(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) announced a contract with a new healthcare provider to serve the incarcerated citizens at the El Paso County Jail that began on Jan. 1, 2024.

The new contract is with VitalCore Health Strategies which replaces Wellpath, which provided services to the jail from Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2023. EPSO said the contract will cost $11,047,188.68 in 2024, and the contract features a negotiated cap increase that is not to exceed 3.9% over five years.

“Immediately after being elected to serve as Sheriff, I began the process of evaluating many key operations across the Office. Providing medical care to those housed in the El Paso County Jail is not only statutorily mandated, but it also represents the largest single contract impacting my budget,” said Sheriff Joe Roybal. “It was imperative to ensure we had the best available medical contractor providing services within the walls of the Jail.”

Sheriff Roybal emphasized the contract will touch on many aspects of inmate care, especially behavioral care. VitalCore has partnered with EPSO’s Jail-based Behavioral Services to provide an expansion of services and sharing of information to better serve the needs of inmates.

“Unfortunately, the majority of those housed in our jail have prior existing undertreated or undiagnosed medical issues, such as drug addictions or chronic mental health issues, which require an extra level of care while in our custody,” said Sheriff Roybal.

Sheriff Roybal thanked the citizens of El Paso County for their trust and support, along with his staff for their hard work to ensure inmates receive quality care.

“As a native of Colorado Springs, born and raised here, and as your Sheriff, I promise to work non-stop to make improvements and find solutions to make our community safe and healthy.”