Staff Photo by Dan Henry / Hamilton County Sheriff Jim HammondThe Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and Erlanger Health Systems have reached a new agreement for on-site medical services at the county jail.
On Wednesday, the county commission voted 7-0 to approve the $828,192 annual agreement, which requires the sheriff's office to make monthly payments of $69,016 to Erlanger. The contract lasts for three years and includes two one-year renewal options.
The contract calls for Erlanger to "provide all possible and reasonable medical services" at the jail's clinic "in order to avoid the unnecessary transportation of inmates for medical care" and "provide a safe environment for both the inmates and the public safety officials, along with the citizens of Hamilton County."
Erlanger personnel staff the clinic 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Sheriff's spokesman Matt Lea said in an email that the department transports inmates to Erlanger hospital if they require X-rays, dialysis or other special treatment.
Dr. Jan Keys, chief nursing officer for Erlanger Health Systems, released a statement on the new contract.
"As the region's leading healthcare provider, Erlanger understands the importance of working closely with Hamilton County to help address the medical needs of this community," Keys said.
In addition to providing care for inmates, Erlanger also administers flu shots on-site to Hamilton County deputies, Keys said.
In a previous county commission meeting, Sheriff Jim Hammond praised the mayor's office for providing legal assistance in negotiating the new contract.
"This is a good day for us because we have been struggling for four years to get a new contract with Erlanger for jail services," Hammond said.
The biggest contract changes the sheriff's office and Erlanger needed to work through includeed increased staffing for additional services such as 24/7 staffing and psychiatric evaluations, Hammond said. Getting all the parties on the same page took some time.
During that meeting, Mayor Jim Coppinger said work on the agreement had been "ongoing for close to a year" to get "the numbers right."
Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com. Follow on Twitter @pleach_tfp.