PHS WILL take over Wyoming

Specialties Correctional

Published

Hello--CMS has been the medical and mental health care provider in the Wyoming DOC for the last several years. I joined CMS in Wyoming in 2003.

Recently, following a request for proposals by the Wyoming DOC, PHS proved to be the sucessful bidder, purportedly for millions of dollars less than CMS proposed. The time table is, as I am told, that PHS will finalize its contract with DOC on May 18, and that CMS's last day under contract will be June 30.

As you might expect, there is a huge amount of apprehension among health care staff at WDOC. The rumor mill gives PHS mixed reviews. Internet research refelcts some bad press for both PHS and PMS. No one on staff knows quite what to expect. I have read the post and replies under PMS HAS TAKEN OVER OUR PRISON, and have found those notes to be quite helpful as to what to expect in benefits.

What I would live to know is what happens next. We are told that once PHS finalizes its contract with WDOC, it will tour each facility interviewing existing CMS employees. What should we expect? Will they attempt to downsize staff? Will they pressure employees in closed door sessions to accept a reduction in wages or salaries? What will be their stategy in approaching employees, move by move?

If there is anyone out there who has been through the process of a changeover to PHS, I would be grateful if you would share your experience.

With the current nursing shortage and the difficulties in finding nurses that want to work in corrections, why would PHS get rid of the experienced staff already on site? Think about it!

Trust me - PHS will hire as many of the current CMS staff as possible and they will hire you at your current rate of pay or higher. Benefits are pretty much the same as CMS.

There will be some slightly different forms and systems to get use to, but the basic inmate care will stay the same.

Your job is secure!

I have worked for PHS for almost a year in Sarasota Fl. I enjoy working for them and have not experienced any miss leading information. Good Luck

wyocowboy. It's time for a new update. :) How is it going now with PHS?

PHS was in Indiana for the last 5 years in the Dept of Corrections-managing medical dept but we state nurses were allowed to remain state employees. PHS was ok to deal with in the everyday work situations we encountered.New governor new politics and this past Jan it was loud and clear.The bargining power of the union was dissolved and the changes started coming.Privitization of many state services.The one that concerns me is nursing for as of 31 Aug we are no longer state employees and CMS takes over 1 Sept.The pay and perks are less than I have had with the state and the staffing is supposedly going to get worse .I agreed to do prn with CMS to know I have some kind of job when the end of the month comes and it is coming quickly.I did 2 days of paper work orientation with them,their rules etc and they are a bit different than I am used to.It truly is a business and there appears to be no grey area,pretty much black and white and no deviation.Writeups for things like clock in to early or out too late,please.I enjoy prison nursing having done it for 14 years,combined agency and state and will do it in a prn status as long as I can deal with CMS.There is a great sense of unrest as this chnageover occurs.Yes change is good and it is part of life but when something like this comes along and affects a number of us who thought we could get 10 years with the state for retirement purposes and can't,it's not right.Just my opinion.As we say though we'll put one foot in front of the other and keep on trucking as we think of our patients who need our care no matter who or what we work for.

Hi antique nurse

Sorry to hear about you losing your future right to receive state retirement benefits. Good grief, they sure sound petty. You're going to get a write-up for clocking in too early or too late?????Yes, it seems that so many good state prison jobs for nurses are now going private, unfortunately. :o

antique nurse - Is there nothing the union can do to help you retain some of your state benefits? Is the union fighting any of this? I would reorganize and establish a union, with CMS as the employer. This is very unfortunate and unfair when this happens. I think that we lose a lot of really good correctional nurses because of this. I know nurses that have been state employees, then CMS employees, then PHS employees, then back to being CMS employees. It's crazy!

There is no union involvement .When the new gov came in on his first day in January he took away the power of the union which gave himself catre blanche to to what he wanted.It's all deep and heavy in politics-big suprise!!So we nurses are out the door as of tonight at minight.I will work prn for CMS while I look around.It was a sucky day in terms of feeling like we rejected stepchildren.Life will go on but this is indeed an experience.

hello, bringing this thread back to life.

SOMEONE PLEASE PM ME OR RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

#1. what is it like working for Wexford lately?

#2. What is it like working for the state prisons lately?

#3. I am either thinking of taking an RN job with wexord, maxim or the state of Ohio which is the "best" and why?

#4. If I took a job with the state what are the chances it would be privatized? I would hate to work 9 years and then lose the chance at benefits like others have

I would go with the state job and hope for the best. The state job is the best choice because of the added benefits. Unfortunately, there is a very good chance that the state jobs would indeed be privatized in the future.:o I am always hearing about prior state jobs becoming privatized these days.

Blackcat, thanks for the response - advice. my current thinking on the corrections job:

option #1. take whatever correction job I can do it for a year then become a traveler.

option #2. try to find a job with the federal corrections system.

option #3. work a private job for 1 year then try to see whats going on with the State jobs. If it appears they will not be privatized take a job with the state but take a civil service test to be in a higher pay grade (nurse II instead of nurse I).

Any thoughts about my 3 different plans with corrections?

All of your 3 plans sound really great!!!!!;) I think it's going to be a win-win situation for you no matter which of the 3 plans you choose to do.:balloons:

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