Great healthcare doesn't wait for a crisis to happen. It works to prevent one.
That's the philosophy guiding NaphCare's Proactive Care Model starting at intake, an approach that is reshaping correctional healthcare through early identification, continuous clinical oversight, and genuine collaboration among the correctional care teams.
"The Proactive Care Model is built upon the foundation of a Registered Nurse performing the intake screening process," she says. "The higher level of assessment and screening that the Registered Nurse is trained to provide allows for early recognition of potential risks and health issues."
Deedra Green, Director of Operational Performance at NaphCare, explains how the Proactive Care Model works in everyday practice, why the first 24 hours of care are so important, and what it takes to identify and address potential health concerns before they escalate.
A Different Starting Point
Incarcerated populations face many of the same health concerns as those in the broader community, including diabetes, high blood pressure, mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and cancer. Correctional healthcare models often focus on treating conditions after they have progressed, rather than identifying symptoms early and maintaining continuity of care from intake forward. NaphCare’s Proactive Care Model shifts that focus to early intervention and ongoing care.
During intake, nursing staff screen patients for medical and mental health concerns, including questions about suicide risk. The findings help guide next steps, including referral to a mental health clinician for further evaluation. This intake is a conversation between the nurse and the patient and establishes a starting point for care and trust with medical personnel.
This process is especially important in jails, where individuals may arrive directly from the community with an unknown health history. Symptoms may reflect a mental health condition, substance use, or a combination of concerns. Screening helps identify immediate needs, while further assessment allows clinicians to better understand the patient’s condition, mental state, or dependencies to provide for continued treatment if necessary.
"As the name states, Proactive Care is a thorough and comprehensive proactive approach, beginning at intake" Green explains. "We are actively seeking potential healthcare issues and identifying risks. Our model promotes early identification and intervention."
That shift, from reacting to anticipating, is the foundation on which NaphCare’s Proactive Care Model is built. But this doesn’t stop at physical medicine. A full mental health assessment is also charted at intake to identify mental capacity, suicidal tendencies, risk, and possible mental health disorders.
Laura McKinnon, Vice President of Behavioral Health, State Government weighed in from the mental health perspective. “At intake, the Proactive Care Model gives us a great snapshot of where our patients are at baseline. Knowing where a patient started supports more informed decisions about follow-up evaluations, treatment, and changes in the level of care.”
This data gives clinicians a reference point if the patient’s symptoms, behavior, or functioning were to change during incarceration. There’s a place to start, making the path forward in treatment a little clearer.
Why Immediate Assessment Matters Most
Timing can often be the difference between a manageable issue and a serious complication in healthcare. For NaphCare, the earliest hours of a patient's care are treated as a critical window in their trajectory as a patient.
At NaphCare facilities, intake medical personnel conduct a thorough health assessment upon arrival of every individual brought to the facility. This is the most important part of the process with a patient who may be at their lowest. The intake assessments help care for patients in the most comprehensive and effective manner.
Healthcare history is important but that information isn’t always accessible under the circumstances. With an effective assessment at intake, correctional nurses and doctors can address patient diagnoses such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure, substance use and withdrawal, as well as irregular symptoms that might indicate something deeper exists.
"The sooner we identify a health issue, the sooner we can address it," Green says. "Early intervention can lead to better outcomes and fewer complications."
It's a simple principle that has significant outcomes: the earlier a health risk is identified, the more options and potentially better outcomes are available to address it.
Mental health evaluation also helps clinicians understand a patient’s history, current symptoms, and ability to function so they can determine the appropriate course of care.
“Behavioral health assessments at intake often influence which housing unit each person is placed.” McKinnon affirmed. This not only keeps the individuals safe but also increases safety for others living alongside or caring for the patients.
When Early Identification Saves a Life
The value of proactive screening isn't theoretical. Green points to her own experience as a former intake nurse as a clear example of what's at stake.
"Being incarcerated is a very stressful event for any individual," she notes. "Previously, while working as a booking nurse, the intake screening I performed was instrumental in identifying suicide risk. At that point, the individual received prompt, lifesaving mental health interventions."
It's a powerful reminder that intake screening isn't just a procedural checkbox. It's often the first of many opportunities to recognize a person in crisis and connect them to help.
The People Behind the Process
Green is clear that staffing and training are central to making proactive care work day-to-day.
"The Proactive Care Model is built upon the foundation of a Registered Nurse performing the intake screening process," she says. "The higher level of assessment and screening that the Registered Nurse is trained to provide allows for early recognition of potential risks and health issues."
By placing experienced clinical observers at the very first point of contact, NaphCare ensures that risks are understood and acted on.
The Results: Better Outcomes, Lower Costs, Lives Saved
So what does this approach deliver in practice? According to Green, the impact is measurable as well as meaningful.
"The Proactive Care Model leads to overall better health outcomes, minimization of hospital admissions, decreased healthcare costs, and most importantly, saving lives."
McKinnon has a similar view from the behavioral health standpoint.
“Intake findings help the clinical team determine which patients need additional evaluation, ongoing mental health services, or more intensive support. Patients experiencing significant instability may require acute care to help stabilize their condition.”
From the first screening through a more comprehensive evaluation, the goal is consistent: understand each patient’s needs, recognize risks early, establish a foundation for continued care, and eventually help patients return to their community healthier than they arrived.
The Bigger Picture
NaphCare's Proactive Care Model is a reminder that the most effective healthcare doesn't begin when a patient is in crisis. Quality healthcare begins the moment someone walks through the door. Through early screening, skilled clinical staff, and a culture of prevention, NaphCare is demonstrating what's possible when correctional healthcare is designed to get ahead of problems rather than simply respond to them.
Interested in learning more about NaphCare's approach to proactive, patient-centered care? Reach out to sales@naphcare.com to learn how our model is transforming correctional healthcare delivery.
