALLY BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF BECAUSE THE, EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, BUT I THINK THE PANDEMIC AMPLIFIED OUR NEEDS IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF SAN ANTONIO. THIS GOES FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO THE SOUTHEAST. I DO LIKE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TODAY TO USE CHEST AS THE BOARD SITS RIGHT NOW. I DID SIGN ON TO THE CCR BECAUSE I WAS THINKING WE NEEDED TO GET SOMETHING DONE AND FORMALIZED BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE REPETITIVE ON RESOURCES BECAUSE WHEN IT GETS REPETITIVE, IT JUST TAKES MORE TIME FOR -- FROM THE COMMUNITY TO SERVE ON SO MUCH.
IF WE DON'T HAVE TO DUPLICATE THE SERVICES, LET'S NOT. MY CHALLENGE IS AS COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND I GO INTO OUR SUBCOMMITTEE WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE ON COMMITTEES AND SUNSETTING SOME COMMITTEES AND WHAT RESPONSIBILITIES WE ARE GOING TO GIVE OTHER COMMITTEES, IS MAYBE LOOKING AT A SPECIFIC KIND OF DIRECTION FOR COMMITTEES THAT ARE NOT STRICTLY DRIVEN BY THE CITY, BUT ARE FUNDED BY THE CITY THAT CAN GIVE US INPUT AND WE CAN TAKE INFORMATION OUT THERE.
I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. I KNOW PROBABLY MOST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH MANY OF THESE NAMES AND THEY ARE FROM ACROSS THE CITY. YOU KNOW, REPRESENT SO MANY AREAS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO DO KIND OF LIKE A MEET-AND-GREET AS SOON AS WE CAN SO THAT -- I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL EVERYBODY GETS TO MEET RUDY AGUILAR, THE D3 COMMUNITY REP.
I THINK HE'S GOING TO BE A COMMUNITY REP, PERIOD. HIS WIFE CAME FROM ANOTHER AREA, HIS KIDS GO HERE. IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A REALLY GOOD THING.
SOTO. I WANT THE ENTIRE COUNCIL TO KNOW AND I THINK COUNCIL
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MEMBER PELAEZ IS GOING TO BE VERY HAPPY WITH WHAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION. I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING A TIMELINE FROM YOU, DOCTOR, ABOUT WHEN THE FIRST MEETING IS AND WHEN WE CAN DO THE INTRODUCTIONS AND HOW WE CAN DO THAT. BECAUSE THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAVE NOTICED IN OTHER COMMITTEES IS IF WE NEED ALTERNATES, LET'S SET UP THOSE ALTERNATES, IF WE ARE GOING TO BE MAKING DECISIONS WHERE THE CITY IS GOING TO COME TO YOU AND WE WOULD LIKE A MAJORITY OR WE WOULD LIKE A WIDER REPRESENTATION OF DOCTORS BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A BOARD MEETING AND ONLY THE ATTORNEYS ARE THERE, I'M CONCERNED IT WILL BE A DIFFERENT ANSWER. SO LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE SURE WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT, TOO. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
WE KNOW WHAT'S AT STAKE. IT'S WHY -- AND WE KNOW WE NEED THE FUNDS THAT WE CAN
GET TO HELP SAVE LIVES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND I WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE SIGNATURES ON THE CCR AND WHEN WE HAD ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT IT WHEN IT CAME FORWARD, I LIKE TO JUST ASK STAKE HOLDERS WHAT THEY FEEL THE NEED WAS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAD COME UP IN OUR CONVERSATION WAS THE GAP WITH HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. SO I LOVE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU ALL HAVE COME UP WITH. I THINK ALL OF US DON'T WANT TO DUPLICATE SERVICES, JUST LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER VIAGRAN JUST SAID.
I DO AGREE WITH HER THAT THIS REPRESENTATION IS REALLY SOLID.
IF THERE IS GROWTH IN THE FUTURE, THE ONE THING I WOULD SAY IS A LOT OF THESE REPRESENTATIVES ARE FROM THE EDUCATION WORKFORCE AND HEALTHCARE LIFE EXPECTANCY FROM THE NON-PROFIT AND UNIVERSITY SIDE, SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE REPRESENTATION FROM THE PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SPACE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL ADDITION, IF THERE'S ROOM IN THE FUTURE.
>> THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS. THERE IS AN E-MAIL COMING UP WITH ALL YOU JUST ASKED FOR. THE BOARD IS NOT FULL. WE HAVE UP TO 33 SLOTS.
SO THE REASON WE DIDN'T FILL THEM ALL IS WE KNOW WE ARE GOING TO COME WITH THE BOARD AND WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHO NEEDS TO BE THERE TO BE FULLY REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT OUR GOALS ARE. WE ARE HAPPY TO TAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
>> KAUR: ONEDWONDERFUL. THAT'S GREAT TO KNOW. IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET SOME HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS THAT KIND OF REPRESENT THE SPECTRUM OF WORK THAT WE ARE TRYING TO COVER AND DO, IT WOULD BE AWESOME TO ADD TO THAT.
OUR TEAM WILL THINK IF WE COME UP WITH ANY NAMES BUT I'M SURE ALL OF US CAN REACH OUT TO SOME FOLKS, TOO. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR THE UNIQUE IDEA IN RESPONSE TO THE CCR. THANKS, CHAIR.
>> CASTILLO: I SHARE A SIMILAR SENTIMENT IN TERMS OF THE BOARD AND POTENTIALLY HAVING ALTERNATES JUST BASED OFF OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND ATTENDANCE. AND TYPICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND THE PRODUCTION OF STUDIES AND ANALYSIS, I'M HESITANT IN THAT TYPICALLY WHAT I HAVE SEEN, THE TREND IS WE HIRE CONSULTANTS TO ANALYZE WORK THAT METRO HEALTH HAS ALREADY DONE OR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE ARE ANALYZING AND ANALYZING WORK WE HAVE ALREADY ANALYZED. I'M ALWAYS EAGER TO LET'S GET TO THE POINT, WE ARE ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES, INVESTING IN THESE PROGRAMS AND DOING THE WORK.
BUT KNOWING THAT DR. OCHOAIS TAKING THE LEAD ON THIS GIVES ME COMFORT BECAUSE WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE SAVES CLINICS YOU FACILITATE THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THAT'S DOING THE WORK, THAT'S KEEPING YOUR SLEEVES ROLLED UP WHILE WE CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY WHERE WE SHOULD BE INVESTING OUR LIMITED DOLLARS.
JUST EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL. OF COURSE, TO ED AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO WITH UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. THIS IS THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM MY CONSTITUENTS PRIMARILY RELY ON. SO IT'S IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN ON AND COLLABORATIVELY, I'M CONFIDENT AND ALL THE ACCOLADES THAT DR. JACOB GAVE REGARDING HOW AMAZING METRO HEALTH IS, I THINK WE ARE IN A GOOD PLACE.
I'M COMFORTABLE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ON THIS ITEM. AGAIN, JUST GRATEFUL FOR MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR WORK IN ENSURING THAT WE ARE FILLING THOSE HEALTHCARE GAPS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH POLICY, RESEARCH, ULTIMATELY THOSE INVESTMENT DOLLARS TO MATERIALIZE THAT NEED, JUST GRATEFUL THE WORK IS BEING DONE.
JUST THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. IS THIS AN ACTION ITEM? DO WE NEED A MOTION? FOR BRIEFING ONLY? GREAT. AWESOME.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. WITH THAT, THE TIME IS NOW 12:32 P.M.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEETING. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.