DOC Signs Contracts for Correctional Healthcare Services
Delaware’s Department of Correction has signed three-year contracts with VitalCore Health Strategies. They will provide medical care, behavioral health care and substance use disorder treatment to those under DOC supervision. In response to a request for proposal, the DOC received 4 proposals and after a bid review the DOC awarded both contracts to VitalCore Health Strategies – the contracts begin on July 1st.
Additional information from the DOC:
The DOC’s Bureau of Healthcare, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services is responsible for contracting medical and behavioral health services in all Level V (prison) and Level IV (work release and violation of probation) facilities, as well as providing behavioral health services to individuals on supervised probation. The DOC initiated Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for correctional medical care (click here for RFP documents) and behavioral health care/substance abuse treatment (click here for RFP documents) on December 23, 2022 as the end of the current three-year healthcare services contracts period approached. Four firms submitted proposals in response to the RFPs: Centurion of Delaware, VitalCore Health Strategies, Wexford Health Sources, and YesCare.
After a comprehensive bid review process the DOC has awarded both contracts to VitalCore Health Strategies. Based in Topeka, Kansas, VitalCore was founded in 2015 and currently provides services to 106 correctional facilities including county jails, state prisons, and juvenile detention centers across 15 states. The company has approximately 2,200 employees and annual revenues of approximately $300 million. Click here to learn more about VitalCore and its multidisciplinary-based and collaborative approach to healthcare services and patient care.
“The Delaware Department of Correction is committed to comprehensive healthcare services that provide treatment and promote wellness,” Commissioner Monroe B. Hudson Jr. said. “VitalCore Health Services was built from ground up as a correctional healthcare company and has developed a strong track record of success providing high quality medical and behavioral healthcare to patients. We look forward to our partnership with VitalCore to advance this important work at the best value for Delaware taxpayers.”
Both three-year agreements with VitalCore Health Strategies begin July 1, 2023. The DOC, VitalCore, and Centurion will coordinate a seamless transition of services throughout May and June.
“VitalCore Health Strategies, LLC is extremely excited and pleased to have been awarded the contracts to provide correctional healthcare and behavioral healthcare services to incarcerated individuals in the facilities operated by the Delaware Department of Correction,” said Viola Riggin, VitalCore Health Strategies Chief Executive Officer. “VitalCore leaders are looking forward to a positive working relationship with DOC officials and to providing an exceptional quality of medical and behavioral healthcare to the DOC population. VitalCore is proud to emphasize our proactive approach and “doing the right thing the first time.” We share the same goals as the DOC to provide quality patient care, and we will demonstrate our passion for this work in our daily services.”
The Department of Correction acknowledges outgoing healthcare vendor Centurion of Delaware for partnering with the DOC over the past three years to navigate the historic healthcare challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while assisting the DOC in developing and launching the redesigned statewide substance abuse treatment program “Road 2 Recovery”, substantially increasing Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for incarcerated individuals, and embracing innovations including telemedicine to meet patient treatment needs.
