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In the LPHA call today we were told renovations were no longer allowable after 2/1/24. How were we notified of this? And I was gettting approvals in March and April for renovations from DHSS.
The actual ELC COVID Nexus Clarification Document wording is this:
“Costs That are Currently Programmatically Unallowable
New incentive requests, new requests to purchase vehicles, furniture, and new requests for construction will no longer be supported. The allowance of these purchases was uniquely given during the pandemic, but they are not allowed under routine operations. This applies to recipients and subrecipients (e.g., LHDs).”Notice it states NEW requests for construction. Our renovation project was approved in November of 2023, it was not a new request and DHSS still pulled the rug out from under us. Local Public Health Departments are purely sub-recipient contractors not partners in Public Health, DHSS is there to regulate LPHA’s.
All,
I have provided documentation to my Representative Rudy Veit about this contract. He has had two different meeting scheduled with Ben – DHSS’s legislative liaison – and Ben keeps cancelling them at the last minute. Obviously, Ben doesn’t really want to meet about this issue. Rudy is also a lawyer and knows his stuff. He’s not happy with this situation. He has requested 2 things:
1. Send him your “story”. What DHSS previously approved and is now denying, etc. Rudy.veit@house.mo.gov
2. Contact your state rep and make them aware of this situation and have them talk to Rudy. There is strength in numbers.Please reach out if needed. Kristi 573-636-2181 x3103 or kcampbell@colecounty.org
Kristi thank you for the call this morning.
I have again listened to Paula’s meeting Tuesday and noted she reported they were doing internal reviews to assure compliance with CDC, for some reason I thought CDC had completed an audit?
I also had my items approved, concrete pad and flooring in March 2024. And, I don’t believe for one moment that Jennifer had been told this was unallowable and approved any way. I also remember them referring to “we have to send this to cdc team for approval”. Who was the CDC team that approved it? And didn’t know renovations and construction was disallowed Feb. 1.
Is there any chance that whomever was put in charge of this with Jennifer’s exodus (and God knows now I understand why she left), has misunderstood the guidance and is making adjustments that are unnecessary.
I have put in a request for personnel, because it is on the allowable list, however it appears they are now also telling us how much time is necessary etc. which means we are back to the old wic idea that I can bring in a CD, RN and use them just when there is a call about Covid and they will be fine with that? Find me that RN (with significant communicable disease background) who wants to be paid oncall time with no benefits and no regular schedule.
What is crazy is that they have been holding my first unpaid invoice since the beginning of August 2024 for the work in July–long before they released this stuff wouldn’t be paid. So to tell me now can’t be paid is just heartbreaking. I hope they agree that which was completed prior to the contract amendment must be covered.
And for Gods sake, someone send Jennifer an apology, because no one told her either. I kept feeling like she was a speed bump the entire time we listened to that call.
I feel Jennifer was a scapegoat. I agree that if she had been told of the changes then approvals would not have happened. Someone dropped the ball and she ended up leaving. Jennifer was ALWAYS good to me, explaining things when I had questions. I’m not talking about just ELC-ED but any of the projects she was a part of. It is just a shame that she left. I, too, had items I sent to Jennifer and I wrote justifications and she had someone to take it to for approval. Now they want more info.
Is anyone else ready to tell DHSS to shove their ELC-ED Funding??? I have around $16,000.00 in salary that I am trying to get paid for. How many damn times and different ways does a person have to send them the same paperwork. I am beyond frustrated!
Yes! I’m still frustrated and fighting about personnel costs, our medical director fee and EHR. I know others are getting paid for these things and that makes it seem like they are being subjective and picking favorites. I pretty much told Paula that and also said that efforts that she had made to form a collaborative partnership with LPHAs had been set fire to!
Rant – Warning!! So this stupid invoice template has exactly the same info as a DH-38 but we can’t use a DH-38 Now they was proof I paid my staff in the for of paystubs.
I did get my prior approval for staffing. Gee whiz thanks!Cheryl,
We are dealing with the exact same thing. We were told that we needed to submit paystubs and some kind of accounting for the hours (not conservative estimates). When we asked if other jurisdictions are submitting their staff hours in this manner we were told yes. When we asked if we could see what that looks like to understand what is being asked of us and an example of what they are needing, they said that would be “copying” and said that they would not supply any kind of template.
What hours are my staff working on these efforts? Varying amounts here and there throughout the week, just like anyone in any position doing any job. Nobody that I am aware of have staff that are exclusively doing ELC duties or even a set schedule of ELC activities.
We get things approved, and then the contract changes.
We get things approved, and then approval is rescinded.
We get things approved, and then our invoice for those services is challenged.The goalposts keep moving and we are exhausted. It’s beyond frustrating.
Has anyone gotten an invoice payment since July? I have submitted everything I was asked for and then some. I don’t know whether to ask about it or not.
I’m still waiting on apporvals/denials from the beginning of December that I submitted. Do we think anything will change positively, with Paula’s resignation/retirement?
I sent an email about my ‘prior approval’ for stethoscopes that I sent in December and in about 2 days got denial. Gee whiz………stethoscopes for goodness sakes. I wonder if this new lady has any clue what a mess she is getting into.
I have a theory that they had to pay back CDC and have no funds left and so they just deny everything. Just my 2 centsThis is the response I got a week ago when I checked in on the status.. “Thank you for letting us know. Your organization’s prior approval requests are currently under upper management review”. I wander who upper management is….
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