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| Report: 1 in 5 Calif. prison doctors disciplined/sued |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 10/04/2004 |
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Twenty percent of California prison doctors have received disciplinary action from the state or have been sued for malpractice - five times the general statewide rate - according to a newspaper report. Problems with the state's prison doctors continues three years after prison officials promised to improve care for inmates and has led to lawsuits and deaths, the Los Angeles Times reported last Wednesday. Among the physicians working in state prisons were doctors with criminal convictions and drug abuse histories, according to the paper. The allegations were to be discussed last Wednesday during a hearing at the Capitol. Among the cases lawmakers will likely review is the death of Vacaville prison inmate Anthony Shumake, 41, who was serving a 12-year sentence for spousal abuse and stalking. Shumake died nearly a week after a prison dentist extracted a wisdom tooth. His death stemmed from a related infection in his neck that caused his airway to become blocked. Correctional officials were investigating his death. The hearing comes after a federal judge threatened to take over the state's 32 adult prisons earlier this year. And it comes as health care costs skyrocket. The state will spend more than $900 million in medical care for 164,000 inmates this year. That's 20 percent of the prison budget. The salary for staff prison doctors averages around $177,000, according to the Times. |
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