At Wellpath, we don’t just say patient care is our number one priority. Our actions prove it.
When Guilford County, North Carolina Sheriff Danny Rogers was looking for the budget to hire a new discharge planner at the county jail, he met many obstacles. He was denied budget request after budget request and simply did not have the money to pay for the additional healthcare staff the jail needed. Through further discussion, Wellpath was alerted of the situation and stepped up, agreeing to fill the position at no additional cost to the county.
Shortly after being denied funding by the county, Sheriff Rogers met with Wellpath’s VP of Partnership Development Zela Guirola and Director of Partnership Development, Laura Busbin to discuss concerns. After their meeting, it was obvious a discharge planner was a necessity for the health and continued well-being of GCSO patients. As a result, Wellpath agreed to add the additional personnel to enhance inmate care without any additional cost to the county. On June 21, 2019, a letter from the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department addressed to Wellpath CEO Jorge Dominicis and Wellpath President Kip Hallman thanked Wellpath and praised “their commitment to excellence and their compassion for those inmates in need of medical care.”
GCSO patients will now receive the benefit of a discharge planner. This healthcare professional is a critical member of the Mental Health team and meets with patients to identify their individual needs and safely transition them into housing, alcohol/drug services, mental health treatment, and the community. The discharge planner assists patients with making connections to community resources to help ensure continued health care treatment and reduce the likelihood of recidivism.