Kentucky Department of Corrections
January 22, 2011 Herald-Leader
The state has appointed an acting medical director for Kentucky prisons
who will continue to work for and be paid by the private company that
provides the state prison system's health care. Dr. Ron Everson was
named by the state to coordinate and oversee the work of CorrectCare
Integrated Health, the company where he is regional medical director for
four Eastern Kentucky prison facilities. CorrectCare provides medical
care for Kentucky prisons. It works for the University of Kentucky in a
public-private partnership that essentially provides prisoners with an
HMO for medical care. The university has a two-year, $104 million
contract with the Department of Corrections. In his state role, Everson
checks credentials and supervises medical providers and nurse
administrators for Kentucky's Department of Corrections. He is also in
charge of quality assurance, said corrections spokeswoman Lisa Lamb.
Lamb said there is no conflict in Everson serving in both roles.
CorrectCare is paying Everson's salary and the state is providing no
additional compensation to him, she said. Linda Goins, president of
CorrectCare, which is based in Lexington, referred questions about
Everson back to the state. Richard Beliles, the chairman of the watchdog
group Common Cause Kentucky, said Thursday that such an arrangement is
not good government. "It would not be good if a lot of private companies
could suddenly just be paying the salaries of state officials," said
Beliles. "It's a push for privatization, which is probably not in the
general best interest of the public." The agreement between UK and the
state does not prohibit a CorrectCare physician from serving as acting
medical director during the absence of the state corrections
department's medical director, Lamb said. The corrections department
sought the advice of the Justice Cabinet, whose staff then contacted the
state Personnel Cabinet's General Counsel's office, Lamb said. "We were
assured there was no conflict of interest in Dr. Everson filling this
role on a temporary basis," she said.
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