Politics & Government

Forsyth County Considers Change In Jail's Health Care Provider

By Keri Brown

Published April 30, 2021 at 4:43 PM EDT

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners discuss agenda items during an April meeting, including a committee recommendation to contract with NaphCare to provide medical services at the detention center. Screenshot: KERI BROWN/WFDD

Forsyth County commissioners are considering a proposal to hire a new medical provider for inmates at the county detention center.

Local activists have been calling for change following the death of John Neville. Five detention officers and one on-duty nurse were charged with involuntary manslaughter last year after the December 2019 death of Neville, who was detained at the jail.

Activists want the county to cut ties with the facility's current health care provider, Wellpath.

After a bidding process, county leaders are recommending awarding a multi-million dollar contract to NaphCare. The company provided services for the Winston-Salem facility from 2004 to 2009.

Officials say NaphCare's proposal would bring more credentialed staff such as registered nurses to the facility. County manager Dudley Watts says it would also provide more mental health services.

"It is a bit more expensive than it has been in the past. It does elevate the quality of care I think in some important ways and so NaphCare is a corporation that knows our facility and we hope that it will be a good contract for us,” says Watts.

Forsyth County Commissioners are expected to vote on the proposed contract on Thursday, May 6. If it's approved, Watts says NaphCare would begin providing services in September.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

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Keri Brown

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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Forsyth County Considers Change In Jail's Health Care Provider

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