Gunnison, Utah – The Central Utah Correctional Facility has again earned accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.
The CUCF health care staff received the reaccreditation after demonstrating 100 percent compliance with NCCHC’s nationally recognized standards of care for correctional health services in prisons.
“The team at CUCF spent months preparing for the NCCHC visits and demonstrated excellence in every area of review,” said Dr. Marc Wisner, director of the Division of Correctional Health Services. “Receiving the full accreditation underscores the commitment of everyone on the staff to providing quality care to their patients.”
Reaccreditation recognizes CHS and CUCF’s ongoing commitment to providing quality health services for the incarcerated population.
To maintain NCCHC accreditation, CUCF underwent rigorous professional assessments in April and a follow-up in October. During the assessments, a team of experienced physicians and experts in correctional health care surveyed the facility for compliance with prison-specific standards in several areas such as patient care and treatment, health promotion, safety and disease prevention, governance and administration, personnel and training, special needs and services, and medical-legal issues.
CUCF was last accredited in 2019 and has maintained that accreditation while going through this process. Reaccreditation was a priority for DHHS leadership after CHS transitioned to the department in 2023.
“The NCCHC accreditation reinforces our department’s commitment to giving every Utahn the opportunity to lead healthy lives,” DHHS Executive Director Tracy Gruber said. “The accreditation is also a testament to the nurses and doctors who provide high-quality care for people incarcerated at CUCF.”
For 45 years, NCCHC’s highly respected standards have provided guidance to help correctional health professionals and administrators improve the health of their incarcerated populations and the communities to which they return, increase efficiency of health services delivery, strengthen organizational effectiveness, and reduce the risk of adverse legal judgments. The consensus-based standards are developed in consultation with national experts in correctional health care, mental health, law, and corrections.
“In continuing to achieve NCCHC accreditation, CUCF has demonstrated its commitment to quality, standards-based correctional health care,” said Deborah Ross, CCHP, NCCHC chief executive officer. “Accreditation is a voluntary process, and we commend CUCF for successfully maintaining this distinction. The health of incarcerated people is a vitally important component of public health.”