LOS ANGELES COUNTY: Jail Health Services Reviewed
In responding to a request for increased health care funding in county jails, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed to create a panel "to review the various surveys and recommendations on health care for inmates," the Los Angeles Times reports. In a report released Tuesday, county Risk Management Inspector Michael Kranther called for the Sheriff's Department to "revamp the medical program to better meet inmates' needs and reduce liability to the county." Kranther suggested a separate medical services division, writing in his report: "[T]he first issue is the need to provide appropriate medical care in a timely fashion." He also said that the current system is "not always able to make appropriate clinical judgments and respond to the medical needs of inmates in a timely and appropriate fashion." Noting that the majority of medical care in the jails is provided by registered nurses, Kranther also recommended that a director of nursing be appointed to manage and direct care services (4/19).
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