Council OKs Plan to Accept Grant Money to Fight COVID

The City Council on Monday voted unanimously to authorize City Manager Steve Mermell to enter into a contract with L.A. County to accept and administer federal grant money to expand epidemiology, surveillance and testing capacity to combat COVID-19.

The move establishes six new full-time, limited-term, grant-funded positions, including a public health nurse manager and an epidemiologist analyst.

In all, the city’s Public Health Department will receive $1.966 million in grant funds from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

“The grant will support department efforts to expand access to testing by building a sustainable system utilizing commercial and public options, including providing education to medical providers who need support to offer testing in their offices,” a report by the city’s Public Health Director, Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, said. 

“The department will upgrade public health surveillance systems, including case investigation software, a vaccination appointment system, and health record system,’’ Goh added.

“A health record system is expected to improve the department’s ability to process, manage, analyze, use, and report public health data. The grant will also improve infection prevention capacity and optimize COVID-19 diagnostic testing and reporting.”

The public health nurse manager will make $115,000 annually and manage the staff and daily operations of multiple disease prevention and control programs and associated clinics.

The epidemiology analyst will be paid $85,000 a year. The analyst will report to the epidemiologist and assist in performing epidemiological case/outbreak investigations, data management, communicable disease surveillance, health data analysis, and public health emergency management planning and response.