County warns jail faces medical-services gap after contractor withdrawal; commissioners seek contingency plan

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 but timing did not allow a proposal.

Commissioner Clayton and the chair pushed for immediate contingency planning, suggesting outreach to local providers, interim contracting, or hiring a nurse through the county health department. "We can't have that happen in 30 days," Commissioner Clayton said, urging staff to find options to avoid patient furloughs or exposure to liability.

A local health-system representative, introduced in the meeting as Everett, told the board that vendor withdrawal is driven in part by uncapped liability and litigation exposure. "If we have another claim, we may lose our medical malpractice coverage altogether," Everett said, framing the provider pullback as a statewide trend that has left multiple counties scrambling. He recommended state-level rule changes and local hiring where feasible.

Barker and others described outreach already underway: requests for proposals sent to multiple providers, conversations with regional firms (including Medeco), and contact with the Department of Corrections medical director and local health partners. Barker said some vendors expressed willingness if timing could be adjusted; others declined because of operational constraints.

The board discussed short-term options including contracting with a local provider on a stopgap basis, hiring an in-house nurse, contacts with Providence and regional partners, and potential legislative advocacy to limit exposure and stabilize vendor markets. Commissioners also noted the broader public-health value of jail-based services, citing long-acting buprenorphine and behavioral-health supports that could be lost without a medical contract.

Next steps: Jail leadership will continue outreach to prospective vendors and report back to the board. Commissioners asked staff to identify interim options and to prepare testimony for state legislators about contracting and liability challenges if needed.

Quotes from the meeting are verbatim and attributed to speakers who spoke on the record.