January 3, 2017 - Outgoing County Commissioner for Precinct 3 Travis Rodgers made his final motion to adjourn at the completion of the last meeting of 2016 for the Shelby County Commissioners and bid everyone a fond farewell.
"I just want to thank Mr. Travis Rodgers for his 16 years of service, being a class act, always showing up, always being supportive and to let him know how much I have appreciated him over the 16 years. He and I both came into office at the same time, so we've been around for a while and I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated you being here and supporting me and being able to serve with you on the court," said Judge Harbison.
Rodgers stated he appreciated Judge Harbison's words and expressed his appreciation to many.
"I'd like to thank not only you, but all of the other commissioners, all the other offices that helped me tremendously. I have never gone to any office in this courthouse and asked for anything that they didn't either get or try to get for me," said Rodgers. "The other people have been the backbone of my success. I guess if you call it success and I thank each and every one of you."
Rodgers words were met with a round of applause in the courtroom.
The commissioners approved a letter of agreement with CVS Pharmacy to service clients of the Shelby County Indigent Healthcare.
According to Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison, CVS proposed a better arrangement with the county than what they had originally and Cindy Clark, County Judge Administrative assistant, stated they made it a lot easier to handle as well.
"This is a lot better deal for us and the clients that are on the indigent healthcare," said Judge Harbison. "We are still going to be able to let them use Blount Pharmacy, if that's y'know, good for them if they're in the Joaquin area.
In the agreement the county is allowed 30 days to terminate the agreement if it is not going as well as expected and the county will have 60 days during which to pay the bills. Judge Harbison said this will give the county plenty of time to process the bills and submit them for payment.
A motion was carried by the commissioners to approve the agreement with CVS Pharmacy.
Judge Harbison informed the commissioners about the possibility of paying inmate medical expenses through the Shelby County Indigent Healthcare Program.
"This is allowable for us to run the medical expenses that are incurred at the jail from prisoners or inmates to run through indigent healthcare. This allows the county, and remember this is county money, this allows the county to get a medicaid rate therefore hopefully saving the county 10s of thousands of dollars over the course of the year," said Judge Harbison.
Judge Harbison stated other counties without a county run hospital, or which don't have a hospital district to carry indigent healthcare under have succeeded in taking this action. Judge Harbison asked Sheriff Willis Blackwell for his comments on the proposal.
"Every time someone's booked in they are filling out an indigent application form to where when they get out of jail and we don't have any access to get back with them to get this form done for this paying of these bills, we're having that done where one copy is sent over here, we keep one copy for their file," said Sheriff Blackwell.
Judge Harbison then interjected for his understanding, "What you need to be telling these people is, this is only while they're in jail this is not afterwards. This is only their brief stay with you is what it's good for, after that if they want to stay on the Indigent Healthcare Program they will need to have to come through and go through the same procedures that every day people do."
Sheriff Blackwell stated he felt someone needs to call Tenet because it is his understanding the San Augustine hospital will give the medicaid rate for the inmates. He stated he would be taking prisoners there to try it out.
Judge Harbison said the county would be sending out notices to all providers the Sheriff's Department uses for inmate healthcare to inform them of the county's plans.
"From what I understand, it will be paid and then it will go back through the Sheriff's medical budget. So, while it will go through indigent healthcare and save you a lot of money, it will still come out of your medical," said Judge Harbison.
"Ninety percent of this stuff, I know when you go back [into the jail] because I get called every time one of them says they need to go to the doctor, that this is not real, but the county if I don't take them and they are something wrong, then we're in a bind. So, $20,000 to go down there because you've got a chest pain and the doctor walks in and says, 'there's nothing wrong with them," said Blackwell.
Jimmy Lout, Commissioner Precinct 2, inquired about dental care and Sheriff Blackwell said they take inmates to Dr. "Netherly" now. Clark informed Sheriff Blackwell the inmates should be taken to the Hope Clinic. Lout asked about seeing a report on how the program is working in six months and Judge Harbison said they could provide a monthly report for the commissioners' review.
"I don't see how it can't save us money," said Judge Harbison.
Clark said it will save the county money and described an enormous savings, "To go into the emergency room out here it's like $1,500 to walk in the door and I think indigent pays $98."
Commissioner Rodgers asked while using the Indigent Healthcare Program if the inmate is liable for any of the expenses incurred. Judge Harbison said she has spoken with Stephen Shires, incoming Shelby County District Attorney, and he has told her he will be pursuing those expenses from felony inmates. Sheriff Blackwell said there is an Attorney General opinion which states the county is responsible to pay for those expenses; however, they can then pursue a judgment against the inmate after that.
A motion carried by the commissioners to approving paying inmate medical expenses through the Indigent Healthcare Program.
Sheriff Blackwell addressed the commissioners about his request for a part-time secretary at the Sheriff's Department as he has a part-time dispatcher position which has been eliminated.
"We've worked our schedule out now to where we don't need that position, also I have a full-time dispatched position that will be moved to part-time," said Sheriff Blackwell.
He explained adding the part-time secretary position will not be an added expense to the budget as his department has the one position being eliminated and the other full-time being changed to part-time. Usually if the sheriff has to make a request of this nature it would be because the budget would not cover the additional expense; however, that was not the case.
A motion was made to approve the request for the part-time secretary position.
A motion was carried by the commissioners on a resolution opposing any change in current status regarding custody of County and District Court records. Judge Harbison said the e-file system is working on a way to take the district and county court records and provide copies from there.
"This is taking a dollar a page out of general fund," said Judge Harbison. "If they can do it to court records, the next thing they do is they're going to take it out of official court records also."
Lori Oliver, District Clerk, responded to Judge Harbison's inquiry of an estimated number of how many copies are provided by her office.
"We don't collect that much overall anyway, because we are not you know really money driven in the District Clerk's office. So, that will be a fairly significant blow if they don't even have to come through us to get a copy," said Oliver.
Jennifer Fountain, County Clerk, confirmed it is a cost of one dollar a page out of her office. Judge Harbison said up until this time those records have also been protected under bulk record request.
"This is just another way of the state taking our money, that's just all there is to it. Every dollar that the clerks earn on the copy of the court record goes straight into general fund," said Judge Harbison.
"You're not only losing the money, you're also actually possibly losing your record and it not even being a Shelby County record anymore," said Oliver.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:53am.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include: 1. Monthly expenses. 2. Letter of agreement with CVS Pharmacy to service clients of the Shelby County Indigent Healthcare. 3. Bonds of incoming elected officials. 4. Payment of inmate medical expenses through Indigent Healthcare Program. 5. Part-time secretary for Sheriff's Department. 6. Resolution opposing any change in current status regarding custody of county and district court records. 7. Adjourn at 9:53am.
