Message From The Superintendent - January 2021

Greetings!

We are excited about 2021 here at Portage DD. For this message, I wanted to start by expressing my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the staff, families, providers, and the people Portage DD serves. Their resiliency and ability to adapt has been impressive. We know there will be more challenges this year, and we will be ready again to take on those challenges head on.  

The Health Department has already started the process of vaccination for some of some the people we serve and providers. We are hoping everyone that wants to be vaccinated has that opportunity to receive their vaccination by the spring. The Health Department has received some vaccines and will administer the 1st dose of the vaccine to all the people we serve in congregate settings and the staff who wants the vaccine. So over 100 people served will have the 1st dose of the vaccine. Four weeks from the 1st dose, they will be administering the 2nd dose. A big thank you to our Portage County Health Department, which has been tremendous throughout the pandemic.  

At this time, our buildings continue to remain closed to the public, with minimal staff members on-site to manage an important business that cannot be completed remotely. Unfortunately, like so many other agencies throughout the state, COVID-19 has also impacted Portage DD. Our school had to shut down for one week during November due to a staff member's positive case. This happened again for the last week of school in December. The close contact forced several staff members to quarantine. Overall, three people Portage DD serves tested positive in December and a total of 14 positive tests out of the 106 people that have been tested this far. Additionally, nine staff members have tested positive out of around 80 people we employ. 

To ensure our students, families, and staff's safety, we continue to meet weekly with the Portage County Health Department and talk more frequently, if needed, regarding keeping Happy Day School open and what measures we should implement to continue in-person classes. Due to the small number of students we have at the school, we will go back to in-person schooling starting January 4th. Our students struggle with remote learning, so if possible, we will continue to try and keep everyone safe with in-person learning.  

On Friday, December 18th, the Ohio General Assembly approved Senate Bill 310, which included an OACB-initiated amendment to allow county board of DD funds to be used for a second, one-time, emergency support payment Ohio's DD providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Under the plan, county boards will contribute approximately $24 million in local funds, which DODD will then use to draw down an estimated $54 million in the federal match. The combined $78 million in pandemic relief amounts to roughly two weeks of billable services for Homemaker Personal Care, On-site On-Call, Ohio Shared Living, Adult Day Services, and Non-Medical Transportation providers. This one-time payment, which DODD will distribute in a separate transaction from regular billing, will be the most significant single demonstration of financial support by county boards to assist providers since the start of the pandemic. (Portage County Board of DD will contribute 337,741.25)

Recognizing local needs, superintendents spearheaded relief talks. Discussions on the tentative relief payment outlined above began after several regional county board superintendent leaders expressed concern that their provider partners were experiencing significant financial strain due to the pandemic. Citing severe staff shortages and exhausted employees, service providers appealed to board leaders, who in turn worked with OACB to develop a series of proposed relief options in late November. (See November 25th COVID-19 Updates for details.) 

This local perspective and leadership were critical to developing an actionable relief plan. OACB is grateful to county board superintendents and regional superintendent leaders, particularly for their knowledge of local needs and their willingness to put county board dollars to work supporting provider partners. The future relief payment is the second of its kind for Ohio's DD service providers. A similar amount was made in September using roughly $4 million in county board funds. See the August 17th COVID-19 Updates for details. (Portage County Board of DD contributed 61,507)

This local perspective and leadership were critical to developing an actionable relief plan. OACB is grateful to county board superintendents and regional superintendent leaders, particularly for their knowledge of local needs and their willingness to put county board dollars to work supporting provider partners. The future relief payment is the second of its kind for Ohio's DD service providers. A similar amount was made in September using roughly $4 million in county board funds. See the August 17th COVID-19 Updates for details. 

State support, joint DD stakeholder advocacy made payment possible. This one-time payment was also made possible thanks to early buy-in from state executive leaders within the governor's administration and DODD. OACB would specifically like to thank DODD Director Jeff Davis for his steadfast support in the executive cabinet and Governor Mike DeWine to recognize the crucial role that providers play in protecting the lives of vulnerable Ohioans. OACB also thanks conference committee chair Senator Matt Dolan (R-Cuyahoga County) and the Ohio General Assembly members for acting quickly to amend authorization into the Senate bill. 

The amendment to SB 310 that made the payment possible, meanwhile, is the product of broad cooperation among DD system stakeholders. After OACB summarized superintendents' concerns and proposals to state leaders, the Ohio Health Care Association (OHCA) quickly joined OACB's advocacy efforts and played a crucial role in its ultimate success. OACB also appreciates the support that the Ohio Provider Resource Association (OPRA) offered for this plan. The three organizations submitted joint testimony in favor of SB 310 on December 15th ( click to read).

We have now mailed out a survey to all the parents with kids between the age of 3 to 21 and receive services. We have posted that survey on our website if that is a more convenient way to fill out the form. It is vital to receive that information back because we try to tailor some new services to meet the kids' and parents' needs. Please take a moment to fill that out and send it in. We appreciate you doing that for us! 

Our board meetings will continue to be held virtual, with only a few board members and staff attending in person due to the pandemic. The attorney general has extended this to be allowed until July 1st. Information about being a part of the meeting virtually can be found on our website. Our meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 5 pm.  

We also wanted to make sure and thank our tremendous Board of Portage DD members. This hasn't been an easy year on them either. They have stayed strong, patient, and kind to help guide the agency. They are selfless, as all of them volunteer their time, energy, and passion for keeping this organization moving in the right direction. We are confident that is what is happening, thanks in part to their dedication. Additionally, it is important to mention two of our board members have completed their time on the board, as of December 31, 2020. Carol Fruscella has served on the board for the last four years, and John Gargan Jr has been on our board for almost 11 years. We appreciate you and will miss you both!  

Thank you again for your continued support. We are incredibly grateful for all your help! We will get through this together! Portage DD will continue to be available via phone, email, and virtual meeting (ZOOM or TEAMS) as we navigate these unique times together. Portage DD will continue to strive to meet and exceed your expectations. 

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.

Sincerely,

John Vennetti