County gets 3 proposals for jail medical services

FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County officials are evaluating three proposals to provide medical services in the county jail, 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; 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 that 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. 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 on Sunday. 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.

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.