The McLeod County Board approved the agreement between the jail and Illinois-headquartered Advanced Correctional Healthcare Inc. on Dec. 29. Sibley County is considering a similar agreement with ACH for its inmate health care needs.
Under the agreement, ACH will manage jail medical operations, and provide a physician to visit the jail and tend to inmates once every other week. The physician will be available on-call around-the-clock. A licensed clinical social worker will provide mental health services for up to six hours a week at the sheriff’s discretion.
ACH will provide county inmates with basic prescription medications and prescribed over-the-counter drugs, except for certain medications such as HIV/AIDS and cancer-treating drugs. Other services will include on-site tests for tuberculosis, pregnancy and infections.
Miscellaneous duties will include performing body cavity searches and collecting DNA, hair, blood and saliva as evidence. ACH will not provide elective medical care or be responsible for costs relating to dental, eye care, prosthetics or durable medical equipment and supplies.
ACH will receive $33,800 annually for its services, with annual adjustments upward or downward based on average inmate population.
For the full story, see the Leader’s Jan. 12 print edition.
(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at [email protected])
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Perennially judged as one of Minnesota’s and the nation’s best community newspapers, the Hutchinson Leader serves 20 communities in McLeod, Meeker, Renville, Sibley and Wright counties. 
