HCS/430 Legal Issues in Health Care: Regulation and Compliance
August 4, 2014
Prison Health Care Agency
There are many facets in the health care industry. Examples include hospitals, urgent care centers, physicians’ offices, medical labs, and more. One not really spoken about, is the prison health care system. Prison health care is the medical treatment of inmates in the United States Correctional Facilities (Means & Cochran, 2012) this is according to the report. The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) is a federal agency that oversees the medical needs of prisoners. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “In 2012, the number of admissions to state and federal prison in the …show more content…
The AMA found “inadequate, disorganized health services, and a lack of national standards” (National Commission on Correctional Health Care, 2013).
The National Commission on Correctional Health Care states their mission is to improve the quality of health care in jails, prisons, and juvenile confinement facilities. They support their mission with the help of other national organizations, mirroring the fields of health, and law and corrections, examples include The American Bar Association, The American Medical Association, The Academy of Pediatrics, and The American Dental Association. The NCCHC cannot fulfill its’ mission without the proper structure within the agency. This organization is comprised of accreditation and facility services, health professional certification, education and conferences, standards and guidelines, and a board of directors from supporting organizations. These supporting organizations play a role in helping the NCCHC fulfill its’ mission and roles for the prison health care system. The board of directors role is ensuring all guidelines are adhered to and assessing the overall …show more content…
(2013). Prisoners in 2012: Trends in Admissions and Releases, 1991- 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm
National Commission for Correctional Health Care. (2012). Promoting Excellence in Health Care: About NCCHC. Retrieved from: http://www.ncchc.org/about/index.html
Rechtine, D. (2008). NCCHC’s New Standards and the Role of the Physician. Retrieved from: http://societyofcorrectionalphysicians.org/corrdocs/corrdocs-archives/summer-2008/ ncchcs-new-standards-and-the-role-of-the-physician U.S. Department of Justice. (2012). About the Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved from: