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Management Failure at Westchester Medical Center Results in Layoff of 130 Workers Because County To Privatize Inmate Care
July 9, 2010 Update: Medical Center Chief Michael Israel Lays Off 130 Workers including the Inmate Care Staff
part of the LoHud article linked above: This round of layoffs comes after hospital officials and county lawmakers failed to agree on a contract for the hospital to continue treating the county jail inmates. The medical center for years ran a nationally recognized medical unit at the jail in exchange for $12.5 million in county support, which included utilities and maintenence of the campus that the hospital and the jail share. The arrangement had the medical center running the program at an annual $2.5 million loss, Westchester Medical Center Chief Executive Michael Israel said. Israel tried unsuccessfully to negotiate with the county executive for more money. The county contracted with another vendor from Tennessee.
June 18, 2010 Update: Astorino vetoes legislators on new bids for inmate medical care The Republican executive Thursday rejected a county board measure calling for new bids on a three-year, $45 million contract inked this week to provide health pdf version: Jun182010Westchesterexecvetoesnewbidsforinmatemedicalcare.pdf
June 1, 2010 Update: County of Westchester lawmakers voted to let the Westchester Medical Center continue to treat county jail inmates through the end of 2010. click for article pdf version: Jun22010Westchesterofficialsclashoverprivatizingjailhealthcare.pdf
May 28, 2010 Update: County Announces Intent to Issue Contract to Nashville firm for Inmate Care and to Allow Layoffs of Medical Center Experienced Staff click for article Pdf version May28_2010AstorinoToHireNewMedicalProviderForJail.pdf
April 3, 2010 original story: The move may impact as many as 80 long time professional employees who are members of Unit 9201 of the Civil Service Employees Association and the New York State Nurses Association. It is unclear how many jobs, if any, would be lost in the privatization.
Apr 3, 2010 Story in Journal News:
CSEA 9201 President Peter Piazza calls this effort financially ill advised. "I don't think the county executive is going to find that he's going to get these services provided any cheaper than what (hospital Chief Executive Officer) Michael Israel is doing it for, no matter where he goes and shops," Piazza said Tuesday.
"There's no reason in the (medical center's) letter as to why they decided to terminate, so you'd have to go back to them and ask them why," said Ned McCormack, a spokesman for first-term Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. "But three weeks after we got here we just received this letter that they wanted to terminate, which was their right." McCormack assured that Westchester would find a qualified company, and said any past problems the county had in privatized inmate medical care were not relevant to the present-day search. Westchester used for-profit vendors to provide inmate medical care for four years in the late 1990s but renewed its deal with the medical center after a series of controversies under the oversight of two companies.
A professional long term CSEA member working in the affected program spoke at the Westchester County Board of Legislators' meeting on April 5, 2010. This is her statement:
Click this link: On the new window, select "Apr 05 Board of Legislators - Regular Meeting" on the left column to start the video; then Fast Forward to approx 32:30 to see Patrizia Perugini's presentation)
I am a Psychiatric Social Worker employed by CHS has been providing services at the jail since 2000. We have made many self initiated efforts to intelligently contain cost while still provide quality services to the inmate population. Such efforts include: 1- Our new approach to dispensing medications. Due to our hospital affiliation, we are part of a 3 40B program which enables us to purchase bulk medications at a significantly reduced rate. This rate will go away if CHS is no longer the provider. 2- About 3 years ago, CHS implemented the system of telemedicine which has tremendously decreased emergency room trips and off site hospital visits. 3- The majority of the staff at CHS has been working at the facility since the beginning of the contract (Jan. 2001). This has lead to less staff turnover which in the long run has saved the county money. We the employees of CHS pride ourselves in running a quality health care program. We have access to the only tertiary care hospital in the region. We have an academic affiliation with Our medical and mental health services positively impact public health safety issues. We have extensive immunization, medical and mental health services leading to healthier inmates re-entering back into our communities. We have many letters from local county residents and county employees advocating to keep WMC CHS as the health care provider in the Department Of Corrections. Thank You.
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