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St. Vincent Dunn And IU Health Hospitals To Provide Primary Care Hours To County Employees

Last updated on Wednesday, August 14, 2013

(BEDFORD) - The Lawrence County Commissioners signed a letter of intent with St. Vincent Dunn and IU Health Hospitals to provide primary care to county employees beginning November 1.

Both hospitals agreed to hold primary care clinic hours just for county workers.

IU Health would see employees on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and St. Vincent Dunn would hold hours on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The cost to the county would be $16,640 a year per facility

Miles Parker of Parker Group, who handles the county's insurance says this will allow the county to save money on their insurance premiums.

"It will be critical in cost savings, especially in chronic disease management," Parker says.

Parker will host informational meetings with employees before the plan goes into action.

In other action Tuesday, the commissioners approved and signed an agreement with the city of Mitchell to hold and sell road oil to Mitchell.

Sheriff Sam Craig reported 137 inmates currently housed in the county jail, including 19 women and 15 Department of Correction prisoners.

David Holmes, highway superintendent, provided an update on crews mowing right-of-ways and getting ready to begin chip and sealing of county roads, while Bob Dillon, projects manager, reported his crew were finishing up work on the bridge on Popcorn Road and will begin demolishing and replacing Bridge 55 on Leesville Road over Guthrie Creek Monday. Dillion says the project should be completed in six to eight weeks depending on the weather.

The commissioners also voted to purchase a new truck from Kenworth to replace a truck that was totaled in an accident.

Janie Chanault updated the commissioners on obtaining the deed for land at Empire Quarry which had been previously recorded wrong. The plan is to build observation deck at the Quarry for tourism purposes.

Gene McCrackin Director of the Lawrence County Growth Council introduced Kim Allen as the new assistant director. Allen will replace Marla Jones who is now heading up the Lawrence County Stellar Committee.

Ron Pridemore addressed the commissioners on a county road issue. At the last commissioners meeting Tim Wray asked the commissioners permission to widen a small road in Williams. Wray wanted to widen the road for logging trucks and to place a mobile home on his property. He also complained about the neighbors in the area blocking parking with cross ties and trespassing on his property. Pridemore wanted the commissioners to agree to build a county road for Wray. The commissioners told Wray it was a civil matter and reaffirmed that with Pridemore.

"We have addressed this issue three times this year and the commissioners before us have addressed the issue," says Commissioner President Bill Spreen. "I will again have our county attorney (David Smith) explain our legal obligations and the issue will be over."

Smith told Pridemore the issue is the county's legal obligation by statue to build a county road.

"In my 23 years of we have never built a county road. We have agreed to maintain roads after they have been accepted....but those roads have been built by individuals. I am unaware of the county building a road from scratch," Smith added.

Smith told Wray he could file a petition with the courts and they would then determine the details and everyone would have to abide by the court's ruling.

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