— Costs for providing medical services at the Renville County Jail will likely double due to the expected loss of the current provider.
Current provider MEnD Correctional Care has filed for bankruptcy protection, Sheriff Scott Hable and Jail Administrator Ned Wohlman told the
Board of Commissioners on Dec. 19.
Wohlman is currently developing a request for proposals aimed at awarding a contract for medical services to
Advanced Correctional Healthcare
.
According to its website, it is the largest privately-owned county jail health care provider in the United States, operating health care teams and customized programs in a variety of correctional settings across 19 states.
The firm previously provided medical services to the jail. It was replaced as the medical services provider when a lower bid was awarded to MEnD Correctional Care, Hable and Wohlman told the commissioners.
The jail is currently paying just north of $130,000 annually to MEnD Correctional Care. The cost for the identical services from Advanced Correctional Healthcare are projected to cost $260,000, the sheriff said.
They are hoping to meet a timetable calling for signing a contract on Jan. 24 and for services to begin Feb. 1. They are also hoping that MEnD Correctional Care will continue to provide medical services through Feb. 1.
“If it doesn’t, we may be facing a different problem and a different decision to make,” Hable said.
The base services include 40 hours per week of on-site nursing service and one-half day per week of on-site physician or mid-level provider service.
Contributed
The contract includes a variety of other services as well.
For example, when an inmate arrives with prescriptions for medications, the jail’s medical provider is responsible for making sure the dosage and frequency of use is correct. Without that service, the jail staff would be at the mercy of the inmate’s word in administering the prescribed medications, the sheriff said.
The on-site medical service is important for the health needs of inmates as well as keeping care costs under control for the county. Absent the on-site care, there would be a need to transport inmates to emergency room care for a wide range of issues, they said.
Providing medical services to inmates is required by law. The sheriff and jail administrator said providing the service also protects the county from liability issues. The services include psychiatric care and evaluations, which is especially important in helping prevent suicides, they said.
Hable said the Renville County Jail administrator and a counterpart at another jail began corresponding with Advanced Correctional Healthcare as soon as they had heard suggestions about a possible bankruptcy filing by MEnD Correctional Care.
The early contact appears to have helped. Hable said their correspondence with Advanced Healthcare suggests the firm is willing to provide services again for the county.
He’s heard from other counties which have not heard back on their requests for services.
While the costs for service will roughly double, Hable and Wohlman said a contract with Advanced Correctional Healthcare appears to be the only viable option for continuing the same level of service.
Years ago, the county had relied on physician services from Advanced Correctional Healthcare and for nursing services from the county’s Public Health Department. The Public Health Department ended its involvement, believed largely due to liability concerns, according to Hable.
