Wexford and Prison Health Services

alkaleidi · Aug 6, 2007

Has anyone worked for these companies in Illinois, if so which facilities were you working at and how did you like it? Are they good companies?

I've worked for Wexford. I wouldn't say it's BAD. I never had any problems, but they haven't been the most fantastic agency to work for. LOL... sorry, I think that was pretty vague. In a nutshell I have nothing good or bad to say about Wexford.

INAnurse1 · Sep 21, 2007

I am a state-employed nurse with IDOC and have worked with vendor nurses; the bad thing about working for a vendor is when the contract is up the vendor may or may not be the high bidder again and if not you are out of a job if the new one doesn't want to take over the staff. No retirement to speak of and the benefits are not great compared to state service. I"ve been with IDOC for 13 years and have worked my way up from a Corrections Nurse 1 to a Corrections Nurse 2 and have seen my wages grow significantly. For a long time, before the vendors nurses became AFSCME nurses, the wages and benefits were really bad but the wages have improved somewhat.

Sunshine22 · Sep 24, 2007

I can only give you a point of view from GA, but maybe that will be OK. I have worked for PHS for 10 years and I love it!! Most of my staff has been right there with me for most of the time, as well. I have a small jail and prison, 550, that I am HSA at, and I have a wonderful staff that loves their jobs as well. Times can be stressful, but times can be fun, as well.

INAnurse1 · Sep 24, 2007

I think that a lot of the time it's not the vendor that makes or breaks an experience but rather the people that you work with. I was a vendor many years ago at the prison at Reidsville and the people there were great! Had my family situation turned out a little differently we might still have been living just down the road from Vidalia!

INAnurse1 · Sep 24, 2007

The vendor situation here in Illinois is totally different. Here the vendors hire who ever they can for physicians. At one facility that I worked we had both state nurses and vendor nurses and other vendor staff (doctor, dentist, psych, ect). The physician couldn't prescribe certain Schedule drugs due to a cloud on his license....he had been convicted of exposing himself at a rest stop. Other physicians with the vendors here in Illinois have equally questionable pasts.

Illinois is different in many ways.....our past governor is waiting for his appeal to be resolved before he reports to prison, our current governor ought to be in prison (and probably will be one day).....in Illinois the phrase "honest politician" is an oxymoron!

nancykday · Sep 24, 2007

I'm a state emplyeed nurse in corrections also. we had wexford as our medical vendor. they lost the state contract 4 years ago to PHS. at one point Wexford provided us with a MD who was under house arrest, he wore an ankle bracelet. He was unable to practice in a hospital d/t the fact that he had been convicted of medicare fraud. When PHS won thw contract with our state PHS did not review his contract and he moved on. and that is just one story about many of our physicias. I have worked at my facility for 11 years and we have had at least 15 different physicians over that period

mjaneingram · Jan 8, 2008

I currently work for Wexford Health Sources and can tell you they have been excellent to me. I know its scarey when a facility changes vendors but I think the major vendors all operate similarly. Unfortunately, turnover in our industry (corrections) is a problem no matter where or who you work for. Just keep an open mind and I think you will be pleased.

happystulip · Jan 26, 2008

I have been a contractual nurser for wexford for almost 7 yrs in IDOC, good/bad, the company is only there for the company. Minimal care for the inmate, or should I say, just what we can get by with? I know their bottom line is the almighty dollar, but we do have an obligation to these psople and it should start with the company who bids for their care!