Ncchc's Role In Correctional Health Care

Regulatory Agency Paper

Regulatory Agency Paper The health care field is extremely important and a number of governmental and other agencies are designed to regulate and oversee the health care industry. Since health care is such a substantially large industry, bringing in billions of dollars a year and is responsible for taking care of the health of our country’s citizens it’s extremely important for there to be strict regulations and policies that must be followed. One area of health care that people maybe sometimes forget about but that is still very important it correctional health care. The National Commission on Correctional Health Care, also known as NCCHC, is a government agency that regulates prison health
care throughout the United States. “The National Commission on Correctional Health Care is committed to improving the quality of health care in jails, prisons and juvenile confinement facilities,” (National Commission on Correctional Health Care, 2014). NCCHC was established in 1983 and according to the National Commission on Correctional Health care, 2014, “With support from the major national organizations representing the fields of health, law and corrections, NCCHC’s leadership in setting standards for health services is widely recognized. Building on that foundation, our not-for-profit organization offers a broad array of resources to help correctional health care systems provide efficient, high quality care.” The NCCHC’s role in correctional health care is to set standards and regulations for all different types of correctional facilities.
There are different degrees of correctional facilities so it’s important to have different procedures and standards for each facility. For example, there are male and female adult prisons, jails, juvenile detention facilities, mental health facilities and opioid treatment programs. “NCCHC’s leadership in setting standards for correctional health care is unsurpassed, rooted in long experience, deep knowledge and invaluable contributions from the leading experts in the fields of health, law and corrections. As health care evolves, so too do the standards, keeping them relevant and responsive to contemporary concerns and practices,” (National Commission on Correctional Health Care, 2014). Setting these standards it important because it’s vital that inmates in these facilities obtain the proper health care, regardless of them being in jail or not. It is our government’s responsibility to keep inmates healthy as long as they have the capabilities and resources to do so and the NCCHC sets the standards that do this. If the government did not allow for proper health care to inmates there would be extreme ethical issues with that, whether or not some people feel these inmates deserve the health care or not. So the NCCHC’s role is to ensure these facilities or providing the proper health care to all correctional facilities by setting these regulations and standards, accrediting physicians and health care workers to work in correctional facilities as well as educating and training them and checking in on the facilities to be sure they are running the health care programs
properly. The NCCHC has a very large impact on correctional facility health care. If a correctional facility is ever in need of help or support in the health care area they know they can always turn to the NCCHC for help. Also, the NCCHC has published a number of books that can be bought that list and explain all standards that should be applied in correctional health care. These publications include; Standards for Health Services in Jails, Standards for Health Services in Prisons, Standards for Health Services in Juvenile Detention and Confinement Facilities, Standards for Mental Health Services in Correctional Facilities and Standards for Opioid Treatment Programs in Correctional Facilities. These publications are go-to books in and type of correctional facility and I would not be surprised if the majority of facilities had a copy of these books on hand. Since the NCCHC is the only major organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care in jails, prisons and juvenile detention facilities their impact on correctional health care has been very significant. According to Infocus Marketing, 2014, “the patients NCCHC professionals treat represent medically underserved populations. These inmates receive a broad spectrum of health services ranging from treatment for infectious diseases (e.g., hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis) to management of chronic illnesses (e.g., asthma, diabetes, hypertension) to general health care. They also receive dental care, mental health care, substance abuse treatment and health education.” So as you can see the NCCHC have a large impact on a community of people that many time receive very little health care before they become incarcerated. This is why it’s very important to keep up with health care in correctional facilities to try and control and treat many diseases they the inmates may have already had to obtain while imprisoned. The NCCHC does their best to treat all the inmates as well as provide them with all areas of proper health care. Example of the agency carrying out their duties can be seen in all the educational programs and conferences they offer as well as accrediting facilities and programs. According to the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, 2014, “the NCCHC has offered a voluntary health services accreditation program since the 1970s. Based on the NCCHC Standards, the process uses external peer review to determine whether correctional institutions meet these standards in their provision of health services. NCCHC renders a professional judgment and assists in the improvement of services provided.” On top of accrediting facilities the NCCHC finds it very important for correctional health care professionals to be educated on all their standards to fulfill the NCCHC mission. In order to do this there are a number of conferences schedules and webinars available for many educational categories in correctional health care. For example, on July 18th and 19th the NCCHC is scheduled to have a conference in Broomfield, CO about correctional health care leadership and on the 20th of July another conference will be held at the same location about correctional mental health care. These conferences are very large and expect to have many people come to listen to this educational information. Also, if you look at NCCHC’s website under education and training, then under distance learning you will see a number of scheduled webinars one can log into to watch and listen. These give much incite to correctional health care workers looking to expand their knowledge and training on health care in correctional facilities. Though the National Commission on Correctional Health Care does not have any direct authority in correctional health care it is implied that if a health care worker does not comply with their standards and regulations they can and will be reviewed by state or federal boards. “A review may occur when a complaint is reported to the board by a patient, family member, colleague or administration. Situations that lead to review generally involve omission or commission, gross negligence or unsafe practice,” “Formal reviews generally involve a hearing. The outcome can range from closing the file if no violation is found to a letter of reprimand, orders of corrective action, licensure restriction or revocation of license,” (National Commission on Correctional Health Care, 2014). The NCCHC both accredits facilities as well as certifies health care professionals to be able to work in correctional health care. Accreditation can be difficult for facilities to receive but the effort is well worth it. In order for a facility to become accredited by the NCCHC they most comply with all their standards and regulations and surveyors will come out to the facility to see if the facility is fit to be accredited by NCCHC, much like any other health care agency being accredited by the Joint Commission or any other agency. According to the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, 2014, “Although preparation for and the actual experience of a site survey can seem daunting, facility staff consistently comment on the value of feedback from knowledgeable professionals, as well as their own pride in a job well done. Importantly, accreditation also signals a constitutionally acceptable level of care for a facility’s inmates, which translates into improved health status, fewer grievances and lawsuits, and reduced health risk to the community when inmates are released.” As far as certification to become a NCCHC certified health care professional one must take an exam. These exams are available to take five times a year at NCCHC conferences and regional locations. Becoming certified can give one seeking a career in correctional health care a large step because NCHCC certification is very respected in correctional facilities. According to the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, 2014, “Certification recognizes the mastery of national standards and the knowledge expected of leaders in this complex, specialized field. The CCHP credential is a symbol of achievement and leadership, and is highly valued not only by participants but also by employers.” As you can see the National Commission on Correctional Health care is a very powerful and influential agency in regards to health care in all correctional facilities. Their interest and mission to ensure quality health care in correctional facilities is very important since they are the only major agency doing this and because many forget about how important health care is in correctional facilities. The NCCHC has been a strong force in correctional health care for the past thirty years and their influence only keeps getting stronger. Following and being educated on their standards and being accredited or certified by them can be help one or a facility to be more professionally recognized and identified as a leader in this large area of the health care industry.

References Infocus Marketing. (2014). National Commission on Correctional Health Care. Retrieved from http://www.infocusmarketing.com/lists/ncchc
National Commission on Correctional Health Care. (2014). NCCHC. Retrieved from http://www.ncchc.org