During a work session held by the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 23, Archuleta County Sheriff Mike Le Roux discussed plans for the county to begin using a new medical provider for its jail medical services.
He explained the county has been using a vendor based out of Oklahoma for its current jail medical services, noting that getting stuff remotely is a little difficult,” and that, “at times we weren’t getting everything we were paying for. I mean, we were, but it just wasn’t efficient.”
Le Roux mentioned that toward the end of 2024, the sheriff’s office began talking with the Archuleta County Public Health Department for options about keeping the jail medical services provider local, noting that having “boots on the ground” with actual nurses is not the issue, but the support matrix behind them needed to be improved.
He noted there was no difference in the services being provided during that time, but “a number of medical incidents that occurred within the jail” over the year.
He commented that the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office does its best to prevent those situations, “but that’s the cost of doing business.”
Le Roux went on to explain that there is no contract in place with the public health department, and with the new round of budgeting and an increase in prices, his discussions with Public Health Director Ashley Wilson led to him suggesting that it is “more prudent that we look elsewhere.”
Le Roux explained that he reached out to Southern Health Partners, a national corrections medical service organization that serves La Plata and Montezuma counties, commenting that the support base sounds “a lot different.”
He noted that the current jail medical service providers currently serve seven days a week, eight hours a day, indicating that he requested an initial quote from the new provider for the same coverage, which came back at $256,000.
Le Roux explained that he asked for the coverage to be increased to 10 hours a day, seven days a week, noting that it offers a potential “of less trips to the hospitals.”
The new proposal for coverage of 10 hours a day was listed at $326,040, which includes a $24,000 cost pull that would cover certain expenses.
He explained that he was “looking for blessing” for some direction as he wanted to start the process of contracting with a new provider within the next 45 to 60 days, hoping to have confirmation by the new year.
County Attorney Cathleen Giovannini expressed support of the sheriff’s proposal, noting that it “shifts liability” away from the county.
Commissioner John Ranson asked what kind of impact there would be on the public health department with the new provider, to which Le Roux indicated that it would help by hopefully reducing the amount of hospital visits.
Commissioner Veronica Medina commented that she had “no issue” with the proposal.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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