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Three Deaths, One Contractor: Inside the County Jail's Medical Care Records

Groundwork obtained internal incident reports tied to a private healthcare vendor whose contract renews next month.

Internal incident reports obtained by Groundwork through a public records request document three deaths at the county jail since 2023, each involving delays in care from the facility's private medical contractor.

In one case, a nurse employed by the contractor documented a request for emergency transfer that was not acted on for eleven hours. The contractor's regional director declined to comment on individual cases, citing patient privacy law, but said the company "stands by the quality of care provided across all facilities."

The county sheriff's office, which oversees the jail, said an internal review of each death found no policy violations. The contractor's five-year agreement with the county is scheduled for renewal next month; the sheriff's office has not said whether the upcoming deaths review will factor into that decision.

Jonah Reyes — Jonah covers courts and local government. He is a graduate of the county he now reports on.

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