The Monroe County Legislature has formed a special committee to investigate the county's jailhouse medical provider.
That action – unanimously approved by lawmakers on Tuesday evening -- comes in response to a state directive that the county review PrimeCare Medical of New York after the jailhouse death of Brian Harmon.
The four-member bipartisan committee is expected to submit its report by mid-April assessing the fitness of PrimeCare Medical of New York to continue providing services, and offering recommendations to improve care and oversight.
The state Commission of Correction had issued the directive for the Legislature to perform an investigation last December but set no deadlines nor protocols for doing so. Harmon, 62, died of sepsis stemming from a urinary obstruction nine days after being admitted to the jail in September 2023.
The commission report noted that several critical medical interventions were missed, and that Harmon was "covered in feces" when admitted to Strong Memorial Hospital.
"This matter deserves thorough, fair, and thoughtful review," Legislator William Burgess said before the vote Tuesday. "It is essential that we allow the process to run its course before taking further action and putting those affected at risk. We will work feverishly to honor Mr. Harmon and try and prevent this from happening again."
Democratic Majority Leader Michael Yudelson and Republican Minority Leader Sean McCabe proposed the committee. Four legislators were tapped to head the committee: Democrats Linda Hasman and Albert Blankley, and Republicans Jackie Smith and Blake Keller.
The Legislature tabled a motion to shorten PrimeCare's contract renewal from one year to six months. A $13.6 million extension, approved earlier this year, is set to run through January 2027.
Based in Pennsylvania, PrimeCare provides medical services in jails throughout the northeast. Since 2019, at least 10 complaints have been filed in federal court regarding its practices in the Monroe County Jail, including Harmon's death.
Allegations include denying patients' medication, giving the wrong doses of insulin, or in one case, failing to treat an incarcerated person's rare bone condition, resulting him now using a wheelchair.
Elliot Shields, the attorney representing Harmon's family, has also sued the county after it failed to return documents on Harmon's care in the jail through an open records request.
