Forrest Co. supervisors to review medical contract

The Forrest County Board of Supervisors will soon decide on a possible new contract for medical care at the Forrest County Jail, Juvenile Detention Center and Evaluation Center.

Board President David Hogan said the current contract, which provides services for about 400 inmates and costs the county $160,000 annually, expires Sept. 30.

"This is an effort to potentially consolidate services and save the taxpayers some money on inmate medical cost," Hogan said. "Forrest General Hospital wrote a (request for proposals) for us to go out to bid and potentially consolidate the services — the physicians' services, the nursing services and the medication costs all into one contract."

Supervisors are now reviewing the request for proposals and are expected to make a decision at the next board meeting whether to put the contract out for bid.

"We'll see what we get back in," District 5 Supervisor Chris Bowen said. "They can propose all sorts of things, as far as two doctors and four nurses, or one doctor and five nurses.

"There's no telling what will come in, as far as what the proposals will provide — whether (the contract) will be one year or two years or what have you. We don't know yet."

Since 2003, weekly services under the contact have been provided by Dr. David Lee and the staff at Southern Neurologic & Spinal Institute.

David Lee's father, John Lee, invoked the Fifth Amendment in the recent federal trial of former chief deputy Charles Bolton, who was found guilty of five counts of filing false tax returns and four counts of tax evasion.

An investigation was launched into John Lee PA's business tax filings, in which the Boltons were listed multiple times as having provided food and alcohol to Lee's business.

Bolton previously had served for 15 years on the board of Forrest General Hospital before being replaced in June by retired surgeon Kate Aseme.

"It's coincidental that the (medical) contract is ending during the same time that this negative stuff is going on," Hogan said. "The board appreciates the service (David Lee) has provided for us, and this is just an effort to see if we can save the taxpayers some money. The negatives going on with the county are just coincidental and don't have anything to do with this current effort."

UPDATE: Jury finds Boltons guilty of some charges

District 4 Supervisor Rod Woullard said Forrest County Sheriff Billy McGee will usually make a recommendation to the board as to the nature of the contract.

"Then from there, we'll handle it," Woullard said. "We're never involved with that on the front end. That's one of those services, that if he wants to pick somebody to do it, he can. If he wants to bid it, he can.

"It's totally left up to the sheriff's office because that's where it will take place, is in his jail. So until he comes up with the recommendation, I don't think we should be involved in it at all, at this point."

McGee did not return calls seeking comment Friday.

In addition to the weekly visits by Southern Neurologic & Spinal Institute, the county also receives help from Forrest General Hospital. The hospital currently provides nursing staff at the jail and offers the county medication at purchase rate. The county also receives Medicaid rate, or below, on any hospitalization costs.

"It's a way for Forrest General to help with the burden on the Forrest County taxpayers, who are the owners of Forrest Health," Hogan said. "Ever since (the Affordable Care Act) took effect, medical costs have greatly increased.

"So (the hospital) has been a tremendous help, and the board of supervisors greatly appreciates their efforts in reducing the costs."