2012 AGENDA

Having a medical home – a trusted, reliable source of continuing health care – can ease the process for people leaving jail so that they’re less likely to return.

—Dick Bohrer
COCHS Advisory Committee Member

Departments of corrections and health providers from the community should join together in the common project of delivering high quality health care that protects prisoners and the public.

—Confronting Confinement:
A Report of the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons

By collaborating with community health centers, jails can be part of the solution to improving both public safety and public health.

—Keith Barton, M.D.
COCHS' Medical Director

COCHS

Community Oriented Correctional Health Services

Working Groups

By convening working groups of experts and stakeholders, COCHS is exploring how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) may impact local jurisdictions. We have partnered with or provided technical assistance to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, the Public Welfare Foundation, the National Association of Counties, and others.

COCHS Nationwide

COCHS is offering technical assistance throughout the country, helping states and jurisdictions with issues involving health reform and how the PPACA impacts populations involved with the criminal justice system.

Library

Over the years, COCHs has convened several conferences and working groups that have produced useful resources. View them all in our Library, where you will find PDF reports, PowerPoint presentations and webinar recordings.

Health Information Technology

Health information technology (HIT) is a major focus of COCHS’ work. The U.S. is making a massive investment in HIT connectivity with the goal of bending the cost curve and reducing medical errors. COCHS believes that, to have a real impact on costs, jails must be part of this initiative.

RESOURCES

The Unseen Provider: Healthcare in Our Jails is a short documentary that provides a succinct overview of one aspect of the connectivity that is an integral part of all of COCHS' work. It features Dr. Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Dr. Jeff Brenner, Director and Founder of Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, and Sandi Selzer, Director of Camden Health Information Exchange.
COCHS Media Scan COCHS compiles a daily media scan to facilitate our programmatic efforts at the intersection of public health and public safety. This resource enables us to track the quickly evolving, shifting landscape surrounding health reform, and other innovations in the field. You and your colleagues can now receive this daily email by registering on line here.
Speaking the Same Language: Criminal Justice, Health Care, and Information Technology This handbook contains definitions of terms that cross the domains of criminal justice, health care, and information technology.
COCHS M.A.P. Tool 2.0 ^@ is COCHS' web application that provides GIS technology for reentry planning.