The Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP) in partnership with YesCare, the leading correctional healthcare provider in the country, is working with students from area colleges and universities in PDP facilities to give them the opportunity to pick up clinical rotation credits this fall (2024) semester. This is the PDP’s largest cohort since the partnership started in 2016.
“Working with students give us an opportunity to contribute to the expansion of medical care resources in Philadelphia,” said Bruce Herdman, Chief of Medical Operations at the PDP. “This program enriches the experience of PDP clinical staff and the opportunity to recruit clinicians who will find correctional medicine particularly rewarding. We really value the partnership with YesCare.”
The cohort includes a University of Pennsylvania nurse practitioner student and two UPenn residents, one specializing in infectious diseases and another specializing in internal medicine. The residents are both working in internal medicine, with one focusing on infectious diseases. The focus at PD is on diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis C, and Tuberculosis.
Other residents from Thomas Jefferson University are providing annual physicals and a nurse practitioner student from Widener University is working at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. Two others are training in the infirmary.
The PDP Behavioral Health Department welcomes three psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners from Ohio University, LaSalle University and Walden University.
Thomas Jefferson recently launched a Physician’s Assistant program, and the PDP has accepted its first student for a behavior health clinical rotation. Lastly, two of the students are currently YesCare staff members who have opted to further their education, which makes us proud to be able to facilitate as they continue to not only obtain even more experience for their ultimate career in health care, but also offer PDP valuable support at a time when we need additional support.
“I chose the prison for my clinical rotation because it offers a unique opportunity to work with a diverse population facing significant health challenges,” student Ronnie Cherian said. “Working with incarcerated individuals can be incredibly rewarding.”
