FARMINGTON – Franklin County commissioners voted Tuesday to have Sheriff Dennis Pike procure the Franklin Community Health Network to provide health services to inmates at the jail. The arrangement will exist until the contract is rebid, which is no later than Nov. 18.

The decision came a day after Allied Resources for Correctional Health Inc.’s terminated it services as of 12:01 a.m. Monday.

State requirement

The state requires a jail to provide medical services to inmates, Pike said. He negotiated a deal with the Network to provide the care on a fee for service basis.

Pike said it would be cheaper than having to shut down the jail and transport inmates to other facilities. The Network started providing the service Tuesday morning. Two of the contractors that had provided service through Allied, now work for the Network, Pike said.

The only change in the service is a physician’s assistant will provide the care under a licensed medical doctor, Pike said.

Contract terminator

Allied sent a letter to commissioners July 31 stating it wanted to terminate its contract on Aug. 31 with the Franklin County jail due to some unresolved issues. The company’s three-year contract was to expire Dec. 31. Among those issues that were stated in a May 14 letter, were the company was losing money providing services – estimated to be at least $7,500 loss if the year was completed. Other concerns included controlled medication accountability, access to necessary coordinated psychiatric services, inmate misbehavior and health care staff safety, nursing sick call every evening. Company President Al Cichon told commissioners Tuesday those issues remained.

Pike replied he and jail Administrator Sandra Collins addressed what was under their control and the rest were contractual issues.

Held to contract

Commissioners held Allied to a 60-day termination notice that extended the service to Sept. 29, instead of Aug. 31. In the meantime, request for bids were sent out to see if another provider could be found.

No bids came in by the deadline Sept. 16 but a letter from the Health Network was received. It was reviewed by commissioners Sept. 23.

Temporary service

The Network indicated it was willing to provide services but needed more time to put a package together and expected it would be ready by mid-November. The Network did note, that if necessary, they would provide services in the interim.

Commissioners directed Collins on Sept. 23 to see if Allied would continue providing services, which included medication passes and sick call.

Collins told commissioners Tuesday she contacted Allied and was told that its board was to meet Sept. 24, and the request would be discussed then. She said she did not hear back from them until she went to the office Sunday afternoon and there was a letter from the company.

Slack said letters were faxed on Sept. 25 to Pike, Collins and commissioners indicating they were willing to meet to discuss continuing service. Slack also said he talked to Collins on Sept. 25 and gave her a summation of the letter.

All three said they did not receive a faxed letter, and Collins adamantly denied speaking to Slack on Sept. 25. She was in and out of the office, she said, and kept checking for a reply.

Slack said he could not understand why the county waited until Sept. 23 to contact them to stay on when they knew they had no bids on Sept. 16. It gave them only five days to prepare, he said.

The bids are sent to commissioners and it was unknown until Sept. 23, if there were bids.

Cichon’s request an executive session was passed over.

“My assumption was you made it clear you didn’t want the job,” Commissioner Fred Hardy of New Sharon said to Slack. “We were being left without any coverage.”