Meet the New Board Chair

Patricia Blair, PhD, JD, CCHP-RN, CCHP-A, an attorney, educator, nurse, scholar, and longtime champion for patients involved in the legal system, is the new chair of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care Board of Representatives.

Dr. Blair has spent her career at the intersection of health care, law, and corrections, with a focus on correctional health care; ethical, legal, and policy issues; health disparities, health inequities, and underserved communities. Currently she is an associate professor in the graduate nursing program at the University of Texas Medical Branch, where she is working to develop a correctional nursing certificate and helping develop an interdisciplinary Correction Think Tank with other health professionals and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

She has been a member of the NCCHC board since 2007 as liaison for the American Bar Association. During her tenure she has served on several committees including the Executive Committee, Policy and Research Committee, Education Committee, CCHP-RN Subcommittee, and Nursing Education Subcommittee. She is also a founding member of the American Correctional Nurses Association.

“As I step into this role, I am committed to working to advocate for national standards, more comprehensive care, and a justice system that acknowledges the humanity of every individual it touches,” she said in a speech at the opening ceremony for the National Conference on Correctional Health Care in Las Vegas. “Together, we have the power to bring about meaningful change—not just in the lives of those behind bars but in the health and well-being of our nation as a whole.”

Keith Ivans, MD, was elected chair-elect. He serves as the American College of Correctional Physicians liaison to the NCCHC board.

NCCHC Governance Board 2024-2025

• Patricia Blair, PhD, JD, CCHP-RN, CCHP-A, chair
• Keith Ivans, MD, chair elect
• Elizabeth Lowenhaupt, MD, CCHP, immediate past chair
• Pauline Marcussen, DHA, RHIA, CCHP, secretary
• Joseph Penn, MD, CCHP-MH, treasurer
• Jennifer Clifton, DNP, FNP-BC, CCHP-CP, CCHP-A
• Grant Phillips, MD, CCHP
• Barbara Wakeen, MA, RDN, CCHP
• Nancy B. White, MA, LPC