Three-county sheriffs back exploring shared medical director; staff target late-2028 to 2029 start

Staff (S19) provided an update on a proposal for a shared medical director to serve three county sheriff's offices. The group has met twice and the sheriffs expressed support for a hybrid model that keeps local nursing staff within each sheriff's office while exploring a shared physician medical director to oversee protocols and regional clinical guidance. "The 3 sheriffs have said pretty firmly 01/01/2029 is a good target," S19 said, while adding staff believe 01/01/2028 may be possible with sufficient follow-up work.

Staff outlined next steps: Dakota County risk management will report on liability implications, and staff (including Jeff Tate and others) will survey multi-county models elsewhere to inform a JPA and timeline. Commissioners discussed candidate qualifications (likely a physician) and the potential for supporting nurse practitioners or physician assistants under the director. No formal intergovernmental agreement or hiring decision was made at this session; staff sought board input on realistic timelines and requested additional guidance to present to sheriffs and the respective boards.