RES-2022-136-Grant from WASPC COVID-19

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The first thing on each of the yearly budget spreadsheets under Strategy L, Salary and Benefits, is requested funding for a nurse who can focus on testing and mitigation efforts. Our Jail doesn't have on- site medical staff. We rely on a contract which gives us a provider 2 hours a day, not on weekends. All other resources for medical come from our small local hospital, the medical contractor on call, or utilizing public health. During the pandemic all of these were not efficient options because of the lack of availability due to them helping citizens. Currently our medical staff spends a good portion of their contracted time running COVID rapid tests for inmates incoming with symptoms, needing to be cleared from quarantine, or those who contract symptoms while incarcerated. Because of our daily population and the need for quarantine/isolation cells, sometimes inmates needing non-emergent continuation of medical care are referred to the next available "sick-call" so we can utilize them for testing. Also, during this time our "Emergency Manager" of the pandemic was assigned to our Administrative Sergeant who has no medical background. He has had to spend countless hours researching, communicating, brainstorming, and implementing procedures that he has received from the CDC, Dr. Stern, and our Local Public health to ensure that the facility maintains an environment that is free from outbreaks as possible. lf the budget for this nurse is approved, it would alleviate some of the time constraints our regular medical staff faces daily during their time in the facility allowing other inmates to receive more and better care. lt would also assist our Sergeant in ensuring that we continue to do the right thing based on the recommendations of all different levels we must follow during a pandemic like this. Finally, we would be able to more efficiently and accurately test and potentially isolate any known cases to keep from further interrupting the facility and those in it, as well as the community because we could use them in place of having to rely on the hospital and/or public health allowing them to focus on their clients. The finalthing we are requestingin2022 under Strategy L is two more visitor and employee temperature check kiosks. Our facility currently has two, but by doubling the location of them we would have a more accurate way to ensure that those coming into the facility for various locations don't present symptoms that could put our staff and inmates at risk. Although we understand that this is not a catch all, it is one of the main factors we, as well as everyone else, checks prior to entering places. ln all three years we are also requesting "Testing Supplies" under strategy 2, even though it's optional. The testing supplies we are referring to are the costs that could be accrued if we, the jail, are no longer able to receive free rapid testing from our local public health. This could also help offset other testing supplies available for our medical staff and/or anything else that is developed and would assist us in early interventions. ln 2022 we did include a request for some funding under the optional strategy 9. Our jail is continually evolving, and we are having to relocate and adjust accordingly to house or store things like the additional supplies necessary to be prepared for an outbreak or additional cleaning. Like many jails there is not room to expand so we must get creative to build up where available. Our storage room is in desperate need of new shelving to store the additional supplies on that this pandemic has created. Our staff has found a shelving unit that would allow for this capital improvement and utilize more space in less space by utilizing this track system with higher shelves. For us to stay organized and be preprepared to respond we must be able to have a system in place that allows staff to recognize needs, be able to quickly find something, and inventory. This system if granted funds would be an efficient and effective way for us to do all that is necessary given the space, we have available.