Placer County approves seven-year, $131M jail healthcare contract with new provider
Placer County has signed a seven-year agreement with a new provider for inmate medical services at the county’s jail and juvenile detention facilities.
The county’s Board of Supervisors authorized the $131.28 million contract with the California-based, for-profit Correctional Healthcare Partners Inc. on May 19. The company will begin services July 1 as part of the agreement that runs through June 2033.
The new contract follows the county’s termination of its previous agreement with Nashville, Tennessee-based Wellpath for medical care in its correctional facilities, resulting in layoff notices for 89 workers across three jail locations. County officials said Correctional Healthcare Partners plans to meet with current California Forensic Medical Group employees to discuss job opportunities and has expressed interest in hiring existing staff during the transition.
Under the new contract, the La Jolla-based firm said it would increase on-site staffing by 3.6 full-time equivalent positions to expand physical and mental health care, dental services, care coordination and on-site leadership. It also will reduce off-site transports and associated costs, according to a Placer County news release.
“Ensuring access to timely, high-quality healthcare for individuals in our custody is both a legal responsibility and an essential part of a safe, well-functioning correctional system,” Supervisor and board chair Shanti Landon said in the statement. The “unanimous approval reflects our commitment to improving outcomes, strengthening oversight, and supporting a provider with deep experience in this specialized field.”
The seven-year contract with Correctional Healthcare Partners will yield an upgraded electronic healthcare records system, improved coordination with the state Department of Health Care Services to enable continuity of care after release and provide real-time dashboards for the Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department and other county partners, according to the county’s news release.
“This agreement brings meaningful improvements for staff, inmates and our overall system,” Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said in the statement.
Placer County’s previous inmate care provider, Wellpath, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2025. Wellpath is also facing two active lawsuits: a civil lawsuit filed by a woman in November claiming she was sexually assaulted by a male Wellpath nurse, and a federal lawsuit filed by the family of Jonathan Kukar-Tekano, 38, who died by suicide at an El Dorado County jail alleging Wellpath staff could have intervened further to prevent Kukar-Tekano’s death.
Placer County had contracted with Wellpath through its subsidiary, the California Forensic Medical Group, since 1989.
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 10:37 AM.
