Outreach and support for the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Federal Taskforce

TITLE : Outreach and support for the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Federal Taskforce 1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND Background This work supports the work of the multiple components and the mission of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP). The mission of OIDP is to provide strategic leadership and management while encouraging collaboration, coordination, and innovation among federal agencies and stakeholders, to reduce the burden of infectious diseases. OIDP is part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) in the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). To achieve this mission, OIDP works across HHS, and with other groups, to provide several basic functions: Coordinates and promotes collaboration among HHS agencies and other partners: OIDP serves as a coordinating office for infectious disease initiatives across HHS, including programs administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Indian Health Service (IHS) and other federal departments, including The White House. Provides strategic direction on research, prevention, and services to assist decision-makers: OIDP leads coordination efforts to develop, coordinate, and implement national strategies to prevent infectious diseases. These national strategies include the National HIV/AIDS Strategy , the Vaccines National Strategic Plan , the Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan , and the STI National Strategic Plan . In addition, OIDP manages federal advisory committees, which provide advice and recommendations to HHS on programs, policies, and research on key infectious disease topics. These committees include the Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability (ACBTSA), the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC), the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), and the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB). Supports innovation through technical assistance, and services: OIDP leverages communications platforms/digital tools, and technical assistance to promote the development and implementation of evidence-based initiatives that prevent and reduce infectious disease and address emerging outbreaks or new cases of disease. These activities are designed to address disparities and reduce the burden of infectious disease among all Americans. Educates professionals and consumers: OIDP promotes comprehensive education for health professionals, public health officials, researchers, policy makers, advocates, consumers, and others about preventing and reducing infectious diseases. OIDP's efforts include presidential, secretarial, and OIDP priorities . These priorities must be explained concisely and translated to the American public and key audiences to ensure their adoption and implementation, especially in the context of the emerging issues such as, syphilis, MPOX or other emerging diseases. Our priorities include advancing health equity, engaging partners including those with lived experience, centering communities, and strengthening public trust. OIDP leaders must be prepared and supported for both proactive and reactive media appearances and interviews and integrating priorities into all communication products developed under the contract. Objective To work with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to support and promote the efforts of the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Federal Taskforce to reduce the number of syphilis and congenital syphilis cases in the United States. 2. STATEMENT OF WORK – Severable Services The Contractor shall furnish all the necessary personnel, materials, services, facilities, (except as otherwise specified herein), and otherwise do all the things necessary for or incident to the performance of the work as set forth below: Task 1: Program Management Program Management is defined as all contractor management activities, as well as all forms of interaction and communication between the contractor and OIDP. Contract Kick-off and Planning: Within 5 days of contract award, the contractor shall host a kick-off meeting with OIDP to outline goals and schedules, as described in the Statement of Work (SOW). In this meeting, there will also be introductions of all participants, a discussion regarding work plans and deliverables for all tasks, ground rules for working together. This meeting will be held using a government approved virtual meeting application. Meeting Agendas and Minutes : All meetings between the contractor and OIDP will use a standardized agenda template to be provided by OIDP at kick-off. The contractor will provide a copy of the agenda three days in advance of each meeting. The contractor shall also take minutes using the agenda as a template. The minutes should be completed by the contractor and provided to the COR two days after the meeting is held. Monthly Progress Reports: The contractor shall submit succinct monthly progress reports (two to three pages), as determined by the COR. Progress reports shall include a description of progress, outcomes, and evaluation for each task within the contract activities during the reporting period, as well as any activities planned for the next reporting period. Task 2: Community of Practice ASTHO will work with the Task Force to bring together its member agencies for a series of cohort-based learning experiences consisting of didactic learning opportunities and discussion to promote peer-to-peer learning. These sessions are designed to achieve sustainable change and improvement with syphilis/congenital syphilis. The Task Force will join convenings when appropriate. These convenings will provide an opportunity State and territorial health officials, senior staff and other state health agency staff as determined by the jurisdiction (STI directors, maternal and family health, state epidemiologists, communicable disease managers, etc.) from the task force jurisdictions would be invited to participate. The community of practice would convene virtually, once a month, for 6 months. Session topics to be informed by assessments of the participating jurisdictions’ interests, technical assistance needs, and local/state areas of focus. Task 3: Information gathering With input from the Task Force, ASTHO will reach out to a subset of 59 state and territorial health departments to capture relevant successes, challenges, and opportunities related to syphilis and syndemic approaches. Discussion groups with ASTHO members and their staff Host at least one call per HHS Region to ensure there is adequate time to explore programs and policies. Task 4: Technical Assistance ASTHO will provide ongoing technical assistance (TA), with up to three site visits to provide more in-depth TA, across the jurisdictions as they address syphilis and congenital syphilis. Topics may include, but not be limited to, implementing point-of-care testing, prenatal syphilis screening laws and guidelines, negative test reporting, or cost effectiveness of repeat prenatal testing. Task 5: Resource development ASTHO will develop resources such as ASTHOBriefs, ASTHOConnects, or microlearnings to disseminate best practices and lessons learned through the communities of practice, information gathering efforts, or in-person meetings. The Task Force will provide input and clearance as needed.