New county jail medical services contract will not included enhanced care for inmates

Richland County has a new contract with a new provider for medical services for county jail inmates.

County commissioners on Tuesday approved a one-year contract with the option of three one-year renewals with Southern Health Partners Inc. of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The contract, which is effective April 1, calls for the county to pay $700,590 the first year with “locked in” 4% increases each of the first two option years and a renegotiated price the final year. The county paid the current provider, Advanced Health Care, around $607,000 for jail health services in 2023 and allocated $760,000 in that budget line item for this year.

Commissioners voted in January to put out a request for proposals for inmate health services after Advanced Correctional Health care indicated the cost would increase 33% to more than $800,000 if the county exercised its final one-year renewal option. The company has been working under a one-month contract extension.

The RFP included two options ― one that would continue current services, and a second that would provide two licensed practical nurses 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. The second option involved enhancements that included a comprehensive drug and alcohol treatment program with regular assessments for inmates who are experiencing severe withdrawal or mental health issues and a health appraisal of a inmates by a nurse within 2 hours of their walking into the jail.

Blunk on Tuesday said officials decided not to take the second option because it would have put the total cost at just over $1.1 million.

“I am still going to be looking for grants and other resources to provide that MAT (medical assisted treatment) program,” Blunk said.

Another company that submitted a proposal had the cost with the second option at $1.8 million. SHP had the lower prices on both options.

Bids sought for jail food service

Commissioners also voted to advertise for bids for a new food service contract for the jail and the Community Alternative Center. The contract with Trinity Services Group Inc. of Oldsmar, Florida, expires May 28.

Central Services Administrator Rachel Troyer said the county spent $458,928 for jail food service in 2023.

During 2024 budget reviews this past fall, Blunk proposed nearly doubling the food service line item in order to replace eight jail inmates who work in the kitchen with people employed by the contractor in an effort to improve security and safety. However, Blunk on Tuesday said the RFP calls for inmates to continue working in the kitchen in order to save money.

The deadline for submitting proposals is April 9.

Commissioners OK JFS pay raises

Commissioners also voted to approve a new wage scale and pay raises for 17 employees at Job and Family Services who are in administrative supervisory position who are not in the department’s collective bargaining unit. The increases include a 3% cost-of-living adjustment and a 2% equity adjustment, retroactive to Jan. 4, with those at the top of the wage scale for their position receiving a lump sum. Director Lori Bedson received a 3% pay raise.

“The reason why we did all this is because our union staff was catching up with their supervisors and were getting paid very similar, and we felt the supervisor position should be making more money than the people they are supervising,” Commissioner Darrell Banks said.

County Administrator Andrew Keller said Bedson spent the past four months looking at the wages for non-bargaining employees in the administrative section of the department compared to some of the collective bargaining raises over the past several years.

He said the adjustments to the pay grades was done with the help of Clemens Nelson and Associates, which has been working with the county over the past several years to review job descriptions and pay rates for county departments.

“It’s a very dynamic market, right now, especially in social services, and that’s what necessitated the review,” Keller explained.

In other business, commissioners approved a $46,240 contract with Coleman Asphalt of Shelby to resurface parking lots at Job and Family Services, the Peoples Center and the courthouse. They also authorized Jefferson Township to participate in the county’s centralized purchasing contract for gasoline.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Commissioners approve jail medical services contract, JFS pay hikes