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Mayor's budget boosts DPH funding; commission staff outline new services and nonprofit increases
Summary
The mayor's FY15-17 proposal includes roughly $19 million in new annualized funds for the Department of Public Health, a 5% two-year increase for nonprofit partners, funding to expand medical respite by 30 beds and several targeted public health initiatives. Commissioners welcomed the additions and asked for follow-up during Board of Supervisors hearings.
Greg Wagner, DPH chief financial officer, briefed the commission on the mayor's balanced budget submitted June 1 and highlighted DPH funding increases accepted in the proposal and mayoral additions beyond the commission's request. Wagner said the department's budget "grows by $45,300,000 in '15-'16 for a total budget of $2,030,000,000," and that once annualized the package represents more than $19 million in additional funding for DPH activities.
Key mayoral additions cited by Wagner and staff include a 5% increase over two years for community-based nonprofit partners to help them absorb rising costs; a $1 million placeholder to backfill a potential reduction in the Ryan White award; funding to staff wellness centers at Hope SF and other public-housing sites; $250,000 for hepatitis C linkages; $175,000 for breast cancer counseling and treatment services; approximately $1 million per year for the "Getting to 0" HIV-prevention program; two FTE health workers to place in shelters to connect people to medical care; capital and operating support to add 30 medical respite beds and $600,000 for stabilization beds at the Minoli site.
Director Garcia and clinical staff explained how health workers in shelters will act as triage and referral supports into expanded medical respite and the broader San Francisco Health Network. Commissioners asked for comparative metrics and targets: several requested historical cost-to-charge ratios and a clearer presentation of where the department is headed on reimbursement ratios and implementation timelines. Wagner committed to provide target and historical numbers to supply context for fee-schedule decisions and budget implementation steps.
Wagner described next steps: the Board of Supervisors will hold hearings in mid to late June (the 18th and 24th were cited) where proposed revisions and add-back discussions will occur; DPH will report back to the commission as the process unfolds. Commissioners agreed to send a formal note of appreciation to the mayor's office for the budget support.
