title: Bringing health care advocacy to a public defender's office.
abstract: Recent arrestees often face barriers to health care access as they move through the judicial process, placing them at significant health risk. The immediate postrelease period generally involves numerous court dates, meetings, and other obligations that can fragment the delivery of care. A residency training program collaborated with public defenders to facilitate medical screenings and referrals for recent arrestees in Bronx County, New York. From May 2005 to June 2007, a medical resident met with 104 arrestees at the public defenders' office to take medical histories, make medical referrals, and make appointments at a primary care clinic. Arrestees' kept-appointment rate at the clinic (66%) exceeded the clinic's overall 2006-2007 kept-appointment rate for first appointments (50%). Collaboration between public defenders and physicians can facilitate arrestees' access to health care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. homer.venters@med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Homer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Venters
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lainer-Vos
authors.forename: Asiya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Razvi
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Porsha Shaf'on
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Venable
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Drucker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003415:Crime / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency; D033241:Lawyers; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008487:Medical History Taking; D009519:New York City; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011204:Poverty Areas; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
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