Telehealth In Correctional Facilities | GlobalMed
From 4 Locations to 22: What Scaling Telemedicine in Correctional Facilities Looks Like
When CCHCS launched its telemedicine program, it had 30 specialists operating across 4 locations. By 2018, that had grown to 200 specialists across 22 locations, covering more than 30 specialties including:
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Behavioral health
- HIV and infectious disease
- Gastroenterology
- Nephrology
- Orthopedics
Patients received the same standard of specialty access that had previously required transport, security escorts, and appointment lead times that left chronic conditions unmanaged for weeks.
The operational reach extended beyond cost savings. Staff retention and recruitment improved as providers gained access to remote consultation rather than in-person facility visits, and maintaining coverage during military and maternity leave became significantly easier to manage. GlobalMed's prison telemedicine infrastructure has provided the same care continuity across multiple facilities without replicating equipment and staffing at every site.
The Security Infrastructure Corrections Require
Compliance & Security Standards
Correctional procurement is not a standard healthcare buying process. Security requirements are layered, compliance documentation needs to be thorough, and any platform that handles patient data inside a controlled environment must meet standards that the general health IT market does not always demand.
GlobalMed's platform meets the compliance and security requirements that correctional procurement teams work through:
- HIPAA and SOC 2
- CAC/PIV reader on the ClinicalAccess® Kiosk, ClinicalAccess Pro Connect, and Transportable Exam Backpack for access-controlled environments
- Encrypted data transmission with role-based permissions and PHI access logging through eNcounter®
- Defense Health Agency Authority to Operate on DoD networks, reflecting federal-grade standards around data access, audit trails, and system integrity
The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) recommends the use of correctional facility telehealth solutions when clinically appropriate, with protocols requiring voluntary informed consent, privacy protections equivalent to in-person care, and continuity of care, a framework that GlobalMed's platform is built to support.
HIPAA & SOC2
Security and compliance
DHA ATO
Federal-grade standards
CAC/PIV Reader
For access-controlled environments
Primary Care, Specialty, and Behavioral Health Through One Platform
The eNcounter® platform delivers care across the full range of care that correctional facilities need to manage:
- Primary care
- Scheduled and on-demand specialty consultations
- Behavioral health support.
Mental health conditions and chronic illness are disproportionately prevalent in incarcerated populations. About half of the people in state prisons carry at least one chronic condition, with rates of heart disease, asthma, and mental illness running significantly higher than in the general population. A platform that handles only one category of care pushes facilities back toward transport for everything else.
Through eNcounter®, patients access more than 30 specialty areas through secure video, with clinical data captured by integrated medical devices and routed directly to the EHR. AI-powered virtual triage routes patients to the appropriate provider or care pathway from first contact, reducing the administrative load on facility medical staff. For systems managing care across multiple facilities, eNcounter®'s interoperability layer keeps patient records consistent and accessible regardless of where a patient is housed.
Spend Less on Transport. Serve More Patients In-Facility.
Spend Less on Transport. Serve More Patients In-Facility.
Correctional health directors are under increasing pressure to reduce transport dependency and demonstrate per-patient cost efficiency to legislative oversight bodies. Telemedicine in correctional facilities has moved from a promising option to a proven operational model, with documented results across some of the largest systems in the country. GlobalMed has been building and deploying that infrastructure for more than 20 years, in facilities that cannot afford downtime, security failures, or interruptions in patient care.
See how GlobalMed's platform performs in your facility's compliance and operational environment.