Measuring Health Care at Rikers
Source: by Courtney Gross, Gotham Gazette (NY), June 2008
Six months ago, Prison Health Services -- the private, for profit company that manages health care in 10 of the city's 11 jails -- got a raise. The Tennessee-based corporation, which has a virtual monopoly on health care in prisons nationwide, saw its payments increase by more than 10 percent -- a figure that has been adjusted for inflation -- since its previous agreement with the city in 2005. That raise came despite the company's failure to meet at least 15 percent of its performance standards set by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene between 2006 and 2008.
On several occasions, the company has not met one in four of its performance indicators, which range from HIV care to intake history and physical exams, according to quarterly review reports from the department.