Corrections_Today_Summer_2025_Vol.87_No.2

TECHNOLOGY

access through a virtual healthcare door into the housing units. The ability to access patients within their housing units can revolutionize correctional healthcare delivery, while simultaneously providing significant advantages to the collaborating security staff. The new patient portal can be a pathway for patients to electronically submit health services request forms di rectly through their tablets. In addition, the clinical team can efficiently increase patient engagements by using the patient portal to review normal lab or radiology results, reinforce patient education on new medications, coach on chronic conditions and complement the ongoing in person assessment of a patient’s mental health status. “At a time when many prisons and jails are fac ing staffing shortages and tight budgets, expanding telehealth options helps correctional systems address limited resources,” said Becky Scott, Hudson County Di rector. “By bringing care directly into the housing units of correctional facilities, we are significantly decreasing unnecessary internal movement of incarcerated patients, minimizing safety risks and the spread of contraband throughout the facility.” The Hudson County initiative has successfully demonstrated that healthcare services can be efficiently and effectively provided directly to patients within their housing units. While all healthcare cannot be delivered this way, this new model provides one more tool to medi cal professionals to remove barriers to care delivery in a challenging environment. Hudson County can serve as a national model for jails and prisons experiencing correctional officer staffing and/or healthcare access challenges, provided that the financial, technological and professional resources are available to a facility wishing to implement the service. The status quo needs improve ment, and with a constitutional mandate to ensure access to care is available, opening the virtual healthcare door into housing units can complement the onsite care team. It is time to start thinking differently about care delivery in corrections. REFERENCES 1 Hefferman, S. & Li, W. (2024, January 10). New Data Shows How Dire the Prison Staffing Shortage Really Is. The Marshall Project. https://www. themarshallproject.org/2024/01/10/prison-correctional-officer-shortage overtime-data 2 Salhotra, P. (2024, September 11). Texas’ prison guard shortfall makes it harder for inmates to get reprieve from extreme indoor heat, critics say. The

Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/11/texas-prisons staffing-shortages-heat/ 3 Medical University of South Carolina. (2017, October 3). MUSC One of First National Telehealth Centers of Excellence [Press release]. https://web. musc.edu/about/leadership/institutional-offices/communications/pamr/ news-releases/2017/musc-names-one-of-the-first 4 Hudson County Correctional Center. “About the Adult Correctional Center.” Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.hcnj.us/corrections/ correctional-center/#:~:text=Our%20purpose%20is%20to%20 serve,safety%2C%20security%2C%20and%20rehabilitation. 5 Valenta, S., Ford, D., Warr, E., McElligott, J., Harvey, J., & King, K. (2021). TSIM: The Telehealth Framework – A comprehensive guide to telehealth implementation and optimization . TSO, London.

Ellen Debenham RN, CCRC, CCRE, Clinical Director of Virtual Care at Zenova, is recognized as the architect of one of the most successful telestroke programs in the country, which saves South Carolina an estimated $26M a year through early interventions and improved outcomes. Amanda Brockman MSN, FNP-BC, NP-C, MBA-HM, CCHP, Quality Performance Manager at Zenova, is an expert in the national standards and clinical delivery of correctional healthcare. Shawn Valenta RRT, MHA, TSIM, CCHP, Vice President of Virtual Healthcare at Zenova, specializes in the delivery of virtual care services for vulnerable populations and is the co-author and editor of TSIM: The Telehealth Framework — A comprehensive guide to telehealth implementation and optimization.

Michael D’Antico MSN, RN, Health Services Administrator at Hudson County Correctional Facility has extensive experience pioneering innovative solutions to improve operational efficiencies.

Maxim Casas MA, BA, RN, Director of Nursing at Hudson County Correctional Facility, has over a decade of nursing experience with a passion for improving access to high quality care.

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