The Detention Center Medical Unit provides medical and mental health service to the inmate population of the Hernando County Detention Center. The unit was established in the year 2000, and started off with 15 employees. In the years since it was established, in order to meet the demand of necessary medical care, the unit has nearly doubled and now has a budgeted staff of 29 employees.
The population growth of the county directly affects the average inmate population of our Detention Center. As the county population continues to grow, so does the inmate population; as the inmate population grows, so does the medical and mental health service needs. In the 25 years since the Medical Unit was established, there has been a significant increase in mental health and chronic illness needs – Since 2011 alone, the unit has seen an 18.3% increase in medical visits and a 72.24% increase in psychiatric visits.
While the population and unit have grown, the space required to provide the necessary care to inmates has not. There are struggles with special needs including lack of private triage space and insufficient bedding capacity in the medical unit. This results in overflow into housing units. When chronically ill or psychiatric patients cannot remain under direct observation in the Medical Unit, it affects both patient care and detention deputy safety.
A facility equipped to meet the medical and psychiatric demands of inmates would require both additional staff and space. This includes areas to house patients, store equipment and records, and provide training for staff. Increased staffing also requires additional workstations and office space for documentation and coordination of inmate medical care.