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Health care services contract for jail approved The Clarke County Commission approved Monday beginning the process for a contract with Southern Health Partners (SHP) of Chattanooga, Tenn. for providing health care services for the county jail. Brice Paul, an SHP representative, spoke to the commission regarding the service, which would cost the county $118,500 the first year with a fixed 3.5 percent increase for each of the next two years. Approximately $30,000 of that price will go for outside care (such as trips to the hospital or dentist). If outside care goes more than $30,000-ayear, the county would have to pay for the overage. There is an initial 90-day period where both parties can terminate the contract. SHP will provide nurses and doctors on site at the jail and will pay for transporting inmates offsite for medical reasons. The company also has a mobile X-ray lab that can be used at the jail. "Our main goal is to treat that inmate in the jail for as long as we possibly can," Paul said. The SHP staff will be able to evaluate which inmates are truly sick and which are claiming they are sick just to get out of their cells. It is hoped that such a prescreening will eliminate much of the transporting of inmates to doctors offsite. That would also eliminate chances for escape or the inmate being harmed by someone on the outside. The jail has a 115 average daily population of inmates, Paul said, and the facility would need a nurse for approximately 40 hours-a-week. After 14 days in the jail, the nurse will perform a full medical background on each inmate. If an inmate sues over inadequate health care, there is a $1 million liability policy for each commissioner and the sheriff. Paul warned that one problem his company is seeing is a rise in tuberculosis cases in jails. "Those correction officers have a right to a safe place to work," he said. Paul said there had been 13 positive contagious TB cases in Alabama jails in the last 18 months. In addition, methamphetamine (meth) addicts also are losing their teeth and requiring dental visits. Very contagious staph infections are also becoming a problem. "Once it gets started, it's tough to do anything with." Commissioner Rhondel Rhone said counties were having a problem getting reimbursed for state inmates that could not be moved from county jails due to overcrowding. The county then must endure increased health care costs. Despite the state's attempts to ease overcrowding by moving inmates to Louisiana prisons, "the state is in a pretty bad situation," Paul said. "…The outlook for moving people to the penitentiary from the county jail is not going to be very good until we build some more penitentiaries in Alabama." (Paul was sheriff of Coffee County for 16 years.) The county is currently spending more than $148,000 a year on healthcare for inmates, said County Administrator Annie Deloise Morris. A few of the commissioners had seen the company's work in Covington County, where SHP has been in operation for almost three years. "I was real impressed with the operation," Rhone said. "I don't see any downside to this," said Commissioner Paul Bradford. "…I think we are going to save some money." County attorney Bruce Wilson will work with SHP on the contract in the coming weeks. Other business In other action from Tuesday's meeting, the commission approved extension of the county Enterprise Zones to the industrial park in Grove Hill. This designation includes more than 100 acres including 40 acres the county owns around the Hamilton Building and city property around the airport, said Debra Bolen, executive director of the Clarke County Economic Development Partnership. Within Enterprise Zones, incentives are offered such as abatement of county ad valorem taxes and sales use taxes. Such incentives would have to be approved by the town of Grove Hill, she said. •A new polling place for the Morvin community was approved. The polling place is being moved from Camp Morvin to the Walnut Grove Missionary Church. This was an emergency move because the presidential preference primary will be Feb. 5. There are more than 260 people who have voted in the Morvin community. In addition, the commission voted to increase the payment from $50 to $100 to property owners where polling places are situated. •Renewals of short-term loans from Merchants Bank and First United Security Bank were approved. The Merchants Bank loan was secured due to the lack of sales tax revenue, Wilson said, and the First United Security loan was secured to complete the courthouse renovation. •James Gates, Equipment Operator III with the county road and bridge department, and Jamie Jackson, Equipment Operator II, were approved for permanent status. •County Engineer Sam Noble reported that county roads north of Highway 84 were officially closed for a three-hour period the afternoon of Jan. 19 due to the snowy conditions. •A new Waters Family Cemetery was approved off Matthews Cemetery Road.
•Commissioners Paul Bradford, Joe Hunt and Rhondel Rhone announced at the end of Tuesday's meeting that they intend to run for re-election this year.
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