Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Tennessee corrections officials describe rising inmate health costs as committee approves contract
Summary
Elizabeth Foy, chief of staff for the Tennessee Department of Correction, told the Fiscal Review Committee that the department is statutorily required to provide medical and mental-health services to all people in its custody and described rising pharmacy and chronic-care costs.
Elizabeth Foy, chief of staff for the Tennessee Department of Correction, told the Fiscal Review Committee that the department is statutorily required to provide medical and mental-health services to all people in its custody and now oversees care for just over 20,000 individuals.
"The department is statutorily required to provide health care to all individuals in our custody," Foy said, summarizing intake screening, sick-call access, chronic-care clinics, infirmaries and inpatient hospitalization available to incarcerated people.
Assistant Commissioner Jillian Bresnahan, who oversees clinical services, said the system is handling increasing demand and cost pressures. She told members pharmacy utilization rose 5.4% since 2023 and that average pharmacy costs…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
