Washington County gets three proposals for jail health care contract

Washington County aims to have new provider by Jan. 1

Detainees populate a block Nov. 23 during a tour of the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville. 
(File Photo/NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
Detainees populate a block Nov. 23 during a tour of the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville. (File Photo/NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County officials are evaluating three proposals to provide medical services in the county's Detention Center, with costs ranging from about $2.2 million for two of the proposals to more than $5.6 million for the third.

County officials opened the proposals Wednesday afternoon and will go through a process to rank them according to how well they meet the county's criteria and then try to negotiate a contract.

The three proposals were from Turn Key Health Clinics, which included a cost of $2.3 million; from Karas Correctional Health, which included a cost of about $2.2 million; and Advanced Correctional Healthcare, which included a cost of about $5.6 million.

Karas is the current provider and a defendant in a lawsuit over its use of ivermectin to combat covid-19 among inmates. The county paid the company about $1.2 million in 2022, according to Sheriff-elect Jay Cantrell.

Cantrell told the Quorum Court's Jails, Law Enforcement and Courts Committee on Dec. 5 Karas notified the county it will terminate its contract to provide medical services to detainees at the jail as of Saturday. Cantrell said the company cited the increasing cost of medical malpractice insurance for its decision. He said the company indicated the cost of the insurance was increasing from $125,000 a year to $650,000 a year.

Washington County is Karas Correctional Health's only client. Karas has been Washington County's medical services provider since the contract was awarded in 2015 with the contract being renewed annually without bids nor proposals since that time, Cantrell said, and the company will continue to provide medical services through the end of the year.

Flint Junod, CEO of Turn Key Health Clinics, attended the opening and said his company could step in and provide medical services Jan. 1. Junod said the company, which is based in Oklahoma City, provides medical services to jails in Benton, Pulaski, Sebastian, Carroll, Boone and 13 other counties in Arkansas.

"We know how to provide the services that are needed," he said after the proposals were opened. "It's a tough turnaround time, but we have 700 people in the region, so we have people on standby waiting to hear from Washington County."

Brian Lester, county attorney, said the county judge has the authority to enter into a contingent contract, which would have medical services in place Sunday, and then go to the Quorum Court, which would have to appropriate the money for a new contract.

Cantrell said he's optimistic the county can have a health care provider in place by Sunday.

"I'm pleased that we got three proposals on such short notice," Cantrell said. "All three have the resources and the wherewithal to get it done."

Sarah Moore, with the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition, said she would like to see the county enter into a temporary or short-term agreement to get health care services in the immediate future and have a more open and extended period for providers to respond.

"In 2015, which was the last time it was bid out, there were five bids for the medical services contract," Moore said. "This is such short notice, it doesn't give time for all of the providers who might be interested time to respond with proposals. We would still like to see this as a short-term solution, maybe 90 days, to give us time for a more open and public process."

The ACLU of Arkansas filed a federal lawsuit in January on behalf of former detainees who claim they were unknowingly given ivermectin at the jail to treat covid-19 without their consent or being told the nature, contents or potential side effects of the drug.

The lawsuit says they were told the treatment consisted of vitamins, antibiotics and/or steroids. The lawsuit contends detainees were given ivermectin as early as November 2020 and didn't become aware of what the treatment was until July 2021.

Plaintiffs in the case include Edrick Floreal-Wooten, Jeremiah Little, Julio Gonzales, Dayman Blackburn and Thomas Fitch, who were housed in a quarantine block at the jail.

Defendants include Tim Helder, in his capacity as sheriff, Karas Correctional Health and Dr. Robert Karas. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn't approved ivermectin for use in treating or preventing covid-19 in humans, according to the lawsuit. It's approved to treat some parasitic worms, head lice and skin conditions but isn't an antiviral drug.

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Medical costs

Washington County paid about $1.2 million for medical services in the county’s Detention Center for 2022. The current contract for medical services expires on Dec. 31, and the county is evaluating three proposals for the service in 2023 with the cost ranging from $2.2 million to more than $5.6 million.

Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette

 


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