DAYTON — A controversial medical and mental health care provider will not be rubber-stamped for a new contract at a local jail.
Montgomery County plans to open bids, not just renew Naphcare for the contract. News Center 7’s Mike Campbell learned that county commissioners will at least do competitive bidding.
There are 500-600 people serving time or waiting for their case to be resolved and held at the county jail on any given day. That’s a lot of men and women who may need medical, mental health, or substance abuse care.
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Critics of Naphcare would like to see a change in the company providing those services.
Montgomery County Administrator Michael Colbert said the county pays Naphcare more than $8 million a year. “It’s about $8.2 or $8.3 million, of course, we don’t know what the new one will be for 2027,” Colbert said.
Colbert told News Center 7 that it’s more than medical. It’s also mental health. The county is spending $20 million to expand spaces at the jail for those services, no matter who wins the next contract.
“And then you put it out for competitive bids, and you always hope you get more than one. I’m optimistic that we will get at least two,” Colbert said.
Naphcare has held the contract at the jail since 2002. A series of drug overdoses created some controversy, and the recent jail death of Christian Black after being put in a restraint chair really put the company in a negative light.
Critics said employees responded slowly and failed to provide adequate care.
Attorney Michael Wright said, “Competitive bidding is fine. But if this is just a vendor swap without enforceable standards, it sounds like basic PR. The contract has to require real staffing, rapid medical response, independent auditing, incident transparency, and consequences when care fails. After paying a $7 million settlement, the County has lost the goodwill and trust of the community and has to prove that they value lives in the jail.”
“Based on the liability insurance they need, and the ability to actually do and provide services in the jail, there’s very few players that can do this work,” Colbert said.
The bids should go out in the next couple of weeks, and a vendor for 2027 and beyond will be chosen in October or November. Naphcare could still win.
Wright settled a lawsuit with the county about Christian Black’s death, but still has an active suit against Nephcare.
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