Commissioners approve modification to inmate-healthcare contract with Adventist Health Tillamook

The Tillamook County Board of Commissioners on March 5 approved Modification No. 3 to Professional Services Agreement No. 6051 with Northwest Medical Foundation of Tillamook, doing business as Adventist Health Tillamook, to continue inmate health-care services in the county jail.

Rachel Haggerty, Tillamook County Chief Administrative Officer, said the modification covers the period Feb. 1, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025, and adds $300,000 for the annual cost; she described it as the last annual modification before a new contract expected to take effect Feb. 1, 2025. "This is the final modification number 3 with a term of 02/01/2024 to 01/31/2025, and it adds $300,000 for the annual cost," Haggerty said.

Sheriff Josh Brown explained that medical services in the jail are mandatory and described the services as necessary for the county’s legal responsibility to people in custody. Commissioners expressed support for continuing the provider relationship; one commissioner noted that the vendor would not provide services without a contract.

A commissioner moved approval of Modification No. 3; another commissioner seconded. The motion passed during the meeting.

Why it matters: The contract funds ongoing medical care for people held in the county jail. The board and jail leadership characterized the services as legally required and operationally essential.

Additional details: Haggerty described the agreement as large and cumulative: the addition in this modification brings the cumulative contract value to roughly $1,500,000 to date. The county said no change in the vendor was proposed at this meeting; a new or cleaned-up contract is expected to be presented to the board with an effective date of Feb. 1, 2025.