California's prison health system

Abstract

In his World Report (Sept 3, p 796),1Udesky L Court takes over California's prison health system.Lancet. 2005; 366: 796-797Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar Laurie Udesky states that the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) was “resisting evaluation of doctors”. This assertion is wrong. Our doctors' union contract with the state of California requires the state to conduct a written assessment of every doctor in state service every year. The assessments are to be done by management physicians. The UAPD labour agreement also provides that there be a strong medical staff at each correctional medical facility and that they have active peer-review programmes. In a legislative hearing, UAPD board member Ron Bortman testified about the UAPD's plan for nationwide health-care accreditation of correctional facilities. In a meeting with a State Senator, I personally handed over a published copy of this plan. Our Executive Director, Gary Robinson, quoted by Udesky, has repeatedly recommended this plan, which has been on our website all along,2Union of American Physicians and DentistsCalifornia Department of Corrections (CDC) health care reform proposal.http://www.uapd.comGoogle Scholar including when the World Report was published. I declare that I have no conflict of interest.