The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) relies upon many programs as part of its mission to facilitate the successful reintegration of incarcerated individuals back to their communities. The custody staff under the Division of Adult Institutions and the medical professionals under the Division of Health Care Services are fundamental in meeting the CDCR mission and goals by providing a safe and secure path to rehabilitation. Open communication between custody and medical is paramount in successful and safe CDCR operations.
Medical staff can be hesitant to provide needed medical information to custody peace officers due to HIPAA-compliance concerns. The concerns of some medical and custody personnel to provide private medical information are founded on a misunderstanding or poor training of what HIPAA allows and prohibits regarding disseminating medical information. This article provides clarification of HIPAA-compliance issues in CDCR’s custody setting.
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