The Westchester County Department of Correction (WCDOC) has earned re-accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) by demonstrating compliance with NCCHC’s nationally recognized standards of care for correctional health services in jails. Accreditation recognizes WCDOC’s commitment to providing quality health services for their incarcerated population.
To earn NCCHC accreditation, WCDOC underwent a rigorous professional assessment in May 2022. 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. Of the 38 applicable NCCHC essential standards WCDOC was found to be in 100% compliance.
County Executive George Latimer said: "We have a constitutional obligation to provide health care to those incarcerated in our jail, and are committed to doing so with innovation, excellence, and efficiency. I commend the Wellpath health care staff, custody staff, and the DOC leadership team for their hard work and dedication on behalf of the incarcerated individuals in our care.”
WCDOC Commissioner Joseph K. Spano said: “I would particularly like to thank our health services provider Wellpath for working so diligently with us to achieve re-accreditation. For over 10 years, Wellpath has been our partner in delivering the high-quality care that the NCCHC accreditation process formally recognizes.”
For 40 years, NCCHC’s highly respected 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.
Wellpath President Kip Hallman: “Wellpath holds patients at the center of everything we do, and we are proud to partner with the Westchester County Department of Correction in providing quality healthcare to vulnerable patients. Working together to achieve NCCHC accreditation shows our common commitment to upholding rigorous standards of care through innovation and collaboration.”
NCCHC Chief Executive Officer Deborah Ross, CCHP said: "In achieving NCCHC accreditation, WCDOC has demonstrated its commitment to quality, standards-based correctional health care. Accreditation is a voluntary process, and we commend the Westchester Department of Correction for successfully undertaking this challenge. The health of incarcerated people is a vitally important component of public health.”
WCDOC still maintains the unique distinction of being the only large jail in New York State to be dually accredited through the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and the American Correctional Association and has also achieved Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) compliance meeting and exceeding U.S. Department of Justice federal standards.