MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF NURSING • NURSING.MSU.EDU
Jail Medical Services—
Ingham County Health Department
Over the years, the acuity of health needs among the inmate population has risen,
which has required the Nurse Practitioners to assess and treat everything from wounds
secondary to violent injuries, infections, chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease,
and respond to acute gastrointestinal and cardiac emergencies.
OUR PRACTICE FACULTY
The unique challenges of correctional healthcare require the Nurse Practitioner to provide
this care within the confines of a secure environment, as well as being creative in applying
their knowledge to administering safe and effective treatment. These challenges range from
restrictions in bringing an inmate to the clinic and making special arrangements with the Sheriff’s
Office to transport those with emergency medical needs to the community for further care to
limitations in on-site diagnostic equipment and treatment supplies allowed in an inmate’s cell,
while adhering to budgetary guidelines.
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The Nurse Practitioners have long supported the Ingham County Health Department’s core values
and led the health team in providing care while attending to: servant leadership, accountability,
respect for others, continuous mutual learning and health equity. All this, delivered in a
nonjudgmental manner to a patient population who may not otherwise receive any healthcare.”
Barbara Watts Mastin, MA
Executive Director, Ingham Community Health Centers
Deputy Health Officer, Ingham County Health Department
In conjunction with the Ingham County
Health Department, NPs from the College have
provided primary care to inmates since 2007.
Sick call at the jail is held weekdays by NPs,
who often provide the first healthcare inmates
have received in years. Mornings are typically
dedicated to appointments for chronic care
or acute condition follow up. Inmates report
health issues by sending up a “kite,” a written
request to be seen. The NPs evaluate the
kites, set priorities, and inmates are brought
in for treatment. With short-timers, care can
only address immediate concerns. A systemic
challenge is meeting the needs of many inmates
with mental health issues. NPs function more as
primary care providers for longer term inmates,
repeat offenders, or those who arrive at the jail
with complex health challenges.