News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Putnam County Fiscal Review Committee approved a budget amendment for the sheriff’s office to accommodate a new health insurance provider at the jail.
Commissioner Cindy Adams was outspoken against the amendment, saying approving the motion would double the sheriff’s budget from $648,000 to $1.1 million.
“That is really unsustainable for us to pay that much money, and we have got to come up with other solutions,” Adams says. “I realize there’s liability involved but something’s got to be done to change that.”
Sheriff Eddie Farris says a new contract and insurer would increase mental health services and provide additional medical staff for a growing inmate population.
“Our trips to mental health facilities and the ER have been really outrageous,” Farris says. “That’s the sheriff’s position, we have to do that by state law. We have to transport them. We’re hoping with all that in effect and this new company, the doctor will be on site more often – as well as not just LPNs but RNs around the clock – that we can do more stuff in-house instead of having to send it out.”
The new agreement would also create a new agreement with Cookeville Regional Medical Center, along with a new electronic medical record system.
Adams says although the committee approved the amendment, she wants her fellow commissioners to go back and think of ways to cut some of the potential costs.
“I would like to see us look into hiring somebody ourselves (regarding doctors and nurses), either through the county health department or somehow have county employees that take care of this,” Adams says. “With this much money, even with liability insurance and paying some good, healthy salaries to medical people, we surely can bring it in for less than $1.1 million.”
The Putnam County Commission will vote on the amendment during their Dec. 17 meeting for final approval.
