Philadelphia AIDS Forum Attendees Focus on Inmate Care
Approximately 500 people in Philadelphia on Saturday attended the sixth annual AIDS Care in the Minority Community Luncheon and Forum, which focused on the issue of health care for inmates with infectious diseases, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The forum, sponsored by the AIDS service group Philadelphia FIGHT, also honored health care providers who treat prisoners with infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. According to Leon King, acting commissioner of the Philadelphia Prison System, providing health care for HIV-positive inmates is an issue that is "important beyond prison walls," according to the Inquirer. He added, "[W]hen people leave the prison system they go back into the neighborhoods." AIDS prevalence among prisoners is five times the rate in the general population, the Inquirer reports. King added that the PPS currently is seeking accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, which mandates prisons to train staff on privacy issues and ensure inmate access to "good" health care, according to the Inquirer (Schiavo, Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/25).
This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.