Effective Date: 04-12-17
Revision Date: 04-18-17
Review Date: 04-18-19
Reference: CDM 5-03/010.00, 5-03/050.00
PURPOSE OF ORDER:
The purpose of this order is to establish guidelines governing the documentation of urgent health care lists for all inmates housed at Pitchess Detention Center (PDC) South Facility.
SCOPE OF ORDER:
This order applies to all personnel assigned to, and working at PDC South Facility, specifically those assigned to the PDC South Clinic, the Access to Care (ATC) lieutenant and the shift watch commanders.
ORDER:
Health care passes refer to any order to deliver an inmate for health care services. It is the responsibility of custody personnel, medical personnel, and mental health personnel to work together to ensure all inmates receive appropriate health care services within a reasonable time period. Access to health care shall not be denied or discouraged by any Department or non-Department member.
URGENT HEALTH CARE PASSES
It shall be the responsibility of the ATC lieutenant (or the on-duty watch commander if the ATC lieutenant is not available), at the beginning of each shift, to contact the nursing supervisor (or designee) to identify inmates with pending urgent health care passes. The clinic officer shall obtain the number of inmates that medical staff have identified as being on an urgent pass list. The number of inmates shall be forwarded to the shift watch commander for inclusion into the daily watch commander’s log.
The watch commander’s log entry shall be made even when there are no urgent health care passes reported, along with the name and employee number of the notifying health care person.
At the end of each shift, the clinic officer will obtain from medical staff, the number of inmates who were seen and treated.
If any inmate(s) did not receive treatment, the inmate’s name, booking number and reason for non-treatment (e.g., court, work crew, etc.) shall be forwarded to the watch commander for documentation in the watch commander’s log. The assigned watch commander on the following shift shall be responsible for ensuring inmates on the health care pass list are seen as soon as possible. Inmates seen or additional attempts to facilitate urgent health care passes shall be noted in the watch commander’s log.
The ATC lieutenant shall be advised should there be continuing delays, issues or concerns affecting the timely care of inmates who do not receive urgent medical care in a timely manner.
Facility line personnel assigned to areas with inmates in possession of urgent health care passes shall ensure the identified inmate is notified of the pass. Urgent health care passes shall be considered a high priority. Custody personnel shall ensure the inmate is brought to the designated location immediately, or as soon as duties permit.
Should the identified inmate refuse an urgent health care pass, refusal protocols, as outlined in Custody Division Manual (CDM) section 5-03/050.00, “Refusals” shall be adhered to.
URGENT HEALTH CARE PASSES DURING FACILITY LOCKDOWN
When possible, and if the situation permits, the watch commander (or in his absence the watch sergeant) shall notify the PDC South Clinic nursing supervisor prior to any planned facility lockdown. The watch commander (or ATC lieutenant) shall adhere to the same procedures whenever possible as outlined above for all urgent health care passes during a facility lockdown.