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Colorado County approves 2026 inmate medical contract with Southern Health Partners, adds nursing hours
Summary
The commissioners approved a one-year Health Services Agreement with Southern Health Partners for jail medical services starting Jan. 1, 2026, setting the annual base price at $160,865.04 and increasing onsite nursing coverage to 40 hours per week; the motion passed 5-0.
Colorado County Commissioners on Jan. 21 approved a one-year Health Services Agreement with Southern Health Partners, Inc. (SHP) to provide medical, dental and basic mental-health services at the Colorado County Detention Center. Commissioner Darrell Gertson moved to approve the contract and Commissioner Keith Neuendorff seconded; the motion passed unanimously, 5-0.
The contract takes effect Jan. 1, 2026, and runs through Dec. 31, 2026, with automatic one-year extensions subject to annual appropriation. The county's packet cites an annualized base price of $160,865.04, billed in monthly installments of $13,405.42; the contract also includes a per-diem adjustment of $1.64 for each inmate averaged above 80 residents. Future-years' pricing includes a 4% increase in the second and third contract years (as stated in the contract). SHP will provide a staffing plan that includes 40 nursing hours per week of onsite weekday coverage, an increase from the 30 hours reported under the prior arrangement.
Why it matters: the agreement governs clinical staffing, emergency arrangements, medical record custodianship, and the division of financial responsibility for specialized care. Jail Administrator Ashley Laake and Sheriff Justin Lindemann told the court the staffing increase is needed because of rising inmate population and medical acuity and to meet Texas jail-standards expectations. In a letter attached to the record, the Sheriff's Office said the current staffing was "no longer sufficient to ensure timely and adequate healthcare services" and recommended increasing onsite hours from 30 to 40 per week.
Key contract terms in the county record include SHP responsibility for physician and nursing staffing, nursing supplies and administrative services, while the county retains financial responsibility for outside specialist care, prescription medications, dialysis and other major chronic-care costs. The agreement defines SHP's emergency obligations, coordination for off-site specialty care and a procedure for handling staffing gaps; it also details recordkeeping responsibilities and contingency plans for staffing agency use.
SHP's regional correspondence included a renewal-pricing note citing market pressures on wages and benefits; the packet records SHP's contact information and states SHP may seek modest pricing adjustments tied to labor-cost changes under certain circumstances.
The commissioners directed appropriate signatures and ordering of documents. County minutes note an audio recording and that follow-up procurement and budget steps will be processed through the County Auditor and Sheriff as required.
