The purpose of the Division of Infectious Disease Management is to assure an effective Agency-wide program for the surveillance, prevention, and control of infection among inmates, employees, and visitors. This mission includes education, testing, and treatment for infectious diseases that are common in a confined setting. The division has several partnerships with both private and state agencies to achieve its mission.
The Division of Bed Utilization is comprised of a team of medical professionals whose mission is to assist in the placement of the incarcerated population needing specialized medical care. The division evaluates hospitalized patients to assure institutional placement meets the medical needs of the patient, ensures that needed equipment and medication is available, and manages transportation arrangements for medically complex patients between facilities. Additionally, the division tracks patients in specialized medical units to best utilize resources for both the patient and the Agency.
The Division of Community Medical Outreach Services is broken into three primary areas, Medical Discharge Planning, Medical Furloughs/Paroles and the Geriatric Program.
The goal of medical discharge planning is to educate inmates on their specific plan of treatment and how that will transition from SCDC to the community, with the goal of reducing adverse events and breaks in treatment by engaging them in the planning process. We provide services to the infectious disease populations at the beginning of their sentence and follow up with them on the tail of their sentence. We work closely with outside agencies to ensure inmates who are being followed for infectious diseases are linked to the appropriate level of care within the community upon their release. Those who need medical care within the community, due to a serious illness or medical condition, are linked with community providers and medication assistance programs to avoid any breaks in care.
South Carolina state law provides two types of compassionate release programs to eligible incarcerated individuals. We initiate the Medical Parole process for Terminally Ill, Geriatric, Permanently Disabled Inmates, or Special Parole for Veterans with Psychiatric needs. South Carolina’s Board of Probation, Paroles and Pardons are responsible for ordering the release of inmates who meet the eligibility guidelines. In addition to medical parole, this division also oversees the medical furlough process. For an inmate to be considered for a medical furlough, the inmate must have a terminal illness with 12 months or less life expectancy. In conjunction with key players within the community, the Agency Director makes the final decision regarding the approval/disapproval of any medical furlough.
Geriatric medicine prioritizes risks and benefits of interventions for individuals with multiple medical conditions and disability. We have a patient-centric approach when assessing the needs of elderly population. This approach requires an assessment of the inmate’s functional ability to perform daily activities such as dressing, eating, and using the restroom. In the event an inmate is unable to perform these tasks independently, we have trained Inmate Support Caregivers that can assist when necessary. These inmates had to undergo a screening /interview process to demonstrate their readiness and commitment to this development. These inmates had to endure 20 hours of classroom lectures and participate in demonstrations. The entire curriculum for the training is governed by the American Correctional Association (ACA) and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC). Each inmate is evaluated on their physical characteristics as a caregiver, also assessing their emotional maturity, social and cognitive abilities, and spiritual wellness. This patient-centric approach allows the division to identify the specific housing needs that can be tailored to the needs of this population.
The Health Administrative Division oversees the administrative and business aspect of the agency’s healthcare system via the agency’s mission. We collaborate with providers, vendors, outside entities, stakeholders, and state agencies to streamline medical care of the inmate population through the following areas: Fiscal Management, Contract Management, Medical Supply and Equipment Management, and Inpatient Inmate Medicaid.
Allocating funds efficiently for optimal patient care while managing resources, monitoring fiscal budget and establishing trends. Medical billing reconciliation and review to aid in proper fund appropriations.
Maintain and monitor service contracts and agreements that assist with the daily operations of Medical Services to ensure compliance with state laws and regulations.
Manages the procuring of essential and up to date medical supplies and equipment to facilitate optimal patient care with our female and male population. Inventories and distributes medical items to 21 state facilities.
Partners with SC Thrive and SC DHHS to apply and process Medicaid applications for inmates with qualified inpatient hospitalizations in efforts to generate a significant cost savings for the State of South Carolina. This practice also improves data communication between SC DOC and SC DHHS regarding incarceration and release.
