Roadrunner Health Services Takes Over Contract for Lea County Detention Facility: Local Staffing Measures to Bring Jobs to the Community

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, June 14th, 2022–Roadrunner Health Services, a leading healthcare provider in correctional institutes, is bringing its compassionate care to Lea County. Their new contract at Lea County Detention Facility in Lovington, NM, is due to start on July 1, 2022, featuring all-local staff.

Notably, this is the first time the facility has awarded a contract to an outside company. RHS is taking over from Nor-Lea, which has held the contract for many years.

RHS is wasting no time in providing care: Only one week after receiving the contract, RHS is 90% staffed. Working towards the July 1st start-up date, with this being a holiday weekend, RHS will be providing staffing throughout the weekend with Regional, PRN, and regular staff from other facilities.  RHS has also scheduled to have shifts fully covered for the first two weeks of their contract with the staffing mentioned above. This will allow for all new employees to start on July 5th getting through the holiday weekend and starting their orientation process. In order to ensure that all work meets RHS standards, Roadrunner will fill 100% of the positions with its own employees, declining to use agency staffing, as some of its larger competitors are prone to do.

"With each expansion, we aim to bring more compassionate care to new partners than they've ever had before," says RHS CEO, David Montoya. One way that Roadrunner achieves this is via its local hiring model.

Hiring locally not only creates jobs for the community but also puts healthcare professionals in place who understand the nuances and expectations of local culture.

One of the pillars of RHS is treating its employees well. “Satisfied employees lead to satisfied patients,” says Montoya. “We do all we can to ensure our employees know they are valued and supported.” Part of this support comes in the form of competitive wages–which are especially needed due to the higher cost of living in Lea County. RHS is adjusting its salaries accordingly.

Approximately 14 full-time staff members (including RNs, LPNs, psychiatrists, medical providers, EMTs, social workers, mental health providers, and an office manager) will be serving up to 400 patients at the facility. RHS professionals provide mental health services, detox services (MAT program: medication-assisted treatment), emergency response and suicide prevention, among other services.

About Roadrunner Health Services: RHS provides high-quality medical and mental health services in correctional facilities consistent with community best practices to ensure the physical and psychological well-being of the patients.