The Carbon County Correctional Facility recently earned accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care after staff demonstrated compliance with NCCHC’s nationally recognized standards of care for correctional health services in jails.

This accreditation recognizes Carbon County Correctional Facility’s commitment to providing quality health services for the incarcerated population.

To earn NCCHC accreditation, the correctional facility underwent a rigorous professional assessment in June.

During the assessment, a team of experienced physicians and experts in correctional health care surveyed the facility for compliance with jail-specific standards in several areas such as patient care and treatment, health promotion, safety and disease prevention, governance and administration, personnel and training, special needs and services, and medical-legal issues.

The county currently partners with PrimeCare Medical Inc. to provide proper health care measures for inmates, Warden Jim Youngkin said, noting that both parties know “we have a constitutional obligation to provide health care to those incarcerated in our jail, and we are committed to doing so with innovation, excellence and efficiency.”

“I salute the health care staff, custody staff, and leadership for their hard work and dedication on behalf of our patients,” he said. “PrimeCare Health Service Administrator Rebecca Sisson deserves a great deal of credit for the prison receiving its accreditation.”

Youngkin said that the correctional administration and staff worked tirelessly with the PrimeCare Medical staff to make sure all policies and procedures were followed and met the National Commission on Health Care standards for care.

“I would particularly like to thank our health services provider PrimeCare Medical Inc. for working so diligently with us to achieve accreditation,” Youngkin said. “For 2½ years, PrimeCare Medical Inc. has been our partner in delivering the high-quality care that accreditation now recognizes.”

For 45 years, NCCHC’s standards have provided guidance to help correctional health professionals and administrators improve the health of their incarcerated populations and the communities to which they return, increase efficiency of health services delivery, strengthen organizational effectiveness, and reduce the risk of adverse legal judgments. The consensus-based standards are developed in consultation with national experts in correctional health care, mental health, law and corrections.

“In achieving NCCHC accreditation, the Carbon County Correctional Facility has demonstrated its commitment to quality standards-based correctional health care,” said Deborah Ross, CCHP, NCCHC chief executive officer. “Accreditation is a voluntary process, and we commend the Carbon County Correctional Facility for successfully undertaking this challenge. The health of incarcerated people is a vitally important component of public health.”

The Carbon County Correctional Facility, located on the Broad Mountain in Nesquehoning, has a current bed space of 247. The facility holds both sentenced and non-sentenced inmates. The average inmate population has been around 140.