OP-ED: New medical contract at jail will save money
With a new majority on the Washington County Board of Commissioners, we have shifted our approach of governance and have begun reviewing all county operations. Our most recent review uncovered excessive expenses related to the jail and for medical care for its inmates.
As stewards of your tax dollars, it is imperative that we give each issue careful analysis and due diligence. Following a thorough review of our jail, Chair Diana Irey Vaughan, myself and others have discovered that the best option is the privatization of medical care by PrimeCare. This will significantly reduce liability and costs. The county will see a dramatic fall in its liabilities to the jail from the decrease in lawsuits and improved care and a reduction in its costs due to PrimeCare’s ability to provide greater efficiencies for inmate care.
The mission of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) is to ensure a fair standard of medical care in jails is being met. It was important we sought this accreditation when selecting a provider. You must meet 100 criteria points to garner this accreditation, and I am proud to say that PrimeCare received this outstanding designation. This insures us that our inmates will have access to the necessary care.
Lastly, the sheriff’s office is responsible for transporting prisoners to doctor’s appointments, hospital visits in case of an emergency, and any other appointment or procedure. During these trips, a minimum of two county deputies must accompany the prisoner at all times. With some hospital stays lasting several days, this quickly adds up to a considerable amount of overtime at the taxpayers’ expense. Moreover, the mileage and wear and tear on vehicles throughout the year becomes substantial.
PrimeCare will allow county deputies to tackle more pressing issues such as our opioid epidemic, which has plagued our county for far too long. It’s just common sense to have all medical treatment of prisoners to occur in the jail as much as possible and not have the risks involved of constantly transporting them to and from medical facilities. This, along with the extensive cost, is not reasonable nor sustainable.
The ultimate goal here is to conduct more medical procedures in the jail, reduce hospital visits and trips performed by the sheriff’s office, and to reduce costs. It is that simple. That is what I promised to do if I were elected.
Nick Sherman is a Washington County commissioner.