Porter Recommends Sticking With Private Vendor For Jail Medical

A study by Mayor Randy Porter suggests that Putnam County could save $133,000 on medical services at the jail.

The figure represents the difference between what the county pays a private vendor and the cost for in-house medical services.

Despite the savings, Porter said the county’s deal with a private vendor would be the better option.

“We probably got a pretty good deal with the private vendor we’ve got now,” Porter said. “Because of the shortages, the numbers are all over the map when it comes to what nurse practitioners and nurses are making. I think it’s different hiring someone to work at a jail than it is to work at the hospital or doctors office, so I think we would have more problems trying to keep folks at the jail.”

The county commission requested Porter to conduct the study after they approved a new $1.1 million contract with a private vendor late last year.

Porter said he recommends that the county continues to utilize the private vendor.

“Let’s try it for a year or so and see how it goes,” Porter said. “We always have the option to come back if we want to.”

Porter presented the findings of the study to the county’s Fiscal Review Committee earlier this week.