MEDICAL EXPENSE RECORDS SHOW JAIL IMPASSE COSTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
An ongoing impasse between the Washington County Sheriff and the Medical Director for the County Jail has cost the County and its taxpayers as much as an estimated $400,000 in two months.
Washington Sheriff Otto Hanak is no longer allowing Jail Medical Director Robert Stark inside the jail to treat prisoners. In the current situation, the Washington County EMS is dispatched to the jail every time an inmate complains about a medical problem. If necessary, EMS is then transporting the inmate to Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Brenham for treatment.
KWHI requested records of the jail medical expenses covering January and February of both 2019 and 2020. At the direction of Washington County Judge John Durrenberger, EMS Director Kevin Deramus provided the number of calls to the Jail for those months, and estimated the costs for EMS personnel and hospital emergency room visits.
In 2019, Deramus estimates the cost of 46 calls to the Jail and transport of five patients to the ER at just over $5000. Deramus says the average cost of a visit to the ER is over $4000, so those five patients in 2019 would have cost the County approximately $25,000.
Fast forward to January and February 2020, where Deramus reports 105 calls to the Jail, and all 105 inmates transferred to the emergency room. EMS personnel costs are estimated at just over $12,000, while ER costs are estimated at $420,000. Combined, that’s a cost to the County and its taxpayers of an estimated $432,000 for the first two months of 2020, versus a cost of $25,000 in 2019.
This is the same situation that existed years ago before former Jail Medical Director Dr. Stuart Yoffe completely revamped the way prisoners were treated for medical issues. That change brought about by Dr. Yoffe saved the County and its taxpayers through the years millions of dollars which were being spent at the emergency room.
Neither Judge Durrenberger nor Sheriff Hanak would discuss the impasse with Dr. Stark with KWHI, saying it was a personnel issue. Dr. Stark also would not comment saying he is an employee of the County. In the just released agenda for the County Commissioners Court meeting next Tuesday, a workshop is scheduled to discuss the ongoing costly situation of jail medical care.