Much of December’s Warren County Prison Board meeting centered on one of the jail’s most significant cost-drivers — inmate health care.

Lonnie Heeter, who contracts with the county to provide medical care in the jail, provided an annual report to the board.

He said there were 399 intake physicals through earlier December as well as hundreds of other responses — 314 in-house visits, 300 visits by nurses and four inmates who were referred for specialty services.

Heeter said there have been 12 COVID-19 cases this year.

“When we get a positive,” he said, “pretty much everyone in the house gets tested.”

While many of the needs for care can be defined as typical, Heeter said diabetes has been a chronic condition he has seen more of in the inmate population,

“We’ve had some pretty young, sick people with diabetes,” he said.

Heeter raised with the board the possibility that he may need to work under a different medical doctor. That stems from an incident earlier this month detailed by Conewango Township police in a release.

Police say they responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident on Dec. 9 on Route 62.

“One vehicle fled the area and was located shortly afterward in the area of Conewango Avenue and Hatch Run Road,” police detailed. “The driver was identified as Dr. Damian Horner of Warren, Pa.

“An investigation into the accident resulted in Dr. Horner being arrested for DUI, accidents involving an occupied vehicle, careless driving, no passing, and no proof of financial responsibility,” police said.

Heeter told the prison board that he is working on a backup plan in the event the arrest causes licensure issues. As a nurse practitioner, he can work autonomously but is required to hold “collaborative agreements” with a physician.

“I don’t expect any of those changes to take place immediately,” Heeter said, acknowledging the need to work under a different doctor might not come to be at all.

“We’ll work with you,” County Solicitor Nathaniel Schmidt said. “Whatever is necessary to continue your services.”

The board also discussed options for passing medications and providing dental care during the session.

Warden Rusty Barr said that large companies that provide the med pass service want to take over the entire medical operation rather than that one component.

He said such a change would be very expensive.

Barr said that correctional officers currently handle med pass but said there’s a change coming to the regulations down the line.

“I want to have a plan in place,” he said. “I didn’t realize it was going to be this difficult to get somebody to come in and pass meds.”

Currently, med pass happens four times a day and takes about 90 minutes each time.

“We have some options,” Barr said. “We just need those options to work with us.”

He also told the board that he’s recommending a switch to Mint Dental for dental care.

Barr said “they were able to handle the majority of our issues in-house” rather than making referrals to places in New York which also present travel challenges.