MCCF receives fourth accreditation for healthcare compliance

The Montgomery County Correctional Facility (MCCF) in Eagleville, Pa., has received its fourth accreditation certificate from the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC) for compliance with the NCCHS’s Standards for Health Services in Jails.

“The work that the MCCF staff under the helm of Warden Julio Algarin has done over the years to keep our inmates as healthy as possible, and more recently to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the prison, has been extraordinary in keeping the case count low,” said Dr. Valerie A. Arkoosh, Chair,

Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “After serving in various roles of increasing responsibility with the prison for the past 46 years, the Warden will retire in January 2021. We thank him for his dedicated service and we will miss his leadership and commitment to public health and safety.”

MCCF operates a 24/7 on-site medical department, which performs a preliminary health assessment of each new incarcerated individual arriving at the facility. If the person needs medical attention, they are immediately referred for treatment. This also includes testing newly incarcerated people for COVID-19 and isolating them until they test negative for individuals are given the the virus. All incarcerated same level of care and access to COVID-19 testing.

After the pandemic hit, the MCCF administration began taking measures to meet CDC COVID-19 guidelines and reduce the virus’ spread. Since March 2020, approximately 3,000 incarcerated people have been released due to early parole, by completing the Administrative Disposition Process and Adult Probation detainer lifts, and due to emergency petitions to modify bail. As a result of the decrease, there are approximately 825 incarcerated people with 360 staff. These and other ongoing efforts as part of the MCCF’s pandemic plan have helped protect the prison population and staff from large outbreaks of COVID-19.

“Our responsibility is to provide the best healthcare possible to people within our custody,” said Montgomery County Correctional Facility Warden Julio Algarin. “We hold our healthcare provider PrimeCare to high standards, which are recognized by this NCCHC accreditation. PrimeCare has proven its level of healthcare to our incarcerated population time and time again, and we are very supportive of this partnership.”

The NCCHC conducts on-site surveys and reviews records of accredited facilities every three years. The next scheduled review of the facility will be in the spring of 2023.