About Us
For years, the Department of Correction (DOC)
provided health services to inmates directly, using local
hospitals and medical specialists as necessary.
In 1995, a 12-bed for those in DOC custody was opened at UConn’s John
Dempsey Hospital.
By November 1997, the UConn Health Center established the
Correctional Managed Health Care (CMHC) Division and assumed
the provision of all health services for DOC (with the exception of addiction
treatment). Health care
includes medical, mental health, pharmacy, and dental
services.
Health services are provided at 18 DOC facilities
statewide, at 38 DOC-contracted halfway houses and at John
Dempsey Hospital. Specialized services
include:
- Hospice programs at MacDougall-Walker, York and
Osborn
- Sex offender programs at six facilities
- Specialized care clinics for inmates with chronic,
significant medical conditions
- Mental health services at all prisons and jails,
with comprehensive mental health programs at Osborn,
Northern, York, Manson Youth, and Garner
As of June 2007, services were provided by 761 full-time
equivalent staff to an average of 18,990 incarcerated
inmates and 1,076 inmates residing in halfway houses. CMHC
is the largest state staff model health maintenance
organization.
Other Facts
- CMHC dispensed, delivered and administered over 9
million doses of medication over the last year.
- On an average day, CMHC sees 562 inmates at sick
call, serves 218 inmates in infirmary beds and provides
approximately 8 inmates with inpatient services at John
Dempsey Hospital.
- In the 2007 fiscal year, there were 12,808 inmate
visits for care at specialty clinics in DOC facilities (orthopaedic
services, infectious diseases/HIV, optometry, and
podiatry.) Dentists had 33,113 inmate visits for
services ranging from routine exams to oral surgery.
- In the 2007 fiscal year, CMHC staff performed
approximately 31,317 skin tests for tuberculosis and
6,294 DNA tests (in compliance with a new statutory
requirement, effective 2003 that every felon be in a DNA
registry).
- There were 145,737 visits to social workers,
psychologists and psychiatric nurse clinicians,
including 23,962 suicide risk assessments. In addition,
there were 41,769 visits to psychiatrists and 26,133
visits to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. Inpatient
mental health bed days in correctional facilities
totaled 46,699.
- Two advanced practice registered nurses provide care
for inmates in the 38 halfway house programs throughout
the state, minimizing return visits to correctional
facilities. Requests for these services result in over
80 visits per month.
- CMHC provides initial and annual tuberculosis
testing for all DOC employees, and Hepatitis B
protection for all new employees.
- CMHC’s annual cost per inmate is $5,049 to provide
health and dental services to a population with
significant health problems. Health and dental coverage
for a single state employee costs $6,100.
- The 2008 fiscal year appropriation for inmate care is $99.3
million, exclusive of the deficiency request of $6.5
million.
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