Award recognizes excellence in correctional healthcare leadership, innovation and patient care
By the Worcester Guardian staff
Sheriff Lew Evangelidis presents a congratulatory plaque to the WCSO Medical Team for being named 2025 Wellpath facility of the year (photo submitted)
WORCESTER—The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Medical Team has been named facility of the year by Wellpath, the office’s subcontracted medical provider. The recognition honors leadership, innovation and the delivery of high-quality correctional healthcare.
Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis said that shortly after taking office in 2011, he decided to privatize the WCSO medical department, a move he called “one of the best decisions of my tenure.”
“Subcontracting medical services through Wellpath significantly reduces liability for the Commonwealth while allowing us to provide a higher level of care to those in our custody,” Evangelidis said.
The award reflects sustained progress under Health Services Administrator Anjuli Richard and Assistant Health Services Administrator Kayla Carlo, who focused on strengthening workplace culture, refining clinical and operational processes, and expanding access to care, according to the announcement.
Richard commented, “This award highlights the hard work, resilience, and teamwork demonstrated every day by our staff, as well as the strong collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office in supporting a safe, respectful, and effective environment for care.”
The WCSO medical team provides 24/7 coverage within the sheriff’s office intake and medical unit, a facility opened in 2021 to centralize intake, medical screening, and long-term care.
Key accomplishments cited by Wellpath include securing a $25,000 UMass Medical School grant to expand ophthalmologic services, partnering with MCPHS University to enhance dental education, establishing a nurse-led onboarding committee, achieving zero first-year staff turnover and maintaining full compliance with annual training requirements.
The team also partnered with Anna Maria College, allowing 27 nursing students to complete clinical observation hours, and with UMass hospital case managers to improve continuity of care for patients returning from hospital stays. Operational enhancements included forming an Infirmary Committee to support compliance with NCCHC standards and launching regular interdisciplinary meetings with non-Wellpath mental health partners.
“This award affirms the meaningful progress we have made over the past decade to strengthen the operations of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office,” Evangelidis said. “I’m especially proud of the strong partnership we have built with our healthcare team and the professionalism our corrections staff demonstrates in working alongside them to support those in our care.”
Wellpath, an international provider of contracted healthcare services for correctional facilities, employs more than 8,000 professionals and serves nearly 300 facilities across the United States and Australia, providing care to roughly 200,000 patients daily.