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| UTMB Galveston/ TDCJ Hospital |
According to the Galveston Daily News, UTMB has begun the process of transferring offender healthcare back to TDCJ. UTMB says negotiations have been ongoing for months but as of January 31st, that's all done. Dr. David L. Callender, president of the medical branch, let the staff know that the transition has begun to transfer the health services to the corrections department. The university has been subsidizing care for inmates out of it's own coffers and states that it can no longer afford to do so.
Those involved say that it will cost more to find a new contractor and to set that system up then it would to just settle with UTMB on a new price. The Texas taxpayers will foot the bill on the transition said one UTMB administrator. For those of you that have been employed by TDCJ for awhile, you may remember the level of care given by the 2nd rate fly by night doctors and nurses the then TDC hired to handle it's medical needs. Court action will surely follow if we ever got into that position again.
UTMB provides inpatient and outpatient medical care for about 80 percent of the 156,000 prisoners in the Texas system and employes hundreds of employees that could be affected on dozens of prison units.
More to come....
THIS A BAD NEWS FOR BOTH UTMB AND TEXAS TAXPAYERS I THINK BOTH SHOULD TRY TO WORK IT OUT ,TDC SHOULD LOOK INTO REALISING THE OFFENDERS THAT ARE TOTAL LIABILITY TO STATE, FOR EXAMPLE OLD AND VERY SICK OFFENDERS IT VERY COSTLY TO KEEP THOSE PEOPLE IN A PRISON TDC IS NOT OLD FOLKS HOME ,MEDICARE IS NOT PAYING ENOUGH TO THE STATE FOR THEM TO BE TAKEN CARE OF IN PRISON,ALSO UTMB SHOULD LOOK INTO CUTTING BACK SOME STAFFS
ReplyDeleteLESS NURSING STAFF AT UNITY ,TREAT MORE OFFENDERS IN UTMB HOSIPITALS INSTEAD OF LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH HIGH BILLS WITH COST OF SECURITY AT THE LOCATION
Why can't we just ignore the problem and let them die in their cells?
ReplyDeleteI bet you would change your mind if it was some of your family incarcerated. Of course I know no one in your fine upstanding family would do anything against the law.
DeleteNope none of my family has ever done time nor done anything to be locked up for. Even if they did I would still expect them to do their time and not bitch about every little thing.
DeleteIsn't that what we've been doing now? Money sure doesn't seem like it's going for medical "care".
ReplyDeleteI am only half joking here... Guess Correctional Officers will be nurses now... Get ready for working medical and watching diabetics give shots to themselves while we do the paperwork for it...
ReplyDeletewhy not? we're already fire fighters, therapists, cooks, janitors(on lock down). we provide room service and in some ways, we're also interior designers. I think we could add one more challenge to our day to day adventure in corrections.
DeleteYou don't have a clue!!!!!!!!!!!! Idiot!
DeleteBeing Retired from TDC, I can say I think the Inmates got better care under TDC than UTMB, ask and old convict, true enough you wont find many of them, but as of 2011 there where still a few of the 28xxx on up, convicts, TDC go back to having the one Medical Director and then 1 doctor for 2 or 3 units where they dont just make the big bucks for one unit but several and 4 hrs a day or 8 hrs for 2 or 3 days but 5 days, work just as hard as some of your nurses and making 4times what they do. I have seen nurses save lives under both systems, JMHO. No I wasnt medical but Correctional Staff in the building walking runs,dorms.
ReplyDeleteThe reason UTMB got the original contract is because TDC was paying the courts in lawsuits due to poor health care! 80% of the inmates that come into the clinic have ulterior motives to gain something (meds) to sell to each other and have nothing wrong with them at all. Medical (UTMB)has to 1st decide whether the inmate has a real problem and then treat them with limited resources. Cutting staff/pay is not the answer. The prison system is riddled with expensive chronic care dx's of IDDM, HCV, HIV, COPD, CAD. Somebody will have to pay for this or they will get sued and pay whether they like it or not!
DeletePerhaps inmates should pay for their own care like in the free world. Sure, they pay $100 to UTMB for a 'co-pay' but it's usually waived for a year after the first visit. Wish I could pay $100/year for medical coverage and prescriptions.
DeleteIt will not be in the corrections officers hands but it will save money. There are other options that could be explored.
ReplyDeleteUTMB has been ripping TDCJ off for years. I can't tell you how many inmates I have seen go on chain to Galveston, and come back saying they never saw a Dr. I can't tell you how many inmates I have seen refuse chain to Galveston, saying they never saw a Dr. the last time they were there. Our PAs on the units are being paid $80,000 to over $100,000. Some of the RNs are in the same territory. As a former supervisor, I have had trouble getting medical staff to talk to inmates with legitimate and sometimes serious issues. The Supreme Court screwed TDCJ when they decided inmates have a constitutional right to healthcare. UTMB has continued the tradition of screwing TDCJ for years.
ReplyDeleteThe reason UTMB got the original contract is because TDC was paying the courts in lawsuits due to poor health care! 80% of the inmates that come into the clinic have ulterior motives to gain something (meds) to sell to each other and have nothing wrong with them at all. Medical (UTMB)has to 1st decide whether the inmate has a real problem and then treat them with limited resources. Cutting staff/pay is not the answer. The prison system is riddled with expensive chronic care dx's of IDDM, HCV, HIV, COPD, CAD. Somebody will have to pay for this or they will get sued and pay whether they like it or not! Sounds like your an inmate loving liberal idiot. We'll see how well TDC does with the healthcare?? Get your wallet out! UTMB saved you tax $ for 18yrs with minimal lawsuits by child molesters and rapist. idiot!
DeleteI have also seen inmates go out and come right back never seeing provider and had appt.! I have also seen some of the worst cases of what utmb does to them! Horrible! I would not take my dead dog to UTMB for any kind of treatment!!!
DeleteI love TDCJ's philosophy. We can't pay UTMB for their services so, let us spend more money that we " don't" have on sending inmates to hospitals in major cities and the costly ambulance ride that is about $700. or life flight $ 10,000. Here is an idea, let's just rent a limmo. it would be cheaper.
ReplyDelete