Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Department of Detention and Corrections
- Medical Division

National Commission on Correctional Health Care

What:           
The Pinellas County Jail receives the R. Scott Chavez Facility of the Year Award by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.

When:
The award was presented to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, October 24, 2016.

Where:
The Pinellas County Jail is located at 14400 49^th Street North, in Clearwater.

How/Why:
The Pinellas County Jail is honored to receive the R. Scott Chavez Facility of the Year by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. The award recognizes accredited correctional facilities for outstanding quality, innovation and dedication in correctional health care. It is named after a longtime NCCHC vice president who was a champion of accreditation.

This year, the Pinellas County Jail stood out from nearly 500 eligible jails, prisons and juvenile confinement facilities because of its broad-spectrum health care, strong emphasis on quality and mutual respect and cooperation between health services and security staff. A Triple Crown facility, the jail has been accredited by NCCHC since 1987.

After bringing health services back in-house in June 2014, the jail hired a medical director, health services administrator and nursing director, and established a nurse educator position. The health services team reviewed operational procedures and made many changes to improve quality of care, efficiency and productivity, and to decrease costs. The result is a comprehensive and integrated medical, dental and mental health program that demonstrates outstanding compliance with the NCCHC standards. Continuity and coordination of care is excellent, as is treatment planning for special needs and chronic care patients.

“Pinellas County Jail is highly deserving of this award,” said Thomas L. Joseph, MPS, CAE, CCHP, president and CEO of the National Commission. “With its team of dedicated professionals and its ongoing focus on quality improvement, the jail ensures that the inmate-patients receive appropriate and timely care on par with health care available in the community.”

About the National Commission
NCCHC is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization working to improve the quality of care in our nation’s jails, prisons, and juvenile detention and confinement facilities. NCCHC establishes standards for health services in correctional facilities, operates a voluntary accreditation program for institutions that meet these standards, produces and disseminates resource publications, conducts educational trainings and conferences, and offers a certification program for correctional health professionals. NCCHC is supported by the major national organizations representing the fields of health, law and corrections. Each of these organizations has named a liaison to the NCCHC board of directors.