CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A vote by Nueces County Commissioners Wednesday has the county scrambling to find a new healthcare provider for the Nueces County Jail.
Commissioners elected to not use Armor Correctional Health Services on a month-to-month basis. The company's current contract ends Thursday.
They also voted to grant an exemption to competitive requirements for the purchase of jail healthcare services.
This would allow the county to find a replacement for Armor without the normal procurement process, which normally takes months.
"In the best interest of the community in Nueces County and the people we represent, we just felt like this was a better option for us moving forward," County Judge Connie Scott told KRIS 6.
This comes after concerns that Armor is going broke, with court documents showing they have substantial debt. This includes more than 80 pending lawsuits for things like wrongful deaths.
The county had an option to do a "month-to-month" contract with them, but decided against it, with the current contract ending in just one day. The county judge, sheriff, and the hospital district are now faced with the challenge of finding a new company to take its place.
"We have put several calls out, it takes a minute for them to talk to their people and get back to us, but we feel certain that we will be able to provide this service soon," Scott said.
The contract with Armor ends end Nov. 30, which gives the county just one day to find another company to step in for Armor.
The county judge assured 6 Investigates reporter Bryan Hofmann that they want to keep all staff, doctors, and nurses who are currently working healthcare for the jail on staff, whether they are paid for by the County, the Hospital District, or a separate entity.
KRIS 6 News will keep you updated on this developing story.
