County chief clerk instrumental in jail's transition to new health provider
Apr. 18—COAL TOWNSHIP — County officials lauded Northumberland County Chief Clerk Nate Savidge for his help as the county jail transitions to new health care providers.
Northumberland County Commissioner Sam Schiccatano praised Savidge, saying he has been a fixture at the prison since commissioners decided in February to eliminate PrimeCare Medical, of Harrisburg, as the primary health provider to the jail in Coal Township.
"He (Savidge) has been doing a great job for us," Schiccatano said. "He has kept a watchful eye on things and we are happy to learn this transition is going smoothly.
"I can't say enough about the wonderful job he is doing."
Savidge said the transition has been a trying task.
"We restocked everything from medical to office supplies," Savidge said. "We have had great partners who have been with us through the transition to help ensure continuity of care. We hope this transition continues to improve services provided while giving the county more control over expenditures."
Warden Thomas Reisinger said Savidge has been at the facility in his free time trying to expedite the switch.
"He (Savidge) has been a tremendous help in this transition," Reisinger said. "He has been at the jail on his own time and making sure everything has been going well."
Savidge said a primary care physician will provide regular care with nursing staff.
Savidge said he is also helping put together various new health care programs inside the jail.
"We are expanding mental health services," he said. "We will have an onsite counselor who is experienced in drug and alcohol, individual and group therapy.
"This person will also be able to work one-on-one with inmates. We have expanded these services for even the severe cases we have in the jail."
Savidge said the new program is a start-to-finish program for inmates who are just brought in to intake, all the way through release.
"This not only makes sense to rehabilitate a person, but it makes financial sense to keep them out of jail and become a productive member of society," he said.
Commissioners agreed to join the Prison Inmate Medical Cost Containment program through the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania in February.
Commissioners Schiccatano, Joe Klebon and Meghan Beck all voted to enter into an intergovernmental cooperation agreement to participate in the new program which started on March 1.
The new agreement eliminated the use of PrimeCare Medical which had been with the prison since 2018.
One of the issues with PrimeCare Medical, Schiccatano said, was a disagreement between the acceptance of inmates from municipal police departments at the facility in Coal Township.
Schiccatano said the rising cost of medical care and the amount of issues being brought forward by various police departments led commissioners to make the switch.
The new system is designed to provide a quality managed care program that allows the county to choose its own medical cost saving program, Schiccatano said.
The current cost of about $1.5 million will now be greatly reduced at the jail for its medical care, he said.
