WHEREAS, the Department of Public Health’s (the Department) Strategic Plan prioritizes engagement in local, State and federal advocacy in order to ensure that health policy changes are consistent with Department priorities; and
WHEREAS, the Department’s advocacy activities are coordinated in the Office of Policy and Planning, which, through legislative analysis, participation in statewide coalitions, and collaboration with community partners and colleagues from other counties, reviews and analyzes health-related legislation for the Department and the City; and
WHEREAS, a number of important issues that will have a significant impact on the Department will likely be considered by the Legislature in 2005, including Medi-Cal redesign, Statewide hospital financing, nonprofit hospital charity care, prescription drug reimportation, and a possible new realignment of State and local programs and funding; and
WHEREAS, the Department participates in a number of health-related statewide organizations and coalitions, including the County Health Executives Association of California, the California Conference of Local Health Officers, the Health Officers Association of California, the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, the California State Association of Counties, and the California Healthcare Association, to ensure that the City is represented in coalition positions on legislation; and
WHEREAS, the Department makes recommendations to the Mayor’s Office of Public Policy and Finance and the Mayor’s State Legislative Committee for City positions on health-related State legislation; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor’s Office approves City positions on legislation in one of two ways: (1) by approving at the beginning of each legislative session the Department’s State Legislative Plan, which outlines the Department’s recommendations on issues likely to arise in the upcoming year; or (2) through a hearing before the State Legislative Committee for those issues that are not addressed in the State Legislative Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Department has prepared a draft State Legislative Plan for 2005; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Health Commission supports the Department’s advocacy efforts in accordance with the approved Strategic Plan; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Health Commission approves the Department’s 2005 State Legislative Plan.