Hospital Galveston to reopen some beds in mid-November
GALVESTON, Texas - All 86 medical units of the state prison system are fully operational, including a Texas City clinic damaged by Hurricane Ike, according to officials at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston who manage the state's correctional health services.
Hospital Galveston, which provides inpatient care and specialty services for critically ill offenders, received some flood damage in the storm but will reopen 32 beds in November, said John Allen, interim vice president and chief operating officer for UTMB correctional care.
The prison hospital is located on the flood-damaged UTMB campus in Galveston.
"We are recreating our health care delivery system using more free-world partners and services," said Dr. Owen Murray, interim vice president and chief physician executive for UTMB's correctional medical system.
"During this difficult time, UT Tyler and Hermann Memorial Hospital in Huntsville have stepped up to help us care for patients who needed cancer treatments and other kinds of emergency care," Allen said.
UTMB medical specialists are providing most clinical services.
Of the 11 Texas Youth Commission health clinics managed by UTMB, only the TYC facility in Beaumont had service interrupted due to the storm. The unit, which has resumed normal operations, was closed for approximately two weeks before and after IKE.
The University of Texas Medical Branch provides medical care for about 120,000 offenders in the state prison system and provides medical care for all Texas Youth Commission facilities.