Sep 3, 2020
Welcome to this very special edition of HealthLinks Podcast. For the past few months, I've been intensely curious about how inmates in the South Carolina Prison System receive care, especially during a pandemic. It's just not something we ever really think about, but it's actually quite important. 85% of inmates are back in the community within 5 year. Like much of the conversation around healthcare, this highlights how connected we all are, even if you can't fathom how your health is connected to someone in prison.
This 2-part interview begins with Dr. Ed O'Bryan of MUSC, who has worked with the prison healthcare system for over a decade. He has been dedicated to the push by the state to evolve beyond "just good enough" to a focus on quality healthcare in the prison system.
We talk about the new push to offer better telehealth services, coronavirus, mental health, even the damaging effects on families of imprisoning people for low level offenses. Thank you, Dr. O'Bryan for sharing your time and perspective.