Pitt County commissioners were surprised this week when they learned Sheriff Paula Dance hasn’t sought bids they authorized in July for providing jail medical services.
Instead, the sheriff is negotiating a new contract with WellPath, the company that has provided medical services at the Pitt County Detention Center since 2021.
Detention Center Chief Lim Capehart asked for the commissioners’ permission to solicit a request for proposals after WellPath sought a contract with an increase that was 22 percent above the agreed upon rate.
Capehart said the proposals would be solicited in August with the goal of awarding the contract in early October and the new provider starting in November.
During Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, Drs. Mark Cervi and Gary Leonhardt alerted the commissioners that the RFP had not been published. Cervi and Leonhardt provided jail health services between 2001 and 2021.
The doctors said they were planning to submit a proposal to provide health services and wanted to know why the RFP hadn’t been released.
“Having a physician or nurse practitioner on site is critical,” Cervi said. “Inmates with severe, complex medical and psychiatric conditions require close attention and examination.”
Cervi said he and Leonhardt can provide better medical service than the current provicer.
He has information that WellPath sends individuals with wounds that need suturing to ECU Health Medical Center instead of performing the work at the detention center. Cervi said the previous company provided suturing and similar care at the jail.
Leonhardt said he was part of the team that started the Sheriff’s Heroin Addiction Recovery Program, also known as the S.H.A.R.P. program. The program has since received a statewide award recognizing its innovation.
Commissioner Tom Coulson asked why the RFP had not been issued.
County Manager Janis Gallagher said she learned last month that the sheriff was negotiating a new contract with WellPath.
“Our last communication on Aug. 27 was that (Dance) was waiting for a proposed contract from WellPath, that she preferred not to issue an RFP and that she was going to bring to the Board of Commissioners the proposed contract and proposed budget amendment to discuss next steps,” Gallagher said.
After the commissioners approved soliciting an RFP, Gallagher asked the sheriff’s office to let her review the document before it was released. Gallagher said Dance agreed.
Gallagher asked for an update in late August because she had not received the RFP.
The attorney for the sheriff’s office told Gallagher that the sheriff’s office was negotiating with WellPath because the company had not terminated its contract.
Gallagher told the attorney that since the commissioners had approved an RFP, the sheriff couldn’t enter into a contract with WellPath without the commissioners’ approval.
The attorney told Gallagher the sheriff was waiting for a revised contract before taking any other action.
Gallagher said a new contract with a rate increase above the 5 percent budgeted in the county’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget would require a budget amendment that had to be approved by the commissioners.
Gallagher said she had received no additional information.
Coulson said it doesn’t appear WellPath had a good record of providing medical care. The county should not continue doing business with the company even if its new contract come in low, he said.
Dance was not immediately available for comment about Monday’s discussion.
After Cervi and Leonhardt spoke, Sharon MacDonald Evans spoke about the commissioners’ failure to approve a pay raise for Dance.
During spring budget discussions Dance requested a 12 percent pay raise that the commissioners denied.
Since then a group of Dance supporters, including Evans, has repeatedly used the Board of Commissioners public comments period to lobby for a 25 percent pay raise for the sheriff.
Evans said there are discrepancies in the process for deciding who gives what raises beyond cost of living adjustments.
“What are they based on, how are we valuing our employees and what demands and responsibilities we place on different individuals,” Evans said. Dance had received “noticeably less substantial increase than other department heads.”
In other business during Monday’s meeting the commissioners:
Authorized Pitt Area Transit to apply for a $249,273 Community Transportation grant for fiscal year 2025-26. If awarded, the county must pay a $37,391 match.Voted 5-4 to send Pitt County’s legislative delegation a second letter urging them to support the Affordable Connectivity Act, which provides assistance to help low-income families pay for internet access. The letter would include data about how many Pitt County families relied on the assistance, which ended this spring because Congress didn’t renew the funding. The vote also added support of the act to the county’s federal legislative priorities. The commissioners twice voted on the motion when Coulson said he mistakenly voted in favor of the motion when he meant to vote no. The other no voters included Commissioners Benji Holloman, Mark Smith and Lauren White. Commissioners Beth Ward, Christopher Nunnally, Mary Perkins-Williams, Melvin McLawhorn and Ann Floyd Huggins voted for the motion.Voted 5-4 to appoint former Greenville City Councilman Brian Meyerhoeffer to the Pitt County ABC Board. Ward, Holloman, Smith, White and Coulson voted for Meyerhoeffer’s appointment while Huggins, Nunnally, McLawhorn and Perkins-Williams voted no.Voted 8-1 to appoint former County Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick chairman of the ABC Board. Huggins cast the lone no vote. Huggins said in the past the ABC Board appointed its chairman. County Attorney Matt Gibson said state legislation requires the Board of Commissioners to make the appointment.Recognized Deborah Connor, food and nutrition services case manager with the Department of Social Services, as county employee of the month.Recognized Daniel Mills, Joshua Ferrell and Frankie Kennedy for achieving Eagle Scout designation.Proclaimed Oct. 3 as Better Skills, Better Job Fair Day. The event brings local employers and potential employees together.Proclaimed Oct. 4-11 National Manufacturing Week. The county’s existing large and small industry of the year will be recognized Oct. 8 during an Existing Industries reception being held at the Hilton Greenville.Proclamation recognizing Oct. 6-12 as National Fire Prevention Week.
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