The Iowa Department of Corrections announced Friday that it is no longer pursuing privatization of medical care in the state’s prisons, according to two current medical employees and Todd Copley, a local union president.
In an afternoon Zoom meeting led by Beth Skinner, the director of the Iowa Department of Corrections, employees were told the department accepted no proposals following a competitive bid process, and there are no plans to move forward with privatization. It is not yet known which companies submitted bids or what the bids included.
An employee present at the meeting told The Midwest Newsroom that a private contract to update the electronic medical records system may still be pursued. The employee also said no public announcement from the DOC about the decision is planned. The Midwest Newsroom is not naming the employee because they were not authorized to talk to the media about internal communication…