Sexual assault exams: Pinellas County ends Suncoast Center agreement

On Tuesday, Pinellas County commissioners voted unanimously to terminate a roughly $180,000 annual contract with the Suncoast Center, ending the nonprofit's forensic exam services on Dec. 31.Contract terminationFor the last 16 years, the Suncoast Center has provided Sexual Assault Victim Examination services for Pinellas County residents. At the county commissioner’s meeting Tuesday, at least one commissioner brought up reported issues with the non-profit, including a "backlog of rape kits" — with county staff admitting Pinellas had put Suncoast on a "corrective action" plan."They are still under corrective action with us, but they are fully compliant with everything we have asked them to do," Pinellas Director of Human Services Karen Yatchum said. "There were some quality issues, and we've resolved those. We brought in a nurse consultant that came in and had no findings," Suncoast Center CEO Jean Pierre told commissioners, adding that the organization conducted 22 sexual assault exams