DATE: 08/05/2002	SUBJECT: FINAL READING ORDINANCE NO. 2002-O-165 Authorizing the City Manager to accept and execute all documentation from the Texas Department of Health for the “Los Dos Laredos” Binational Neural Tube Defects (NTD) Pilot Project of the City of Laredo Health Department in the amount of $43,532 in additional funds for the period beginning April 1, 2002, through March 31, 2003, and amending the City of Laredo FY 2001-2002 budget in the same amount.
INITIATED BY: STAFF SOURCE: Cynthia Collazo Hector F. Gonzalez, M.D., M.P.H. Acting City Manager Health Director
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION: On July 15, 2002, Council held public hearing introducing ordinance and instructed to proceed with final reading.
BACKGROUND: The Texas Department of Health has contracted with the City of Laredo to provide public health services to residents of Laredo and Webb County through the City of Laredo Health Department. The focus of the project is to establish “The Texas-Tamaulipas Border States Birth Defects Project: Neural Tube Defect (NTD) Prevention Pilot in Los Dos Laredos” which will address a prevention initiative due to historically high rates of NTDs in this area. The goals of the project include the following: 1. Reduce Recurrence of NTDs. 2. Establish the basic infrastructure for sustained electronic communication regarding exchange of Birth Defects data between Tamaulipas, Mexico, and the Texas Health Departments. 3. Promote and advocate the prevention of occurrence and recurrence of birth defects. The initiative shall address mutual concerns and shall accomplish the following: · Enhance Surveillance, monitoring activities and data exchange · Reduce the recurrence of NTD by at least 75% of the defected cases in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The City of Laredo Health Department shall: 1) serve as the management agent in the reimbursement of funds for the Nuevo Laredo Health Department; 2) develop a detailed time line and study work plan through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in conjunction with the Nuevo Laredo Health Department and the TDH, Region 11 to comply with the following goals and objectives: A. Implement NTD recurrence prevention pilot in Nuevo Laredo. 1. Establish surveillance and follow-up components. Identify, contact and enroll women identified with NTD affected pregnancies which include anencephaly, spina bifida, mielomeningocele; and encephalocele for the period January 2000 to December 2001. the recurrence group shall include NTD-affected current pregnancies as well as high risk women who delivered or spontaneously/induced aborted an affected NTD child during this period. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
FINANCIAL: The City of Laredo will receive $43,532 in additional funds for the “Los Dos Laredos” Binational NTD Pilot Project of the City of Laredo Health Department for the period beginning April 1, 2002, through March 31, 2003.
RECOMMENDATION:		STAFF: Recommends that Council approve ordinance.
2. Provide synthetic folic acid for enrolled subjects. Mexican policy on birth defects established that women of childbearing age should take 400ugs (0.4mg) daily for occurrence and 4.0 mg for recurrence. 3. Measure levels of intra-erythrocytic folates levels at the beginning and after six months of synthetic folic acid intake. 4. Conduct medical-clinical assessment, to the extent possible, during the beginning and at the end of the project. In addition, the “Los Dos Laredos” Binational NTD Pilot Project will purchase equipment for the project. BUDGET

ORDINANCE 2002-O-165

Authorizing the City Manager to accept and execute all documentation from the Texas Department of Health for the “Los Dos Laredos” Binational neural tube defects (NTD) Pilot Project of the City of Laredo Health Department in the amount of $43,532 in additional funds for the period beginning April 1, 2002, through March 31, 2003, and amending the City of Laredo FY 2001-2002 budget in the same amount.

WHEREAS, the Texas Department of Health (TDH) is contracting with the City of Laredo to provide public health services to residents of Laredo and Webb County through the City of Laredo Health Department, and

WHEREAS, the focus of the project is to establish “The Texas-Tamaulipas Border States Birth Defects Project: Neural Tube Defect (NTD) Prevention Pilot in Los Dos Laredos” which will address a prevention initiative due to historically high rates of NTDs in this area;

WHEREAS, The goals of the project include the following:

1. Reduce Recurrence of NTDs.

4. Establish the basic infrastructure for sustained electronic communication regarding exchange of Birth Defects data between Tamaulipas, Mexico, and the Texas Health Departments.

5. Promote and advocate the prevention of occurrence and recurrence of birth defects.

WHEREAS, The initiative shall address mutual concerns and shall accomplish the following:

· Enhance Surveillance, monitoring activities and data exchange

· Reduce the recurrence of NTD by at least 75% of the defected cases in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

WHEREAS, The City of Laredo Health Department shall: 1) serve as the management agent in the reimbursement of funds for the Nuevo Laredo Health Department; 2) develop a detailed time line and study work plan through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in conjunction with the Nuevo Laredo Health Department and the TDH, Region 11 to comply with the following goals and objectives:

A. Implement NTD recurrence prevention pilot in Nuevo Laredo.

5. Establish surveillance and follow-up components. Identify, contact and enroll women identified with NTD affected pregnancies which include anencephaly, spina bifida, mielomeningocele; and encephalocele for the period January 2000 to December 2001. the recurrence group shall include NTD-affected current pregnancies as well as high risk women who delivered or spontaneously/induced aborted an affected NTD child during this period.

6. Provide synthetic folic acid for enrolled subjects. Mexican policy on birth defects established that women of childbearing age should take 400ugs (0.4mg) daily for occurrence and 4.0 mg for recurrence.

7. Measure levels of intra-erythrocytic folates levels at the beginning and after six months of synthetic folic acid intake.

8. Conduct medical-clinical assessment, to the extent possible, during the beginning and at the end of the project.

In addition, the “Los Dos Laredos” Binational NTD Pilot Project will purchase equipment for the project.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAREDO THAT:

Section 1: The City Manager is hereby authorized to execute the contract and accept the grants and their provisions as set forth by the Texas Department of Health.

Section 2: The City of Laredo accepts additional funds in the amount of $43,532 in additional funds for the “Los Dos Laredos” Binational NTD Pilot Project of the City of Laredo Health Department.

Section 3: Revenue line item 226-0000-323-4090 funded by the Texas Department of

Health is increased from $0 to $43,532.

Section 4: Expenditure line item 226-6068 is increased from $0 to $43,532.

Section 5: The City Manager is hereby authorized to make transfers within the

budget as allowable under the General Provisions of the existing general

contract with the Texas Department of Health to meet the necessary costs

to accomplish the scope of work for the project.

PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND APPROVED BY THE MAYOR

ON THIS _________________ DAY OF ________________________, 2002.

__________________________

ELIZABETH G. FLORES

MAYOR

ATTEST:

__________________________

GUSTAVO GUEVARA, JR.

CITY SECRETARY

APPROVED AS TO FORM:

__________________________

JAIME FLORES

CITY ATTORNEY