Corrections_Today_Summer_2025_Vol.87_No.2

Health Care Special Session & Luncheon

Call to fight infectious diseases center stage at Health Care Luncheon National expert urges corrections to join in the fight against infections

A full house filled

He emphasized the impor tance of working together with the corrections community in fighting infectious diseases. Mer min told the crowd that “There’s a public health benefit of provid ing people with treatment,” After his talk, the audience

the Hyatt Regency Ballroom P on Monday January

13 th as Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, the Director of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) and a retired two-star Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service spoke about infectious diseases in the United States and the particular challenge infectious diseases pose for correctional facilities. Dr. Mermin leads the nation’s efforts to pre vent HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis. His agency focuses on high impact prevention strategies that are cost-effective, scalable and grounded in the latest research. After a brief introduction from event sponsor Centurion, LLC, Mermin began by delivering a statistical overview of current levels of infection and the trend lines of infection over time. Mermin noted encouraging trend lines in sev eral categories emphasizing medical advances and increased treatment options as signifiers of these positive changes. He also noted the infection rate among those involved in the justice system remained higher than for the general population making prisons an opportunity for individuals to get care and to better understand how these infections are transmitted.

was encouraged to ask ques tions and one early questioner wanted to know what Dr. Mer min’s department could do for corrections. “We provide guidance, recommendations, and funding, but our legislative authority is limited. We work with national organizations and run analyses to support corrections. We also develop guidelines and help during outbreaks,” Mermin replied. Another question concerned how correctional facilities could help the CDC with their work. “Data shows that treatment and tracing are effective. We need partnerships to bring these mes sages to the public and ensure people understand the importance of our work,” Mermin responded. Mermin also discussed efforts to curb hepa titis infections citing the opportunities offered through correctional institutions for rapid screen ing in both large and small jails. Even with more questions and comments forthcoming, the time for the proceeding had end ed. The crowd gave Dr. Mermin a well-deserved hand for his highly informative and enlightening presentation.

Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH

— BY KIRK RAYMOND

Summer 2025 | Corrections Today

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