(BOP) - The Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Fort Worth, TX is becoming the seventh Federal Medical Center (FMC) in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (Bureau). Being a FMC is not new to Ft. Worth; originally opening as a Federal Correctional Institution in 1971, the mission was changed to a Federal Medical Center in 1994. At the end of 2006, FMC Ft. Worth's mission was returned to that of an FCI. Now, FMC Ft. Worth has enhanced its medical and mental health mission and treats severely ill inmates who require inpatient management and/or intensive monitoring. FMC Ft. Worth's expanded mission also includes additional long-term medical beds, an inpatient forensic evaluation unit, and a Care Level 3 Mental Health Step Down Unit.
The return of Ft. Worth to an FMC is part of a multi-year effort to expand the Bureau's health programs for seriously ill male inmates. The Bureau's need for inpatient treatment beds has grown by 67%, and more medical center bed space was needed. Institutions with inmates awaiting transfer to a FMC often expend significant resources on needed community hospitalizations.