FCPS ends nearly 50-year contract with Lexington-Fayette Co. Health Department

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — A nearly 50-year contract between Fayette County Public Schools and the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has ended.

According to LFCHD spokesperson Kevin Hall, the health department was notified by FCPS that it wasn’t selected for school health services for the upcoming year.

“We are proud of the work we have provided Fayette County for almost 50 years and look forward to continuing our mission of helping Lexington be well,” Hall told ABC 36 in a statement.

FCPS chose another vendor, Maxim, to provide nursing staff services to schools, spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith said.

New services will begin on July 1, 2024, and last until June 30, 2025, with the option to renew.

Davidson-Smith said about 54-58 nurses will be impacted.

Maxim told Davidson-Smith they are “willing to interview and hire the current nursing staff members, if they are interested in staying with the current school where they serve.”

“While this is ending a nearly 50-year relationship with LFCHD, FCPS is in no way compromising student health care or employee access to employment,” Davidson-Smith added in her statement.

Among the criteria for selecting a vendor for FCPS include cost (30%); technical proposal like qualifications, licenses, tracking and reporting (30%); references (10%); and the interview (30%).

After all scores were calculated by committee members, Maxim was deemed the highest score and hired.

Below are vendors, bids and weighted scores for the nursing contract. Numbers were provided by FCPS.

Editor’s note: a * denotes approximately 50 nurses at 81,600; a ** denotes they gave an hourly rate; and a # denotes the vendor was interviewed by a committee

• Alliance**
  • Hourly rate not available
  • 76.5
• Healthcare Staffing Professionals*
  • $4,080,000
  • 143.1
• NR
  • $4,923,750
  • 100.1
• GHR Education
  • $4,000,000
  • 166.4
• Wise Medical
  • $4,418,750
  • 137.4
• Loyal Source
  • $3,430,000
  • 200.4
• Prolink#
  • $3,737,703
  • 307.8
• Career Staff LTD#
  • $3,318,892.50
  • 340.2
• LFCHD#
  • $4,565,138
  • 241.1
• Maxim#
  • $3,143,850
  • 391.4

Maxim has 140 locations across the United States with one office in Lexington on Harrodsburg Road.

The business is headquartered in Maryland and was founded in 1988, according to its website.

This story will be updated