Annual Award Winners Honored in Correctional Healthcare
By HCO Staff
CHICAGO—NCCHC’s annual awards that pay tribute to leaders and innovators who have enriched the correctional health care field were presented October 2, during the opening ceremony of the 2023 National Conference on Correctional Health Care in Las Vegas.
The Pima County Adult Detention Complex in Tucson, Arizona, was named the R. Scott Chavez Facility of the Year. The award is presented to one facility selected from among all NCCHC-accredited facilities for outstanding quality, innovation, and dedication. The Pima County team recently expanded its MAT program into a SAMHSA-certified, NCCHC-accredited Opioid Treatment Program, proactively responding to changes and challenges with a dedication to collaboration and transparency.
The Program of the Year award recognizes programs of excellence among the thousands provided at accredited jails, prisons, and juvenile confinement facilities. This year, the Okaloosa County (FL) Department of Corrections was selected for its Baby and Me program, which empowers incarcerated mothers-to-be for a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery and helps them bond with their unborn babies through education, support, resources, and regular mental health and health care.
The Bernard P. Harrison Award of Merit was presented to clinical psychologist Thomas Fagan, PhD, CCHP-MH, for demonstrated excellence and service to advance the correctional health care field. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, much of it with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Dr. Fagan earned a national reputation as an educator, researcher, author, consultant, and advocate for mental health care in corrections.
The B. Jaye Anno Award of Excellence in Communication pays tribute to innovative, well-executed communications that have had a positive impact on the field of correctional health care. This year the award was given to Jeffrey Keller, MD, CCHP-CP, author of the Jail Medicine blog and the book “The Best of Jail Medicine.” Dr. Keller also founded Badger Correctional Medicine, which for 20 years provided health services to jails and prisons throughout Idaho.
Clinical psychologist Kenya Key, PsyD, CCHP-MH, is the recipient of the Edward A. Harrison Award of Excellence in Correctional Health Care Leadership. The award is presented to someone who leads by example, inspires others, and is committed to quality improvement in correctional health care. Dr. Key is deputy director of health services for the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, the juvenile justice agency for the District of Columbia.
The Young Professional Award recognizes new and upcoming leaders in the field of correctional health care. This year’s winner is Cara Wolf, DNP, APRN, CCHP, nurse practitioner with the Utah Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services and assistant professor at the University of Utah College of Nursing with particular interest in prevention, screening, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and human trafficking.
Ken Bennett, CCHP, was named the Surveyor of the Year for outstanding service and dedication to NCCHC’s accreditation program. After a long career with the Idaho Department of Corrections, he has been an NCCHC surveyor since his retirement, putting his deep appreciation for quality correctional health care and the NCCHC standards to good use.