Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office welcomes new medical provider

The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office welcomes MEDIKO Inc. as the new medical provider for the Virginia Beach Correctional Center.

MEDIKO, based in Richmond, took over providing medical and mental health care at the jail on Aug. 1. It was awarded the $6.4 million medical contract through the City of Virginia Beach procurement process earlier this summer. The contract is for one year with an option for four one-year extensions. Under the contract, MEDIKO is responsible for providing medical, mental health, dental, pharmaceutical, laboratory, dialysis and other ancillary services for the jail’s 1,051 inmates.

NaphCare Inc. has provided medical care at the Correctional Center since 2015. NaphCare’s $5.9 million annual contract expired on April 30 and was extended through July 31 pending completion of the competitive procurement process.

The City received five responsive proposals for the contract, including from MEDIKO and NaphCare. The Purchasing Division awarded the contract based on the input of an evaluation committee that rated the bidders’ proposals on their experience, capability, services to be provided and price.

“I would like to thank NaphCare for providing exceptional medical care to the Virginia Beach Correctional Center for the past five years,” said Sheriff Ken Stolle. “We are always looking to provide the best taxpayer value and quality of care for the inmate population, and we are excited to work with MEDIKO to accomplish those goals.”

MEDIKO is a physician-owned and -operated company. As a Virginia company, MEDIKO brings a unique understanding of the healthcare system in Virginia and its Community Services Boards, which are vital to the provision of mental health services when inmates transition back into the community. MEDIKO plans to improve substance abuse and mental health treatment at the jail, critical areas that have a heightened focus throughout the community. MEDIKO will also increase the number of licensed nurses working in the Correctional Center to 31. Additionally, MEDIKO plans to pursue Medicaid enrollment for 100% of inmates booked into the jail. This will ease the burden on taxpayers of paying for inmate hospitalizations and ensure inmates have Medicaid coverage for medical needs after they are released from jail.

“We are delighted, excited, honored and privileged to provide comprehensive healthcare services, including medical, mental health and dental care services, for the largest metropolitan area in Virginia, the city of Virginia Beach,” said Dr. Kaveh Ofogh, MEDIKO’S founder and chief operating officer. “I have taken a Hippocratic Oath. As a physician, I live by that oath every day and so does MEDIKO. I have created a culture in MEDIKO that is medically driven, not financially driven. We do not cut corners of care. Our intention and focus are to deliver quality and timely healthcare services to the inmate patient population.”

For additional information about MEDIKO, visit medikoinc.com.

Any questions or requests for additional information from the news media may be directed to Public Information Officer Kathy Hieatt: 757.570.9123 (cell).