Primary Department: Public Health Services
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Leah Barton ─ Executive Director
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Transmittal
Project ID (if applicable): FY27_HTW
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Texas Health and Human Services Commission
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable):
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable):
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): 5%
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Rate is not 0% and is listed above.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Transmittal by Public Health Services of a Notice to Proceed from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission grant funds in the amount of $616,582.00, with no required match, for the FY27 Healthy Texas Women.
end
Background and Discussion:
The Healthy Texas Women (HTW) Program is funded annually and supports a broad range of preventive, reproductive, and women’s health services for eligible clients across Harris County. Each new grant year offers an opportunity to strengthen clinical operations, expand service capacity, and address gaps that persist in underserved communities.
Building on progress made in prior years, GY27 focuses on reinforcing essential care pathways, increasing patient outreach, and ensuring continuity of services for women who rely on publicly funded health programs. Like the Family Planning Program, the HTW initiative has experienced challenges related to fluctuating demand, resource constraints, and inconsistent access to care for vulnerable populations.
These barriers demonstrate the ongoing need for stable investment in comprehensive women’s health programs. Approval of the GY27 HTW grant amendment supports Harris County’s continued commitment to equity, preventive care, and community health improvement. The additional funding will enhance the ability of clinic teams to deliver timely screenings, reproductive life planning, health education, and interventions that improve long-term health outcomes for women and families.
Expected Impact:
Accepting the additional funding for the GY27 HTW program will enhance service delivery for thousands of women seeking preventive and reproductive health services throughout Harris County. Increased grant resources will support key program functions such as expanded appointment availability, enhanced laboratory testing, and improved care coordination for individuals at risk of chronic or reproductive health conditions.
By prioritizing early detection, health education, and proactive engagement, the HTW program will help reduce avoidable complications and strengthen continuous access to care. These initiatives align with the County’s health equity goals by reducing barriers to preventive services, improving reproductive health outcomes, and promoting community resilience. Expected improvements include more timely screenings, increased follow-up care, and measurable progress in core public health performance indicators similar to those identified in prior grant years.
Alternative Options:
If additional grant funding were not pursued or accepted, Harris County could explore alternative strategies to maintain service availability and support community needs. Potential options include strengthening partnerships with community health centers, nonprofits, and faith-based groups to expand outreach, referral networks, and shared service delivery without relying solely on state-funded programs. Other alternatives include continued development of telehealth services to improve access for clients with transportation or scheduling barriers, and deploying mobile health units to deliver preventive care, contraception counseling, and health screenings directly to underserved neighborhoods. Public health education campaigns could also be expanded to raise awareness of available services and support informed decision-making about reproductive and preventive health. These approaches would help sustain client access and build collaborative support systems across the County, but they would not fully replace the comprehensive services and capacity-building provided through State-funded HTW resources.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 4. Improve physical and mental health outcomes across all communities.
County Strategic Plan Objective: O: Increase access to quality health care, including preventive and behavioral health.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): O1: Coordinate health organizations to improve access and care.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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10/16/2025 |
270 |
Grant 5 yrs Renewal (Approved) |
Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Community Health and Wellness |
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Total Existing Budget |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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Total Funding Sources |
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Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
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Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item. |
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1 |
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Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item. |
$ |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$594,606 |
$21,976 |
$616,582 |
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Personnel(Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
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Additional Positions Request |
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Total Personnel |
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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CAO Reviewer Name and Title |
Not Applicable |
CAO Review Completion Date |
Click or tap to enter a date. |
Anticipated Court Date: September 17, 2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date):
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Ericka Brown, MD, MBA, FACHE-Community Health & Wellness Division Director, Public Health Services.
Attachments (if applicable): Original 5-Year Agreement, Notice to Proceed, and GY27 HTW budget workbook.