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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- More doctors are dropping their private practices, choosing to go to work behind bars treating murderers, rapists and other hardened criminals.
Better pay, better hours, retirement benefits and free malpractice insurance are just a few of the reasons why physicians are picking prisoners over civilian patients.
Dr. Kurt Johnson, now a full-time physician to inmates after closing his solo practice this year, says he's earning more, working less and spending more time with his family.
In 2009, private contractor Prison Health Services (PHS) saw a 77% increase over 2008 in the number of respondents applying for job opportunities.
At the University of Massachusetts Medical School, this year 22 of 150 new students chose the correctional health care clerkship as their first choice, more than double the typical response.
"Students are looking for an employer who offers flexible work hours and a steady paycheck. Correctional health care offers both," said Dr. Michelle Staples-Horne, medical director for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, adding that doctors who have stayed with a government agency long enough also benefit from pension plans.
Typically a salaried job with steady work hours, correctional physicians can earn starting salaries of around $140,000, according to Staples-Horne, roughly the same as the average school loan for graduating med students.
A dangerous job?
Dr. Kurt Johnson dumped his practice and became a jailhouse doctor in November. Johnson operated a solo practice in Laramie, Wyo., for six years. Two years ago he started working part time for Brentwood, Tenn.-based PHS, a division of America Service Group (ASGR), which provides doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to detention centers around the country.
"I never thought of correctional health care as a career. It wasn't even on my radar in [medical school] training," said Johnson, now a regional medical director for PHS.
At his private practice he had to cram in dozens of patients daily, sometimes for only five minutes, just to earn enough to cover his overhead expenses.
He was constantly filing insurance paperwork, and malpractice insurance was eating into his income.
This seems to conflict with the idea that doctors would quit rather than work for the governement. Not to draw any conclusions but definitely thought provoking.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- More doctors are dropping their private practices, choosing to go to work behind bars treating murderers, rapists and other hardened criminals.
Better pay, better hours, retirement benefits and free malpractice insurance are just a few of the reasons why physicians are picking prisoners over civilian patients.
Dr. Kurt Johnson, now a full-time physician to inmates after closing his solo practice this year, says he's earning more, working less and spending more time with his family.
In 2009, private contractor Prison Health Services (PHS) saw a 77% increase over 2008 in the number of respondents applying for job opportunities.
At the University of Massachusetts Medical School, this year 22 of 150 new students chose the correctional health care clerkship as their first choice, more than double the typical response.
"Students are looking for an employer who offers flexible work hours and a steady paycheck. Correctional health care offers both," said Dr. Michelle Staples-Horne, medical director for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, adding that doctors who have stayed with a government agency long enough also benefit from pension plans.
Typically a salaried job with steady work hours, correctional physicians can earn starting salaries of around $140,000, according to Staples-Horne, roughly the same as the average school loan for graduating med students.
A dangerous job?
Dr. Kurt Johnson dumped his practice and became a jailhouse doctor in November. Johnson operated a solo practice in Laramie, Wyo., for six years. Two years ago he started working part time for Brentwood, Tenn.-based PHS, a division of America Service Group (ASGR), which provides doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to detention centers around the country.
"I never thought of correctional health care as a career. It wasn't even on my radar in [medical school] training," said Johnson, now a regional medical director for PHS.
At his private practice he had to cram in dozens of patients daily, sometimes for only five minutes, just to earn enough to cover his overhead expenses.
He was constantly filing insurance paperwork, and malpractice insurance was eating into his income.
Doctors are quitting private practice to work in prisons - Dec. 23, 2009
Leave to the socialist wingnuts to let the fact that doctors treating PRISONERS, who are wards of the state and don't earn a living, go flying right over their peanut heads.
Did it ever occur to you that Government is the problem? Where's TORT Reform?Now if only we law abiding citizens could get equal care. But that would be against Republican principles.
Golly...Doctors leaving private practice to have Big Daddy Big Gummint pick up the tab for their outrageously expensive malpractice insurance premiums and get cushy bennie packages paid for by everyone else?
whodathunkit?
Golly...Doctors leaving private practice to have Big Daddy Big Gummint pick up the tab for their outrageously expensive malpractice insurance premiums and get cushy bennie packages paid for by everyone else?
whodathunkit?
Soooooooo, is this the same case with ALL people that choose to do government work? Do they ALL do such for the bennies and are they all on government "welfare", paid for by us tax payers, including our Military and veterans etc?
And........... Merry Christmas Dude!
That is truly insane!! Because government regulation has made it so expensive to operate, it is more lucrative to work for Uncle Sam himself.Better pay, better hours, retirement benefits and free malpractice insurance are just a few of the reasons why physicians are picking prisoners over civilian patients.
Dr. Kurt Johnson, now a full-time physician to inmates after closing his solo practice this year, says he's earning more, working less and spending more time with his family.
Golly...Doctors leaving private practice to have Big Daddy Big Gummint pick up the tab for their outrageously expensive malpractice insurance premiums and get cushy bennie packages paid for by everyone else?
whodathunkit?
Soooooooo, is this the same case with ALL people that choose to do government work? Do they ALL do such for the bennies and are they all on government "welfare", paid for by us tax payers, including our Military and veterans etc?
And........... Merry Christmas Dude!
The HUGE difference is that Military members are ready to give evrything they have (including their very lives) to this Republic. So I won't begrudge them any 'bennies' they have coming, and they desreve more than what they get for their sacrifice.
That is truly insane!! Because government regulation has made it so expensive to operate, it is more lucrative to work for Uncle Sam himself.Better pay, better hours, retirement benefits and free malpractice insurance are just a few of the reasons why physicians are picking prisoners over civilian patients.
Dr. Kurt Johnson, now a full-time physician to inmates after closing his solo practice this year, says he's earning more, working less and spending more time with his family.
