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County warns jail faces medical-services gap after contractor withdrawal; commissioners seek contingency plan
Summary
Walla Walla County jail commander told commissioners the jail will not have an on-site medical contract after Dec. 31 unless the county secures a provider; commissioners and local partners urged immediate contingency planning and legislative engagement on liability issues affecting vendors.
County jail leadership told the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 1 that the jail will lack a medical-services contractor after Dec. 31 unless a replacement vendor is found or the county pursues an interim plan.
Jail Commander Steve Barker said the average daily population is about 81 and that medical services are currently provided under a contract that expires at year-end. "As of right now, if we have medical emergencies or we're going to be doing a lot of trips around town, we won't be able to even hand out pills, prescriptions," Barker said, adding that short-term extensions have been unsuccessfully pursued and that one prospective firm expressed interest…
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