2011-398 Health - Agreement for Orange County Jail Health Plan for 2011

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Practitioner under supervision by a Physician) always oversees.the triage system that is followed by all health care personnel. This ensures that the inmates receive the appropriate level of care and that their complaints are properly processed and resolved. Inmates have the ability to access the triage system by submitting a health care request form. These requests are received and processed daily by the health care staff, and as a first step in the triage system the inmate is then seen by a member of the professional nursing staff and appropriate treatment is administered per protocol/standing order within the scope of the Nurse Practice Act. Those inmates requiring a higher level of service will be referred to the physician, physician assistant, or other appropriate professional practitioner in a timely manner. If the Physician or other practitioner determines that the inmate's medical needs are more extensive or specialized than can be addressed within the facility's health care program, an appropriate referral to outside medical services will be provided. Sick call must be conducted on-site by a physician, nurse practitioner or a physician assistant under the direction of a physician. The majority of inmates to be seen by the physician will have been screened as part of the formal triage system. However, this will not preclude an inmate who had not been triaged or who has a sudden or acute problem, from seeing the physician during the time the physician is on-site at the facility. Appropriate documentation will be recorded and maintained for all inmates seen at sick call. This information will be incorporated into the inmate's medical record as appropriate. An inmate's medical record will contain appropriate entries completely documenting each sick call encounter (i.e., an inmate's specific health request, the assessment of the health care professional who saw the inmate, the prescribed treatment plan, and any follow-up encounters). This will ensure that all inmates' health requests are promptly and properly handled, documented, and followed through to a satisfactory resolution.