title: Academic-correctional health partnerships: preparing the correctional health workforce for the changing landscape-focus group research results.
abstract: Providing health care in corrections is challenging. Attracting clinicians can be equally challenging. The future holds a shortage of nurses and primary care physicians. We have a unique opportunity, now, to develop and stabilize our workforce, create a positive image, and enhance quality before the health care landscape changes even more dramatically. Focus groups were conducted with 22 correctional health care professionals divided into three groups: physicians (6), nurses (4), and nurse practitioners/physician assistants (12). Content focused on curricular themes, but additional themes emerged related to recruitment and retention. This article describes recruitment challenges, strategic themes identified, and the proposed initiatives to support a stable, high-quality correctional health workforce.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Nursing and Former UMass Correctional Health Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA janet.hale@umassmed.edu.
authors.forename: Janet Fraser
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Heather-Lyn
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Haley
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Judy L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Human Resources, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Allyson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA Rutgers/University Correctional Health Care, New Jersey Department of Corrections, Trenton, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brewer
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017144:Focus Groups; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009726:Nurses; D010560:Personnel Selection; D010823:Physician Assistants; D010820:Physicians; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D011330:Prisons / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013192:Staff Development
keywords: correctional health; recruitment; retention; workforce development