Dance says agreement for jail health care services in the works

A company that provides medical services for the Pitt County Detention Center is nearing a new agreement with sheriff’s officials over its fee demands that Sheriff Paula Dance says will produce the best result for taxpayers and inmates.

The Pitt County Board of Commissioners in July authorized the sheriff’s office to seek proposals for jail medical services after WellPath requested a fee increase that was 22 percent higher than the 5 percent annual increase allowed in its contract, which is in place through 2025.

Dance said her office and WellPath, which has provided medical services at the detention center since 2021, continued contract negotiations even when the company indicated in the spring it would exercise its right to cancel the existing contract if its requested increase was not met.

Detention Center Chief Lim Capehart asked for permission from The Pitt County Board of Commissioners to issue a request for proposals after the initial communications with WellPath.

Capehart told the board the proposals would be solicited in August with the goal of awarding the contract in early October and the new provider starting in November.

At the commissioners’ Sept. 16 meeting, two doctors who previously provided medical services at the jail reported the RFP had not been released and wanted to know why.

Pitt County Manager Janis Gallagher said she was informed that the sheriff’s office was negotiating with WellPath because the company had not terminated its contract.

“Our office notified WellPath of the potential for an RFP, and WellPath stated that they would be more than willing to submit a response to our RFP if we decided to release one. With this information in mind, we decided that it was in the best interest of the sheriff’s office and the county to prepare for a potential RFP while also negotiating with WellPath to see if we can come to a reasonable agreement,” Dance said. “Negotiations with WellPath have been ongoing since April 2024 and will continue until either an agreement is reached and the contract is amended or until we receive a letter to terminate from the vendor.”

Dance said in response to written questions from The Daily Reflector last week that her office believes it has reached a “reasonable, viable agreement with WellPath” and a draft contract is being written. She said it will be presented to the Pitt County Board of Commissioners for approval as soon as the draft is final.

After the doctors’ comments at the Sept. 16 Board of Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Tom Coulson questioned why the RFP had not been issued.

When later asked if the sheriff was required to release the RFP since the commissioners approved it, Gallagher said, “I am not sure that the sheriff would be required to issue this RFP for jail medical; it is also possible that the Board of Commissioners could issue the RFP for jail medical services on their own, but I would need to consult further with legal on that.”

Gallagher also said the Board of Commissioners expects the RFP to be issued in the absence of changed circumstances, “if circumstances have changed, the sheriff may bring the topic back to the Board of Commissioners for further direction. I believe that the sheriff intends to do that on Oct. 7.”

Dance said she decided to continue negotiations because transitioning medical providers is costly and difficult.

It requires the sheriff’s office and the county to help the current vendor to leave the center, remove security clearance, help the new vendor move in, hire new medical staff and perform security clearance and background check, offer orientation sessions and tackle other obstacles or challenges that may arise.

“Transitioning medical vendors is a heavy decision that greatly impacts the operations of the detention center, the quality of care for the detainees, and the safety of all staff,” Dance said. “Due to this, changing vendors should not be taken lightly.”

Dance said her office weighs every option “in order to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars while also ensuring that all detainees in the Pitt County Detention Center receive quality medical care.”

Even though the sheriff’s office and WellPath continued negotiations, she wanted approval for an RFP in case the termination letter was submitted.

“Our goal is to be prepared for the worst-case scenario while still working steadfast towards the best solution for our inmates and our taxpayers,” Dance said. “This was done in an effort to protect the county and ensure that we could maximize those 90-days to RFP, if it came down to that.”

The current WellPath contract expires June 30. The original jail services health contract included a yearly 5 percent increase, which was calculated into the current fiscal year 2024-25 budget.