COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR ORDINANCE NO. 220202

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Directing the City Manager to issue a request for proposals to establish a contract for a one-year Missouri Nursing Home Worker Safety Curriculum & Pilot Program; setting the parameters of the Program; authorizing the Director of Health to enter into a contract with the Proposer who submits the best proposal; appropriating $300,000.00 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the General Fund; and designating requisitioning authority.

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WHEREAS more than 200,000 nursing home residents and staff have died during the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for nearly a quarter of all COVID-19 deaths in the US.; and

WHEREAS Kansas City nursing home workers need additional training on infection-control and prevention, appropriate screening of visitors, effective cohorting of residents, safe admission and transfer of residents, and the proper use of PPE to minimize transmission of COVID-19 and other viruses; and

WHEREAS increased understanding of vaccines, specifically COVID-19 vaccines, would support an increase in staff vaccination and reduce related staff attrition; and

WHEREAS the COVID-19 pandemic placed increased demands on nursing home staff and highlighted the need for cross training all available staff to meet resident care needs; and

WHEREAS our community has a vested interest in cultivating and retaining a robust and proficient nursing home workforce to combat the ongoing pandemic and future public health crises; and

WHEREAS, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which was signed into law by the President of the United States on March 11, 2021, provides for a State and Local Coronavirus Relief Fund that appropriates $325 billion to states and units of local government to cover costs related to, and address the negative economic impacts associated with, the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, the City's stimulus spending...

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