Cooperative Agreement Grant to fund the Health Assessment Section at the Ohio Department of Health to conduct health assessment activities to reduce/eliminate community exposure to toxic chemicals. - The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) submits this Project Narrative in support of its application for award under Program Announcement CDC-RFA-TS-23-2001, ATSDR’s Partnership to Promote Local Efforts to Reduce Environmental Exposure (APPLETREE). Through this grant opportunity, ODH will continue to expand its Component 1 Strategy A core activities in Ohio, including: (1) conducting site assessment activities and making recommendations to prevent, reduce, or eliminate exposures to site-specific contaminants; (2) educating impacted communities and stakeholders through in-person and virtual outreach opportunities and through electronic and physical education materials; and (3) developing and maintaining federal, state, local, and community partnerships to support activities. ODH will also continue and expand efforts relating to Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education in the state of Ohio (Component 1 Strategy B) through operation of the Ohio Choose Safe Places program. Additionally, ODH is pursuing funding through Component 2: Capacity Development and Applied Prevention Science. Specifically, ODH seeks to perform activities that address the following focus areas: (1) with concurrence and input from stakeholders and collaborators, incorporate heath equity perspectives into the Ohio Fish Consumption Advisory program implementation and O&E practices for various high-risk populations; (2) promote partnerships, strategies, and tools to support environmental exposure and health equity education to health care providers, by collaborating with the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, local health districts (LHDs), and other public health partners; and (3) partner with the ODH Ohio Comprehensive Cancer Control Program and LHDs to develop protocols for addressing community health concerns. It is ODH’s intent that, by also participating in Component 2 activities, the agency will be better able to address exposure issues that might not be site-specific through innovative solutions and by forming and strengthening partnerships. Collaborative efforts with internal and external partners conducted under Component 2 will allow ODH to reach audiences with public health interventions and education with more efficiency and efficacy. For both Components and all Strategies, ODH will conduct program evaluation and performance management assessments annually and will ensure staff capacity through trainings that increase staff capacity to conduct site assessments, produce outreach and education materials, and operate the Ohio Choose Safe Places program. Work plans (one-year and five-year) are included for all Strategies. The activities, outcomes, outputs, and other information included in the work plan demonstrate the necessity of the work being undertaken as part of this funding opportunity. This grant application packet is in response to the NOFO issued in October 2022. ODH will conduct activities during the specified five-year program period of April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2028. Reports, communications, and generated outputs (i.e., public health assessments, health consults, technical assists, site impact assessment forms, etc.) will be developed and submitted in accordance with protocols designated in the NOFO. Per requirements of the NOFO, this application packet contains the ODH Project Narrative, Work Plan, Budget Narrative, Letters of Support, and additional information in support of this application (staff resumes/CVs, organizational charts, etc.)
