Health Services

On August 1, 2009, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office health services operations transitioned from an independent private health care corporation to an in-house operation. The mission of the ECSO Health Services Section is to provide physical health, mental health and support services to jail inmates so they can achieve an optimal level of health during incarceration and be linked to appropriate community services after release from jail. Health Services uses qualified licensed and credentialed health care providers in an ambulatory care setting, which are supported by community consultants and specialists.

PROGRAMS

• Nursing Services
  Nursing Services provides disease surveillance, prevention and treatment to those patients housed at the jail so they can reduce their risk of exposure to infectious diseases. Nursing services also specializes in performing skilled nursing evaluations, giving physical assessments, developing plans of care, monitoring patient conditions/status, and coordinating care/services with physicians in an ambulatory setting.  Professional nurses also perform skilled procedures, such as wound care and medication management. In addition, Nursing Services operates as part of the jail unit, 24/7, and offers care to the sick and injured patients in an infirmary care setting. It is the largest component of the health services delivery system in the jail.

• Mental Health Services
  The goal of Mental Health Services is specifically designed to provide assessment, treatment and discharge planning services to patients, so they can achieve their optimal level of mental health while incarcerated and be linked to mental health and support services after jail release.

• Inmate Mental Health Support and Liaison Services
  The function of the Inmate Mental Health Support and Liaison Service is to provide inmates that are suitable to receive outside mental health intervention an opportunity to receive these services in lieu of incarceration. Inmates are screened and selected based on a combination of factors, which in include past history, arrest report, other medical conditions and severity of the charges. With recommendations from the Medical Court Liaison, the presiding judge has the discretion to release Inmates to local mental health treatment facilities, Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans’ service organizations, and other federal, state and local  and other non- government organizations for treatment.

• Health Information Management Services
  Health Services uses innovative correctional software to easily manage patient’s medical records, medication administration records, intake processing, laboratory results, scheduling appointments, and forms. The primary focus of the Health Information Management Services is to maintain inmate information electronically and to provide medical/mental health record services to internal and external health care providers, patient/inmates and other entities with legal access authority so they can have complete and legally compliant records for patient care.