Corrections_Today_Winter_2025-2026_Vol.87_No.4

OFFICE OF CORRECTIONAL HEALTH

The future of correctional health My experience with DigitalOptometrics at ACA Denver By a Correctional Facility Chief Medical Officer

A presentation that spoke directly to our challenges Alex began with the realities we all know too well: – Correctional facilities face persistent shortages of on-site specialists. – Transporting inmates to off-site appointments creates logistical, financial, and secu rity burdens. – Even when care is available, delays in scheduling and access often lead to poor outcomes and higher costs. DigitalOptometrics’ solution, Alex explained, addresses each of these pain points with an integrated, telehealth-enabled digital health platform. Unlike many “telehealth” solutions that simply move the problem from in-person to video conferencing, DO’s platform is designed for clinical precision, scal ability, and secure compliance. Their remote doctors work with your on site inmates to provide real-time eye exams in under 30 minutes. For the first time in years, I felt that someone was not just describ ing our problems; they were offering a solution.

A s the Chief Medical Officer responsible for the health and safety of individuals in a large correctional facility, I attend the American Correctional Associa tion (ACA) conference annually, seeking innovative solutions to address these challenges. Too often, we’re presented with incremental improvements that don’t truly solve the challenges of providing care in secure facilities. But this year, some thing felt different.

At ACA Denver (August 21–26), I attended a presentation given by Alex Louw, the Chief Operations Officer of DigitalOptometrics (DO), followed by a live demonstration of their technology at their booth. What I witnessed was more than a new product line. It was a turning point for correctional health ser vices, introducing technology that is not only ready for deployment but could redefine how we deliver eye care in correctional environments.

Corrections Today | Winter 2025-2026

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