Tompkins County approves early-intervention transport contract; Whole Health highlights grants, epidemiologist request

Tompkins County’s Health and Human Services Committee on Sept. 17 unanimously authorized the County Whole Health Department to enter a multi-year agreement with Boerne Best Services Incorporated (ID13520) to provide transportation for preschool-aged children receiving early intervention services. The contract — previously held by the same vendor for seven years and re-awarded after a request for proposals — will fund a bus service to pick up preschoolers from daycare or pre-K and transport them to Racker for early intervention therapy, Whole Health Commissioner Jenny Sutcliffe said. The county pays the contract costs; staff said the county receives a 59.5% reimbursement for transportation costs. The committee’s approval came by motion (moved by Legislator Randy Brown; seconded by Legislator Amanda Champion) and passed unanimously. Why it matters: the contract supports the county’s early intervention program for children with special care needs and preserves an existing transport arrangement the department said streamlines access to services. Committee discussion and details: Sutcliffe, speaking to the committee, described the line item as part of the children’s special care needs division. Jess, the division director for that program (appearing remotely), told members the transportation contract is funded from county funds and that the for‑profit vendor sets its own rates; the county is reimbursed roughly 59.5% of eligible transportation costs. Sutcliffe also briefed the committee on other Whole Health items: the department’s COVID communications work, two recently awarded grants and items included in the County Administrator’s recommended budget. She said her team quickly posted federal guidance as it emerged and is preparing a community FAQ to publish on the department website. When asked about wastewater surveillance, Sutcliffe said she did not have an immediate answer and would follow up with the committee. Grants and budget items described to the committee included a Park Foundation award to support a doula training initiative through the Healthy Infants Partnership; that project will train a cohort of Black women for doula certification and was developed with the partnership’s community advisory board, Sutcliffe said. The county is also reapplying for a residential septic system grant — a federal program passed through the state — administered locally in partnership with INHS; Sutcliffe said INHS administers eligibility while county environmental health handles septic design and testing. The county is applying for up to $1,000,000 through that program. Sutcliffe also noted the County Administrator’s recommended budget includes a new epidemiologist position within the Whole Health Department and a suicide-prevention coordinator. She said staff across the department already have multiple use cases for an epidemiologist, including infectious disease and mental‑health data work, and that the position will be discussed further at the department’s upcoming budget hearing. What the committee directed: the committee approved the vendor agreement and asked staff to provide follow-up information on wastewater testing and to present additional details at the upcoming budget hearing. Sutcliffe said she will bring a more detailed FAQ and further budget material to the Legislature’s budget hearing next week. Ending: the committee passed the contract resolution unanimously and will consider budget items, including the epidemiologist request, during next week’s hearings.