Texas County Progress
The Official Publication of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas
When Bee County Judge Stephanie Moreno was appointed in 2015, one of her chief priorities was to address the burgeoning, and seemingly uncontrollable, cost of inmate health care. “It was the first task I attempted to resolve when I took office because we had essentially no control over this expense, Moreno recalled. The County Judge spearheaded a process to qualify inmates as … [Read more...] about Bee County Inmate/Indigent Health Care
County Indigent Health Care Q&A In 1985, Rita Kelley was serving as the regional planner of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services for the seven-county Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG) region. In June of that year, Walt Reedy, CTCOG executive director, walked into Kelley’s office and asked if she wanted to be a health planner. “I asked him what I … [Read more...] about County Indigent Health Care Q&A
Sandra Bland Act Mandates Telemental Health Access By Julie Anderson Editor The 85th Texas Legislature’s mandate requiring telemental health access in county jails may seem daunting at first. However, correctional care experts say that while finding providers may be a challenge, the setup itself is not so difficult; after all, telehealth has been well used in prisons … [Read more...] about Inmate Health Care
By Julie Anderson Editor The statistics are staggering and startling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overdose deaths involving prescription opioids were five times higher in 2016 than 1999, and sales of these prescription drugs have quadrupled. “Opioid prescribing continues to fuel the epidemic,” the CDC states. “Today, 40 percent of all … [Read more...] about Opioid Epidemic Takes Toll on Local Government Multiple Counties Take Legal Action
In 1985, Rita Kelley was serving as the regional planner of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services for the seven-county Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG) region. In June of that year, Walt Reedy, CTCOG executive director, walked into Kelley’s office and asked if she wanted to be a health planner. “I asked him what I had to do, and he said nothing,” Kelley recalled. … [Read more...] about County Indigent Health Care Q&A