Established in 2022 in support of the administrative functions of institutional medical operations. Its primary purposes lie in medical policy development, troubleshooting service obstacles, and ultimately improving efficiency of institutional medical operations, while assuming coordination of the administrative duties traditionally placed on licensed clinical staff. This division works closely with all medical divisions in strategizing and planning. The division’s areas of purview primarily include, but are not limited to, Policies, Procedures, Forms, & Standards; Administrative Processes & Workflows; Appointment Scheduling & Transportation; EHR/Documentation & Records; Institutional Reporting (in collaboration with DACQI). In summary, this division collaborates with institutional, divisional, and executive management to create, develop, implement, and direct initiatives that promote the success of institutional medical services in delivering the most appropriate standard of care to our inmate population.
The Health Information Resources (HIR) division, centralized within SCDC, provides services to SCDC facilities/staff and inmates. The HIR division is primarily responsible for the provision of legal documents, records, and information as well as the organization, storage, and long-term maintenance of legal and clinical records for SCDC.
Division of Nursing
The Division of Nursing is responsible for a wide variety of care services to include health status appraisals and intake assessments, treating major and minor preexisting conditions, managing chronic illnesses and addressing acute health needs within the facilities. Additionally, the division of nursing provides emergent and critical care, stabilizing patients and coordinating with external medical facilities as necessary. We provide these services through evidence-based nursing practices that protect the inmate population, promote wellness, optimize health, safeguards illness and injury prevention, and facilitates healing. We dedicate our time to alleviating suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response with care and respect.
Division of Laboratory Services
The South Carolina Department of Corrections’ Laboratory Services is a certified, moderately complexed laboratory under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act. Laboratory services operates as the core laboratory for SCDC. This division provides clinical laboratory services to all offenders. Laboratory testing services include but are not limited to clinical chemistry tests, lipid profiles, therapeutic drug levels, hemoglobin A1Cs, complete blood counts, complete urinalysis, STI testing, viral and bacterial infections, HIV testing, Hepatitis testing, microbiology, histology, and cytology. These diagnostic services are important to help clinicians decide on fast and effective treatments for their patients, serving as an invaluable resource for SCDC providers and staff.
Division of Clinical Support
The Division of Clinical Support Services is committed to providing quality patient care and medical services to SCDC patients statewide. Centrally located, the division provides specialty medical care via our onsite Specialty Clinic, onsite Radiology services, Telehealth services and a host of other supportive services that help to ensure that we’re adequately and efficiently providing the best care possible for our patient population. It is our goal to continue to expand and enhance the services being provided as we continue to focus on patient centered care.
Division of Pharmacy Services
Pharmacy Services is centrally located and dispenses medications for patients in each institution around the state. Pharmacy staff contribute clinical knowledge and expertise to the overall medical services group of the department of corrections to provide the best healthcare possible to incarcerated individuals and to meet the mission of this agency. We protect the public, employees and our inmates and provide pharmacy services and proper treatment with professional excellence and fiscal responsibility.
Division of Dental Services
The Division of Dental services consists of dentists, dental assistants, and recently the addition of dental hygienists as well. A dental screening exam is completed by a dental professional on every inmate through the intake process. The SCDC Dental Team provides the following dental treatment for our patient population: extractions, fillings, partial and complete dentures, cleanings, exams, and night guards when needed. Inmates are seen in our dental clinics based upon the level of urgency of their dental need and scheduling is done based upon requests received from inmates. For any dental work requested that is not treatment provided by SCDC such as root canals and crowns, inmates are assisted with completing an Elective Outside Healthcare Request form.
Division of Continuous Quality Improvement & Analytics
As a team dedicated to the improvement of care delivery and quality control, our primary focus is on leveraging data analytics and implementing continuous quality improvement initiatives to optimize the efficiency, effectiveness, and overall quality of medical care provided to inmates. We utilize data analysis techniques to gather insights from various healthcare metrics, patient outcomes, and operational processes. Our overall objective is to ensure the provision of quality medical care to all patients.
