Health Services

The DOC is responsible for ensuring healthcare is provided to incarcerated individuals as guaranteed by the 8th Amendment of the United States Constitution, required by state law, and in compliance with the National Commisson for Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC) standards for ongoing accreditation. The DOC Health Services Division (HSD) oversees a comprehensive health services program defined as an integrated, holistic system of care that includes but is not limited to medical, mental health, substance abuse, dental, vision, on-site and off-site specialty, pharmacy, care coordination, and emergency services. Comprehensive health services shall be provided to incarcerated individuals housed at any Vermont DOC facility throughout the state. In addition, the Vermont DOC system is designed to provide the prevailing Vermont standard of healthcare to all incarcerated individuals up to hospital level of care. When hospital level of care and or specialty care is medically necessary, individuals are taken to the community-based hospital or specialist that can best address their needs.

To accomplish this, the DOC partners with:

• Other departments within Vermont's Agency of Human Services (AHS) including Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), Department of Vermont Health Access (DHVA), and Vermont Department of Health (VDH).
• Community-based organizations including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Vermonts Opioid Use Disorder Treatment System "hubs and spokes," Designated Agencies (DAs), Specialized Services Agencies (SSAs), Vermont Chronic Care Initiative (VCCI), Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE), Prisoners' Rights Office (PRO), Disability Rights Vermont (DRVT), Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform (VCJR), and Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL).
• Other local health systems including the University of Vermont Medical Center and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
• The Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care (VPQHC).​​​​​​​

Comprehensive health services are provided to all individuals housed in Vermont's correctional facilities regardless of legal status.

Comprehensive health services provided in Vermont correctional facilities are designed to achieve high standards regarding the following factors:

• Continuity of care - Providing ongoing and uninterrupted treatment for individuals that are admitted to and released from DOC facilities
• Data collection, analysis, and sharing - Collecting, analyzing, and monitoring individual and system health data to achieve transparency, establish accountability, and improve performance
• Quality of Care - Improving care and outcomes through Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) including regular audting, reviews of sentinel events, and performance-based indicators
• Financial management - Ensuring best use of public funding