MEnD Correctional Care, the former medical services provider of the Beltrami County Jail, has lost another contract renewal.
The St. Louis County Board of Commissioners recently voted to contract state-mandated medical services at their jail with St. Luke’s, effective in November.
The Beltrami County Board of Commissioners voted to go with another provider last September.
Advanced Correctional Care’s services add an additional $70,000 to Beltrami County’s annual budget than MEnD did but the outfit has more qualifications to serve mental health needs.
MEnD Correctional Care has faced controversy since the 2018 death of Hardel Sherrell in Beltrami’s Jail.
Sherrell died from a rare medical condition and the Department of Corrections assessed that correctional staff at the time believed he was faking his condition to escape custody.
Around a year ago last summer, Gov. Tim Walz signed the Hardel Sherrell Act which establishes minimum standards for mental health, suicide prevention, medication administration, discharge planning, code of conduct policy development, and death reviews in correctional settings.
The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice suspended the license of MEnD Dr. Todd Leonard effective last March.
