Award Winners Honored at National Conference

NCCHC’s annual awards pay tribute to leaders and innovators who have enriched the correctional health care field. The awards were presented October 24 during the opening ceremony of the National Conference on Correctional Health Care in Las Vegas.

The Wisconsin Resource Center was named the R. Scott Chavez Facility of the Year. The award is presented to one facility selected from among all NCCHC-accredited facilities for outstanding quality, innovation, and dedication. Managed by the Department of Health Services in partnership with the Department of Corrections, the Wisconsin Resource Center provides specialized mental health treatment to individuals referred by the DOC or courts while also providing for their medical and dental health needs.

The Program of the Year award recognizes programs of excellence among the thousands provided at accredited jails, prisons, and juvenile confinement facilities. This year, the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Youth Services was selected for its Behavioral Health Services & Programming. The Division of Youth Services comprises 15 youth centers, each accredited by NCCHC, creating an integrated system of evidence-based practices to assist youth and their families.

The Bernard P. Harrison Award of Merit was presented to B. Sue Medley-Lane, RN, CCHP-A, corporate infection prevention and control director for Centurion Health, for demonstrated excellence and service to advance the correctional health care field. In a career spanning 50 years, Ms. Medley-Lane has earned a national reputation as a voice for correctional health care on the local, state, and national level.

The B. Jaye Anno Award of Excellence in Communication pays tribute to innovative, well-executed communications that have had a positive impact on the field of correctional health care. This year the award was given to Jaime Shimkus, CCHP, who recently retired from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care after 20 years as editor and vice president of communications.

Melissa Caldwell, PhD, MA, CCHP-MH, CCHP-A, is the recipient of the newest award, the Edward A. Harrison Award of Excellence in Correctional Health Care Leadership. The award is presented to someone who leads by example, inspires others, and is committed to quality improvement in correctional health care. Dr. Caldwell is president of Freedom Behavioral Health, part of the Advanced Correctional Healthcare, Inc., business family, a woman-owned company that provides medical and mental health care services to sites in 19 states.

The Young Professional Award recognizes new and upcoming leaders in the field of correctional health care. This year’s winner is clinical psychologist Ashley Bujalski, PsyD, MA, CCHP, mental health director at Mercer County Correction Center in New Jersey.

Paulette Finander, MD, MBA, CCHP-P, was named the Surveyor of the Year for outstanding service and dedication to NCCHC’s accreditation program. Dr. Finander, formerly a chief medical executive with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, has been an NCCHC physician surveyor for more than 10 years.

Congratulations to all this year’s award winners!