The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) announced the Sponsoring Institution based fellowship in correctional medicine. After reading the document published by the ACGME, I realized the need for a fellowship in this highly sensitive and important issue- Correctional Medicine. Since then, I had conversations with multiple healthcare leaders about the challenges and complexities of providing medical care to incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities and communities and the need for such a fellowship.
What is Correctional Medicine?
Correctional medicine refers to the medical care provided to individuals who are incarcerated in correctional facilities such as jails, prisons, and juvenile detention centers. The goal of correctional medicine is to provide medical care to individuals who are incarcerated and to ensure that their health needs are met while in custody.
US Correctional Statistics:
The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world.
- In 2020, more than 5.5 million people were under the supervision of adult correctional systems, with approximately 1.7 million incarcerated in prisons and jails.
- 3.9 million on probation or parole. In addition, there were 8.7 million admissions to jails in 2020.
ACGME Sponsoring Institution- Based Fellowship
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) proposed a fellowship to provide accreditation for Sponsoring Institution-based fellowship programs in correctional medicine.
The fellows will receive a formal graduate medical education (GME) program to gain knowledge, skills, attitudes, and exposure to providing care in prisons, jails, and other carceral settings.
Why is there a need for the ACGME Sponsoring Fellowship program in Correctional Medicine?
- According to physician learners, incarcerated patients receive low-quality health care compared to non-incarcerated patients, like delays in care.
- Higher prevalence of physical and mental illness in incarcerated people
- Physicians must be prepared to address the unique situational and organizational demands of health care delivery in various carceral settings, including jails, prisons, juvenile detention centers, and immigration detention centers.
Correctional Medicine Fellowship Accreditation Benefits:
- Accreditation of correctional medicine fellowships will define standards for learning environments to provide an appropriate context for physicians’ clinical education in prisons, jails, and other carceral facilities.
- Fellowship-educated physicians will attain the knowledge to mitigate the adverse effects of patients transitioning into, between, and out of correctional facilities.
- Structured education around mitigating the occupational health, stresses, emotional challenges, and safety risks for healthcare providers.
What does the Correctional Medicine fellowship program offer?
Correctional medicine fellowship programs will include experiential and didactic education to help physicians attain ACGME Core Competencies concerning the provision of health care in prisons, jails, and other correctional facilities.
Fellows will obtain practical experience under faculty member supervision in collaboration with corrections officers and other staff members.
Programs provide fellows with opportunities to develop skills in various participating sites, including prisons, jails, detention centers, specialized correctional facilities, hospitals, and community-based centers that serve incarcerated people.
Experiential Education
The Correctional Medicine fellowship consists primarily of experiential learning. Fellows participate in clinical and administrative rotations in at least two correctional settings, including a prison and jail.
Physicians need to recognize and address SUDs and mental illnesses, which are highly prevalent among incarcerated patients. The program provides experience in addressing acute and chronic medical and mental health issues of patients.
Conclusion
Sponsoring Institutional fellowship in correctional medicine ensures that incarcerated individuals receive adequate medical care and that their health needs are addressed while in custody.
A concerted effort from correctional institutions, healthcare providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders can address the systemic challenges in the correctional healthcare system.
By addressing social determinants of health that contribute to incarceration, promoting evidence-based practices, and improving health literacy, we can build a more just and equitable correctional healthcare system that meets the needs of all individuals.
The ACGME has put correctional medicine fellowship for public comments and once the comment period ends, depending on the response from the people, ACGME may decide the future of the fellowship.
The sponsoring institutions who are near to the correctional facilities or who take care of the inmates can take advantage of the fellowship program.