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Sheriff warns of nurse resignation and rising jail medical costs as MAT program grows
Summary
County jail staff described a medically assisted treatment (MAT) program serving inmates and warned that a jail nurse’s resignation (effective Dec. 31) could force the county to expand part‑time hours or contract outside medical services at substantially higher cost.
Sheriff’s office and jail officials told commissioners the jail’s MAT program has expanded and that nursing workload has increased — staff reported 12 inmates on Suboxone and extensive medication administration duties that take 25–27 hours per week.
The jail nurse has submitted a resignation effective Dec. 31 to take a higher‑paying hospital position, and officials said the county may need to increase part‑time nursing hours, reclassify the position, or contract with a third‑party corrections health provider. Commissioners cited prior RFP responses that put third‑party contract costs in the range of about $250,000–$400,000 annually for smaller facilities, while in‑house nursing wages cited in discussion ranged from roughly $30 per hour (current county nurse) to $48 per hour at a hospital.
County staff asked the budget and personnel committees to review options; commissioners agreed to follow the personnel process for reclassification requests and to schedule budget discussions with department heads. The sheriff and staff said they will present proposed adjustments to staffing and budget lines for committee review; no final hiring or contracting action was taken at the Nov. 25 meeting.
Commissioners also discussed partnerships with local hospitals, Lifeways and other providers to deliver mental health and MAT services and emphasized the need to identify sustainable funding paths.
