County staff recommend Medeco as preferred jail medical provider; negotiations and transition planning to follow

Spokane County staff briefed the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 30 about an abbreviated request‑for‑proposals process to replace the county's detention medical provider after NavCare/Everhealth gave notice of contract termination. The county team recommended Medeco as the preferred provider and asked the board to approve advancing to contract negotiations and to include a resolution on the Oct. 7 consent agenda.

Presenters said they conducted an expedited procurement, solicited proposals from four vendors, scored proposals across evenly weighted criteria (service offering and staffing model, competency/experience, interview engagement, transition plan and best value) and recommended Medeco as the top scorer. A staff presenter summarized, "Ultimately, our recommendation to the board is that we move forward with Medeco as a preferred medical service provider." The team said Medeco has Washington experience (examples cited: Nisqually and King County facilities), East Coast history and a single physician owner who oversees operations; staff noted no judgments or settlements in the company’s 28‑year history as presented by the vendor.

Staff outlined next steps: bring a resolution to the Oct. 7 consent agenda to authorize contract negotiations and begin a transition plan. Presenters said negotiations might take about 60 days; the preferred start date discussed was Feb. 1 with a 3‑to‑4‑year contract term and annual renewals. Ken (project lead) said, "what we would hope for is probably a 3 to 4 year contract with annual renewals that would kick off February 1," and staff said they would try to secure an extension from NavCare/Everhealth to lengthen the transition window if needed. The team emphasized the importance of a robust transition plan (they preferred closer to a 60‑day transition rather than 30 days) and said they will return to the board for final contract approval after negotiations.

Commissioners asked about competency scoring and mental‑health medication prescribing workflows; staff said site providers will continue to handle medication prescribing, while on‑site mental‑health practitioners will conduct assessments and coordinate care. No formal contract vote occurred at the briefing; staff requested direction to move forward with negotiations and to return with a finalized contract for board approval.