ART - Case Study - Contracting for Nurse Staffing in Franklin County Jail 2014

This document is a summary of a case study on the experiences of the Franklin County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) in contracting nursing services for their correctional facilities. The document highlights several lessons learned from this contracting engagement. One of the challenges faced by the county was the opposition and delays caused by displacing full-time, unionized staff. The document suggests that if the county had been more proactive in addressing the displacement risks, many of the problems could have been avoided. The Request for Proposal (RFP) should have specified protections for currently employed nurses. The document also mentions that extended transitional periods can be disruptive when employees are displaced. The county took almost two years to finalize the contract with Maxim, the contracted nursing service provider, and during that time, a significant number of the county's nursing staff resigned. The remaining staff also faced conflicts with the temporary staff hired. This highlights the risks associated with a prolonged transitional period. The document emphasizes the benefits of firm fixed-price contracts. The Maxim contract was successful because it had a firm fixed-price design, where interested vendors submitted bids with a set hourly cost for nursing services. Maxim is held responsible for any cost overruns, allowing the county to accurately predict and control the cost of the program over the life of the contract. Furthermore, the document mentions that fixed staffing costs can lead to increasing savings over time. A study estimated that the cost savings to the county increased for each successive year of the contract. By locking in fixed hourly rates, the county avoided annual increases in salary and benefits that would occur with county-employed nurses. Overall, the document provides insights into the challenges and benefits of contracting nursing services for correctional facilities based on the experiences of the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.