Public input sought on block grant use

The Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant Committee is composed of Becky Robles, Jessica Delos Reyes, Amylynn Babauta, and Nazario Omar Ajoste. (Bea Cabrera)

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. hosted a public hearing last week to seek suggestions from the public on how it will spend a block grant.

The hearing on the Preventive Health and Health Services block grant was held at the CHCC Public Health and PHEPP conference room.

Non-Communicable Disease Bureau administrator Becky Robles said, “The hearing will discuss the 2017-2018 work plan proposals, welcomed suggestions from public, and how the block grant can be used toward the execution of the activities lined up.”

The Preventive Health and Health Services block grant provides all 50 states, the District of Columbia, two American Indian tribes, and eight U.S. territories with funding to address their unique public health needs.

“We’ve had this grant for five years. Every year when the work plan needs to be approved, …the grantors require that we have a public input how the funds are used and also an advisory committee to give ideas how the funding should be used,” said Jessie Delos Reyes, renal dietician and tobacco and diabetes technical adviser.

The grant comes from the Preventive Health and Health Services under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation’s health protection agency. The work plan has $56,355 available. The activities under this block grant are tied with healthy people 2020 objectives, which are national health promotion and disease prevention efforts to improve the health of all people in the United States.

This program gives grantees the flexibility to use funds to fill funding gaps in programs that deal with leading causes of death and disability.

“If there are restrictions on some grant that Public Health has, this grant can supplement and support some of those activities, like providing supplies and outreach, provided it falls under the guidelines of the grant,” Delos Reyes added.

The proposed activities and objectives for fiscal year 2017-2018 include improved community wellness: the establishment of community garden, improving wellness access to occupational health, youth empowerment, increased physical activity in the village clusters and encouraging healthier eating habits in the CNMI. The work plan also includes reducing the number of people with chronic kidney diseases.

“Hypertension and diabetes are leading causes of kidney failure. Currently, 56 percent of the population in the CNMI suffers from hypertension and 37.5 percent of that are people ranging from 18 to 24 years old,” said Amylynn Babauta, acting block grant coordinator.

A portion of the block grant goes to rape prevention and victim services.

“The block grant has a set-aside funds that is given to address sexual assault by providing the CHCC hospital rape kits for sexual assault outpatient victims,” said Delos Reyes.