I
I A
I A MINNESOTA COMPANY, WAS RECENTLY AWARDED A MULTIMILLION
DOLLAR TAXPAYER FUNDED CONTRACT
TO PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE TO JAIL
INMATES IN AN HOKAH COUNTY,
BUT A NEW KARE 11 INVESTIGATION
FINDS THE COMPANY FAILED
TO DISCLOSE PARTS OF ITS
TROUBLED HISTORY AND COUNTY
LEADERS FAILED TO FACT CHECK
THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS
APPROVAL AND EXECUTION
OF CONTRACT WITH MEN.
>> CORRECTIONAL HEALTH FALL
OF 20 20. THE ANOKA COUNTY BOARD
OF COMMISSIONERS AWARDS. MENARD
CORRECTIONAL CARE , A HEFTY
TAXPAYER FUNDED CONTRACT
TO PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES
TO ITS JAIL AND CORRECTIONAL
FACILITIES WITH A MAXIMUM
CONTRACT VALUE OF SEVEN MILLION
TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN
THOUSAND THIRTY THREE DOLLARS.
>> SOMETHING WAS REALLY
SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE CONTRACT
BECAME ABOUT LINDSAY HELGESON
SUGGESTED KARE 11 INVESTIGATES.
LOOK INTO THE CONTRACT. FULL
DISCLOSURE, SHE'S A FORMER ANOKA
COUNTY EMPLOYEE, A PUBLIC
HEALTH NURSE WHO WORKED IN THE
JAIL AND LOST HER JOB WHEN
THE COUNTY DECIDED TO HIRE AN
OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR THERE
WITH FALSE INFORMATION. WE FEEL
LIKE THEY WENT ON TO MAKE THEIR
DISCISION KARE 11 DUG INTO
A NOCH AS CONTRACT WITH MEN
AND DISCOVERED NURSE LINDSAY WAS
RIGHT. THERE WAS FALSE
INFORMATION, SOME OF IT TIED
TO PROBLEMS. KARE 11 REPORTED
MONTHS AGO. ALLEGATIONS MEANED
FAILED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL
CARE IN OTHER MINNESOTA JAILS,
MEDICALLY NEGLECTED, ABUSED TILL
HIS DEATH.
HIS DEATH. >> DALE SCHIAPARELLI'S SON
HARDEL CHERYL DIED IN THE
BELTRAMI COUNTY JAIL IN TWENTY
EIGHTEEN, A WHISTLE BLOWING JAIL
NURSE FILED COMPLAINTS WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS,
THE STATE MEDICAL NURSING
BOARD'S DESCRIBING NEGLECTFUL
CARE BY JAIL STAFF AND THE JAIL
DOCTOR TODD LEONARD, THE OWNER
OF MEND. THOSE ONGOING
INVESTIGATIONS WHICH THE FBI IS
NOW ALSO INVOLVED IN , SPARKED
PROTESTS OUTSIDE MED BOARD
HEADQUARTERS. WHEN DR. LEONARD
I DON'T KNOW WHEN ANOKA
REQUESTED BIDS FOR A MEDICAL
PROVIDER FOR THE LUCRATIVE JAIL
CONTRACT LAST YEAR, THEY
INSTRUCTED BIDDERS PROVIDE
INFORMATION CONCERNING ANY
COMPLAINTS FILED WITH OR BY
PROFESSIONAL IN STATE OR
FEDERAL LICENSING REGULATORY
ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE PAST
TEN YEARS. IN THE SPOT WHERE MEN
WAS SUPPOSED TO DISCLOSE
COMPLAINTS THEY WROTE ABOUT
THEIR PROFESSIONAL
THEIR PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND INTEGRITY.
BUT NO MENTION OF THE COMPLAINTS
FILED REGARDING HARDEL DEATH.
>> THAT'S NOT THE ONLY THING MEN
FAILED TO DISCLOSE TO ANOKA
COUNTY.
COUNTY.
COUNTY. >> ANOKA ALSO MANDATED CONTRACT
PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE
INFORMATION ABOUT PENDING
LITIGATION OR LITIGATION
RESOLVED WITHIN THE PAST TEN
YEARS. MEN DISCLOSED A NUMBER
OF LAWSUITS BUT MADE NO MENTION
OF THEIR MOST COSTLY ONE AT
THE TIME. THE 2015 SETTLEMENT
IN THE WRONGFUL DEATH CASE
BROUGHT BY THE FAMILY OF A
STEARNS COUNTY INMATE THAT COST
TAXPAYERS AND MEN A COMBINED ONE
POINT FOUR FIVE MILLION DOLLARS,
MEN PAID EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY
THOUSAND OF THAT TOTAL,
ACCORDING TO BOB BENNETT,
THE ATTORNEY WHO BROUGHT
THE LAWSUIT WAS MEANT TO WEAR
THAT THEY HAD HAD TO PAY MONEY
TO SETTLE THE BAXTER KOOCHICHING
CASE WILLL. AS I RECALL, DR.
LEONARD WAS AT THE SETTLEMENT
CONFERENCE.
CONFERENCE. >> HE WAS CLEARLY AWARE IT'S NOT
THE FIRST TIME KARE 11 HAS
RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT MEN
FAILING TO DISCLOSE REQUESTED
INFORMATION WILLL LANDING PUBLIC
CONTRACTS WHEN MEN RECEIVE
THE OLMSTEAD COUNTY JAIL
CONTRACT FOR TWENTY SIXTEEN. DR.
LEONARD DIDN'T DISCLOSE HOW FROM
2011 TO 2013 HIS MEDICAL LICENSE
WAS RESTRICTED AND CONDITIONED
BY THE MINNESOTA BOARD
OF MEDICAL PRACTICE BASED UPON
HIS UNETHICAL AND UNPROFESSIONAL
CONDUCT. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN
ADEQUATE MEDICAL RECORDS
AND INAPPROPRIATE PRESCRIBING
PRACTICES. WERE YOU AND THE
COUNTY AWARE OF DR. LEONARD'S
HISTORY?
HISTORY?
HISTORY? >> I CERTAINLY WAS NOT A HOKAH
COUNTY LEADERSHIP REFUSED TO GO
ON CAMERA AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHETHER THEY FACT CHECKED
ANY OF WHAT MEN TOLD THEM BEFORE
AWARDING THE SEVEN MILLION
DOLLAR CONTRACT.
DOLLAR CONTRACT. >> I DON'T THINK THAT'S YOUR DUE
DILIGENCE, DR. LEONARD. WITH MEN
WOULDN'T GO ON CAMERA EITHER.
HALSTAD RESPONDING BY EMAIL.
THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN
COMMUNICATED TO ANOKA COUNTY
OFFICIALS AND OPEN RECORDS
REQUEST TO THE COUNTY, REVEALED
DR. LEONARD DID FINALLY DISCLOSE
THE COMPLAINTS IN LITIGATION
LAST MONTH. ON JANUARY SIX,
AFTER KARE 11 BEGAN ASKING
QUESTIONS THREE MONTHS AFTER
THE CONTRACT HAD ALREADY BEEN
AWARDED, HE ALSO SENT THE COUNTY
A LENGTHY STATEMENT ABOUT HOW
MANY HAS BEEN THE FOCUS
OF REPEATED NEGATIVE REPORTING
BY ONE NEWS ORGANIZATION AND HOW
THESE UNFOUNDED AND UNWARRANTED
ATTACKS ARE IRRESPONSIBLE
AND DANGEROUS WHEN KARE 11 ASKED
MEN TO PROVIDE