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Sheriff urges funding for 24/7 medical care at new detention center; council hears $910,000 annual estimate and interim options
Summary
The Lancaster County sheriff requested funding for continuous medical coverage at the county's planned detention center. Staff presented a roughly $910,000 annual cost for 24/7 medical staffing; council members discussed interim or phased approaches and asked staff to explore RFP options and interim solutions.
Lancaster County sheriff and county staff told the council the county will need to provide full 24/7 medical coverage when the new detention center opens and that the recurring cost presented for that service is about $910,000 per year.
At the meeting the sheriff said the new facility includes a medical wing and that full 24‑hour care will be required; he said partial coverage (for example 16 or 18 hours) would not meet the operational needs. Council members asked whether the county could phase funding (for example, begin funding in January) or identify interim partial solutions to reduce the first‑year budgetary impact. The sheriff replied that the county could elect to start funding mid‑year but that a full 24‑hour service will ultimately be required when the facility opens.
Staff and the sheriff noted that some interim options might include contracting with outside providers or issuing a request for proposals (RFP) to see whether nurse practitioners or other configurations could provide appropriate coverage at lower cost; staff said an RFP had not yet been released. Members asked staff to explore RFP options and report back; one council member recommended funding half of the first year as a compromise and another asked staff to identify interim measures so the expense will not “hit us so hard” in the opening year.
Council discussion also noted an operational cost tradeoff: without on‑site medical care, deputies must transport detainees to urgent care or hospital emergency departments and deputies may be tied up at those facilities, which affects EMS and patrol availability. Staff advised that contracting and space issues remain to be resolved and that a full staffing plan would accompany the facility opening timeline. The administrator and sheriff said positions for the medical service would likely be contracted rather than county hires, and council asked staff to return with cost alternatives and sourcing options in time for budget readings.
No formal vote or appropriation was taken; council directed staff to return with procurement options and cost breakdowns for potential interim and full‑year coverage.
