title: Does a Primary Health Clinic for Formerly Incarcerated Women Increase Linkage to Care?
abstract: This study examined a primary care-based program to address the health needs of women recently released from incarceration by facilitating access to primary medical, mental health, and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.
  
  
  
  Peer community health workers recruited women released from incarceration within the past 9 months into the Women's Initiative Supporting Health Transitions Clinic (WISH-TC). Located within an urban academic medical center, WISH-TC uses cultural, gender, and trauma-specific strategies grounded in the self-determination theory of motivation. Data abstracted from intake forms and medical charts were examined using bivariate and multivariable regression analyses.
  
  
  
  Of the 200 women recruited, 100 attended the program at least once. Most (83.0%) did not have a primary care provider before enrollment. Conditions more prevalent than in the general population included psychiatric disorders (94.0%), substance use (90.0%), intimate partner violence (66.0%), chronic pain (66.0%), and hepatitis C infection (12.0%). Patients received screening and vaccinations (65.9%-87.0%), mental health treatment (91.5%), and SUD treatment (64.0%). Logistic regression revealed that receipt of mental health treatment was associated with number of psychiatric (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], = 4.09; p < .01), and social/behavioral problems (AOR, 2.67; p = .04), and higher median income (AOR, 1.07; p = .05); African American race predicted lower receipt of SUD treatment (AOR, 0.08; p < .01).
  
  
  
  An innovative primary care transitions program successfully helped women recently released from incarceration to receive medical, mental health, and SUD treatment. Primary care settings with specialty programs, including community health workers, may provide a venue to screen, assess, and help recently incarcerated women access needed care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York; Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York; Women's Initiative Supporting Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York. Electronic address: Diane_Morse@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Diane S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York.
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester School of Nursing, Rochester, New York.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York.
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dozier
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York.
authors.forename: Anabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quiroz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York; Susan B. Anthony Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cerulli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003150:Community Health Workers; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011329:Prisoners; D013179:Spouse Abuse; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology