51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ

SAN FRANCISCO—51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Board of Regents Chairman Russell Gould says a special committee will be formed to consider what role, if any, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ might play in prison health care.

"This is a very complicated issue that we're going to have to spend a great deal of time to understand how or if 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ can be involved," Gould said at the regents meeting March 25.

An independent assessment of ways to increase quality and lower costs in California's prison health care system had been on the agenda as a discussion item, but was postponed out of concern that, because the meeting was running late, there would not be time to give it appropriate deliberation.

California's prison health care system, which costs $2.4 billion a year, is under federal receivership. The governor and state lawmakers are seeking to provide better care, reduce costs and end the receivership.

At Gov. Schwarzenegger's request, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ leaders have participated in discussions with state officials and NuPhysicia, a health care company, about the assessment, but no agreements have been reached. Similar arrangements have succeeded in Georgia, New Jersey and Texas.

"This is an enormous issue, and the regents want to move ahead very cautiously," said John Stobo, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ senior vice president for Health Sciences and Services. "NuPhysicia has proposed one way of addressing this issue involving 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, but it is important that we consider others."

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