SEARCH CONTINUES FOR NURSE FOR WASHINGTON CO. JAIL

  

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office continues their search for a nurse for the County Jail.

Sheriff Otto Hanak

Sheriff Otto Hanak says the office has not received a single application in their month-long search to try to fill the critical position.

Hanak says this is a hard, demanding job and he understands why there is such little interest.

According to Hanak, Washington County EMS is being called to the jail several times daily for prisoners complaining about medical issues.

Jail administrator Jerry Green says authorities must take prisoner medical complaints seriously, even though they often “fake” health problems.  Green says he does not want “to put jailers in the position to make medical decisions.”

Hanak says EMS can only transport the prisoners to the hospital and cannot treat a patient unless a medical director is present.  Dr. Stuart Yoffe is the jail’s medical director, who Hanak says abruptly announced his retirement at the end of the year.  Yoffe tendered his resignation December 17th after Hanak says he’d originally indicated he’d maintain the post as long as needed.

Hanak says the jail will face more requirements regarding medical treatment for prisoners with the passage of the Sandra Bland Act this year by the Texas Legislature.

Hanak and Green said a plan is being developed to handle the medical needs, but the cost is unknown at this time.

Green said there are private companies that provide medical services to jails.

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10 Comments

  1. Interested RN, have 6 years experience in correctional medicine with the Harris County Sherriff’s Department Medical Bureau. Where can I get more information since the job is not posted?

  2. I actually had heard through another county employee they were looking to fill this position and tried to look up the information for a couple friends to check out, but it is not posted on the county’s job posting website. I looked again just prior to responding here and it is still not there. It should be widely advertised in order to bring in the highest number of qualified applicants.

  3. So you know a department will have a vacancy and you wait till the 11th hour to request job applications. Is this government intelligence that is in control of county? It is No wonder the tax payers have a negative impression of our local leadership.

    1. Department managers decide if or when to fill vacancies, so for a Sheriff’s Office, you know, it could be a sheriff probably? Not sure.
      Seems like a paramedic certification would be equivalent and maybe better suited for the jailhouse.

    1. Sad when you drive through a lower priced starter community in our town & the ppl who give there lives every day to protect us are permanent residents there. Police, Sheriff & DPS vehicles around every corner.

      1. If you are in your 20s, straight out of college with student loan debt, you are fortunate to be living in a starter community. I appreciate the county commissioners sticking to a budget and not increasing the tax rate like city council every year. Some residents may be able to absorb property tax increases but there are many more, like law enforcement and firefighters in starter communities, that likely cannot. If you have the means to donate to the local first responders, lead by example and do so.

        1. The county commissioners and judge are holding the line on property taxes and need to be thanked for recently not bowing to pressure by some in the county who want the judge to spend more money. The county commissioners should hopefully resist the temptation to hike property taxes like the city of Brenham has done frequently.

          We should expect government to live on a budget just like our families do. Our sheriff will eventually find someone to fill the position… in the meantime let’s not expect our frugal county commissioners and judge to just go throw more money at the problem!

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