The health-care provider that serves inmates at the Flagler County jail found no wrongdoing in the “clinical actions” of two nurses involved in a medical emergency inside the jail last week that may have led to an inmate’s death.

The private health-care provider that serves inmates at the Flagler County jail found no wrongdoing in the “clinical actions” of two nurses involved in a medical emergency inside the jail last week that may have led to an inmate’s death.

Anthony Fennick, 23, of Palm Coast died Saturday morning after being on life support at AdventHealth Palm Coast for nearly five days. He fell into a comatose state following a “medical episode” he suffered at the Flagler County detention center on Feb. 4.

Family members believe Fennick was running a high fever and began showing other symptoms of severe illness five days before he was rushed to the hospital and that the jail’s medical staff failed to treat him quickly enough. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the conditions that led to Fennick’s hospitalization for possible criminal negligence and asked its contracted health-care provider to place two of its employees on leave while the investigation proceeds.

But representatives from Armor Correctional Health Services, the jail’s inmate care contractor of the past year, sent Sheriff’s Office officials an email Friday seeking to absolve the two nurses involved in the Feb. 4 incident.

“Armor has reviewed the clinical actions of these employees and found nothing inappropriate,” Jennifer Owens, one of Armor’s regional vice presidents, wrote.

Owens was responding to Flagler Sheriff's Office Chief Steve Cole, who oversees the jail division. Cole requested that Armor remove the two nurses from the jail and replace them while the Sheriff’s Office investigates. One of the employees is a full-time registered nurse paid $2,190 every two weeks. The other is a part-time licensed practical nurse who earns $412 biweekly, documents show.

Armor placed both on an indefinite paid administrative leave Thursday. But Owens said the cost to replace them is “above the contract terms” and requested the Sheriff’s Office pay both nurses’ salaries and benefits while they’re relieved of duty.

“The above employees would be placed on a paid administrative leave rather than an unpaid leave due to neither employees having been found of any wrongful practice nor are neither (sic) employees accused of any wrongful practice at this time,” Owens wrote in an email to Cole on Friday.

Sheriff's Office attorney Kayla Hathaway asked Owens to specify which clause in the contract requires the Sheriff’s Office to reimburse Armor. Owens declined to comment when contacted by a News-Journal reporter Monday, but a company official did respond to an email.

"Armor is committed to be a good partner with our clients, often going above and beyond contract requirements to meet the requests of our clients," Ken Palombo, Armor's chief operating officer stated. "We have done this in Flagler on a regular basis. We do believe it is fair and contractually appropriate for a Sheriff's Office to reimburse Armor for the time an Armor nurse is off work at the Sheriff's Office request, if the nurse's care in question is subsequently found to have been appropriate."

The Sheriff’s Office began using Armor Correctional as its medical services provider at the county jail in February 2018. The contract indicates the Sheriff's Office paid $395,018 for the first eight months of the agreement and is scheduled to pay $618,576 through the second year of the contract if the jail’s average monthly inmate population does not exceed 225. Those were “base prices” in the contract, which also includes provisions for Armor to bill the Sheriff’s Office monthly per diems on top of the normal operating expenses if the jail population exceeds 225.

Sheriff’s Office Chief Mark Strobridge said it’s within the agency’s purview to request medical staff be removed, according to the contract. The agreement states Armor should have reasonable time to find an adequate replacement in such cases, but it appears there are no provisions that explicitly require the Sheriff’s Office to reimburse Armor for an employee’s salary or benefits.

Volusia County began using Armor as its inmate health-care provider in 2015, but Volusia officials signed a contract with a new company in August. Four wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against the Miami-based Armor alleging medical neglect in Volusia.

Fennick was serving a 300-day sentence at the jail stemming from a probation violation for a conviction on charges of burglary and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Booking records show he had been in custody since he was arrested Dec. 28 and he was expecting to be released May 9 with gain time.

He is the third inmate to die in custody at the Flagler jail since February 2016, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Brittany Kershaw said Monday.

Mark Terrance Klos, 72, died Sept. 29 of an apparent suicide in his cell, which is still being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Kathleen Feiler suffered an apparent seizure and died in the jail March 13, 2016.

FDLE investigated that death as well but has declined the Sheriff’s Office’s request to investigate Fennick’s because a spokeswoman said it does not meet the state agency’s criteria. Kershaw said FDLE declined because Fennick’s passing is not considered an "in-custody death" since he did not die in jail.