Tour Our Facilities - Krome

The Krome Service Processing Center (SPC) was established in response to the "Freedom Flotilla" from Cuba, which brought 124,769 Cubans to the shores of Florida.

Located in Dade County, on the edge of the beautiful Florida Everglades, the Krome SPC first opened in 1981. There were 15 staff members and the average daily census was 1,200. Almost twenty years later, there are 25 full time employees (Commissioned Officers, civil service and contract employees) proudly serving their country and a diverse population of 600-700 detainees.

The medical staff at Krome is committed to working together with the Immigration and Customs (ICE) to carry out the mission of promoting global disease prevention through the delivery of primary health care to detained migrants. They were rewarded for their hard work in 1999, when Krome was presented with the Facility of the Year Award by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC). The clinic is also fully accredited by the NCCHC as well as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

The medical staff are recognized as leaders in their field. Two Public Health Service (PHS) officers at Krome were called upon to provide medical escort duties for Elian Gonzalez on April 22, when he was reunited with his father. They received the heart-felt thanks of Juan Miguel Gonzalez, Immigration and Naturalization (INS) Commissioner Doris Meissner, and Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala for a job well done!

Full ambulatory healthcare services are provided from 8:00 to 4:30 Monday through Friday. Nursing staff is on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to medically screen new arrivals, provide primary care as needed and respond to emergencies. An average of 225 detainees are seen in the clinic daily for sick call, physical exams, laboratory procedures, medication administration, and management of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. Detainees requiring a level of care not available on site are referred to local healthcare providers.

The detention center is one consolidated camp housing detainees from all over the world. Construction has been ongoing to add new dormitories, a processing building, barber shop facility, multipurpose room, and a remodeled medical unit which will allow for teleradiology capabilities, physical therapy services and a 20 bed short-stay unit.

Greater Miami includes all of Dade County, an area of more than 2,000 square miles. Residents and visitors enjoy plentiful green space and 84 miles of coastline. Skirting the southeastern shoreline is Biscayne National Park, an 181,500 acre marine area that includes Biscayne Bay and 44 keys (islands). Everglades National Park occupies 695,310 acres of marshes, mangroves and hammocks in the southwestern quadrant and is one of the largest and most fascinating wilderness preserves in the nation.

Throughout the past decade, Greater Miami´s work force has grown younger and more culturally diverse. This work force is particularly well suited to employment in today´s internationally oriented industries.

The Krome SPC shines as a bright beacon of light among Miami´s work force; always striving for excellence, and committed to protecting the health of the American populace!

Contact: 

DIHS Recruitment/ Retention Office
877-353-9834
email: [email protected]