SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane County is urgently searching for a new healthcare provider for its jail after NaphCare decided to end its contract. The county is facing a tight deadline to find a replacement.
NaphCare has been delivering medical, dental, and pharmaceutical services in the Spokane County Jail since 2016. However, they are now pulling out due to litigation risks. This decision follows the county’s recent expansion of their contract to include behavioral health services.
County CEO Scott Simmons shared that they anticipated this situation after hearing that NaphCare was withdrawing from other contracts in the state. He emphasized, “We didn’t want to be put in the situation of not having a plan, so we’re working diligently towards narrowing that list down… and finding a fit for our services.”
The county is currently in discussions with other companies to take over, aiming to avoid the costs and challenges associated with establishing in-house services.
Simmons expressed confidence in reaching an agreement by the end of December despite the county’s tight budget and lack of responses to previous requests for proposals.
