Beyond the bottom line – protecting patients and professionals in corrections: op-ed
Reports indicate that YesCare’s dedicated employees went unpaid while continuing to report to work, and also lost substantial accrued time off – time that was earned as a result of their long and dedicated hours of work.
Mason Reed 
This is a guest opinion column.
The recent collapse of YesCare, one of the largest private correctional healthcare providers in the nation, has sent shockwaves through the industry. As leaders in correctional healthcare, we find the failures within that company deeply troubling, particularly regarding the welfare of patients and the professionals committed to their care.
Holding the Industry Accountable
When an organization assumes the responsibility of public healthcare, ethical leadership and accountability must be the baseline. The industry cannot afford conduct that jeopardizes patients, staff, and government partners.
YesCare’s financial collapse followed a staggering $307.5 million malpractice verdict. The aftermath saw the company miss payrolls and abruptly terminate contracts across nine states, suddenly affecting approximately 20,000 patients. Most egregious, reports highlight that YesCare employees continued showing up for their shifts despite not being paid, ultimately losing substantial earned time off.
Rising to the Challenge
In response to these events, we have launched the Secure Healthcare Quality Alliance (SHQA). This forum is dedicated to ethical leadership and high-quality care, ensuring we stand up for the patients and employees who were abandoned during YesCare's failure.
SHQA has taken direct action, filing an amicus brief in a Florida bankruptcy court to fight for the rights of front-line workers to receive prompt payment. We are committed to ensuring these caregivers are protected.
Ensuring Stability for Patients and Staff
In the wake of this instability, providers have stepped in to stabilize operations and maintain continuity of care for those 20,000 patients. By collaborating with the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) and partners in Florida and California, we have managed to transition thousands of patients to new care models in record time.
We are encouraged that many Alabama-based staff have maintained their dedication to patients under new leadership. For example, Birmingham-based NaphCare executed one of the fastest transitions of this scale in the country. To support the frontline, new leadership stepped up to assume roughly $3.5 million in accrued employee paid time off, while also investing more than $4 million in transition and retention payments to mitigate the fallout from the previous provider’s failure.
We invite the public and government partners to demand a higher standard. By prioritizing ethical leadership, we can guarantee that correctional healthcare remains stable and constitutionally appropriate. We must ensure that the failure of one company does not diminish the incredible service of the many.
Deana Johnson is president of the Secure Healthcare Quality Alliance.
