FARMINGTON – A company that provided medical services to Franklin County inmates ceased operations Monday until an agreement with Franklin County commissioners is reached.

Commissioners learned of Allied Resources for Correctional Health Inc.’s intent late Sunday afternoon after jail administrator Sandra Collins visited the facility and opened a certified letter from Allied mailed Thursday and received Saturday.

Collins set a meeting for 3 p.m. Tuesday with Allied representatives.

Although the letter stated the representatives of the Augusta-based company would be available Monday, calls indicated they had prior commitments and were unavailable, Sheriff Dennis Pike told county commissioners at an emergency meeting.

ARCH submitted its intent to opt-out of its three-year contract in a July 31 letter. The contract expires Dec. 31. Although there is an opt-out clause in the contract, commissioners decided to hold the jail’s health contractor to the agreement, which requires a 60-day written notice before termination. That period ends Sept. 30.

After receiving no bids to provide the service, commissioners voted last Tuesday to ask ARCH to continue providing services until at least November, recognizing it will cost about 8 percent above the contract price.

“This has left us in a quandary,” Pike said. “Allied agreed that they would not leave us uncovered.”

Pike authorized Collins to administer existing medications Monday morning but for new prescriptions or emergency care, the facility will have to rely on the hospital, he said.

Approximately six or seven inmates receive medication twice a day for everything from diabetes to heart conditions and mental illness, Collins said.

In the letter, ARCH raised concerns about media coverage not being “conducive to effective negotiations between ARCH and the county.”

Finances are one element requiring discussion before continued association with the county according to the letter. Other issues of performance and procedures at the jail, which present potential liability for ARCH, were included in a May letter sent to Pike and have not been resolved, according to the new letter.

The May letter also included the provider’s financial position, which said contract costs exceed income, leaving a loss over the past five years.

Pike said previously an Allied representative stated it was losing $600 a month providing service to the Franklin County Jail.

“If they would come to us and say we would continue for X number of dollars, but they won’t tell us what they need. They need to tell the sheriff what the problems are,” said Commissioner Fred Hardy.

Commissioner Gary McGrane agreed, saying he wasn’t sure the board is aware of the issues.

Two commissioners will meet with ARCH representatives and jail representatives Tuesday to hear their concerns and perhaps negotiate continued service.

But the board also decided to continue to seek alternatives and options for inmate health care.

Although “guardedly optimistic” that Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington will submit a proposal by mid-November, Pike stated a verbal assurance that FMH would provide the Band-Aid needed until something else could be done.