The Medical Division within the Nevada Department of Corrections is responsible for providing medical care to the inmates incarcerated within the Nevada correctional facilities.
The Mission of the Medical Division of the Nevada Department of Corrections
The
Nevada Department of Corrections Medical Division is committed to providing quality,
evidenced based health care using an efficient system of managed care that is professional,
humane and appropriate and is supportive of the overall mission of the Nevada
Department of Corrections.
Moral and Legal Obligation
The State has a moral and legal obligation to provide health care for those people whom it incarcerates. The Federal Courts have mandated that inmates, though incarcerated, remain entitled to basic medical care. Inmates enter the system with varying educational levels, income ranges, and medical histories. Statistics show inmates often have lower educational levels, lower average incomes, and a higher than average rate of illness and chronic disease when compared to the general population.
Range of Medical Problems
The Medical Division sees medical problems similar to any that exist in the outside community, ranging from major to minor problems, acute illnesses or injuries to ongoing care for chronic diseases, and preventive health care to end-of-life care.
Medical Services
Each major institution has a medical and dental clinic and some infirmary capacity. There are two institutions with on-site acute care infirmaries with approximately 91 infirmary beds. The medical staff engages in over 600 patient care contacts each day statewide. The Medical Division provides primary care at each institution and on-site clinics are held periodically with outside specialists such as cardiologists, surgeons, and gastroenterologists. The Medical Division also provides hospitalization in community hospitals when necessary.
Medical Administration
The Medical Division is administered by the Medical Director and Medical Administrator, who are responsible for medical, dental, clinical mental health and pharmacy services and polices throughout the Department. The medical facilities in each major institution are staffed by licensed health professionals. The Medical Director supervises the clinical staff and operations of medical, dental, clinical mental health and pharmacy services. Nursing departments and operations are supervised by two divisional Chiefs of Nursing located in Carson City and Las Vegas. The Central Pharmacy, located at the Casa Grande Transitional Housing Center in Las Vegas, is supervised by the Chief of Pharmacy. The division’s administrative offices are located in the department’s central offices in Carson City.
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