The New Mexico Department of Corrections says it has awarded a $41 million contract for state prison inmates' medical care to Centurion LLC.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the department chose Centurion over the current provider, Corizon Correctional Healthcare, and Wexford Health Sources, which the state fired in 2007. Both companies have come under scrutiny over the quality of health care services they provided to the state's 7,000 prison inmates.
Corrections Department Cabinet secretary Gregg Marcantel said in a news release that the agency believes Centurion will be able to handle prisoners' complex medical issues like hepatitis C, cancer and diabetes.
The department says it has begun transitioning medical and pharmaceutical services from Corizon to Centurion and should be finished by June 1.
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