TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials announced Friday that they had signed a new contract for medical services at prisons amid mounting frustrations with the current health care provider.
The Kansas Department of Corrections said in a news release that it awarded Centurion of Kansas LLC a two-year contract that begins July 1. The contract can be extended to 2026.
The announcement comes a week after Gov. Laura Kelly criticized the health care provided in the state’s prisons by Tennessee-based Corizon Health.
“Inmates and staff are concerned about the level of care inmates have been receiving from the corrections medical provider, Corizon. I understand the frustrations. In fact, I share them,” the governor said.
Corizon did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Kansas penalized Corizon more than $500,000 for not meeting performance standards in 2018. It also cut $2.8 million in payments to Corizon because the company didn’t provide the required number of employees and work hours last year.
