BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – Brunswick County commissioners voted Monday to extend a $2.2 million contract with Wellpath, the controversial national health care provider.
The company provides medical care to inmates at the Brunswick County Detention Center. The one-year extension to the 2024 agreement passed 4-1, with commissioner Pat Sykes the lone dissenting vote. It includes a 2.7% increase in the annual fee the county pays the company, bringing the total annual cost to $2.23 million.
Sykes said her concerns about the company date back several years. They include dozens of federal lawsuits against Wellpath, with accusations of neglect and wrongful death, and a 2024 bankruptcy filing…