Policy Text
Correctional Services P age 1 of 2 10/11 (REV 12/11)
MJ/RCCC
OPERATIONS ORDER
Health Records
The purpose of this Order is to provide an overview on the proc edures for maintaining
health records for in-custody persons at the Main Jail and the Rio Cosumnes
Correctional Center (RCCC).
I. Policy
Correctional Health Services (CHS) and Jail Psychiatric Service s (JPS) will maintain
individual, complete and dated h ealth records accessible only t o authorized personnel.
All policies and processes shall follow applicable state and fe deral laws and be in
accordance with Title 15, Artic le 11, Section 1205 of the Calif ornia Code of Regulations.
II. Confidentiality
A. Health records will be maintai ned separately from custody re cords, and
considered confidential documents accessible only by health car e
personnel, court order or search w arrant, or by written authori zation of the
prisoners.
B. Inmates will not be given a c opy of their personal medical r ecord while
incarcerated. Inmates can review their medical records by writi ng an
inmate request to the medical department. The inmate will be su pervised
during this review.
C. Inmates can obtain a copy of their personal medical record a fter they have
been released from custody, by c ontacting the Sacramento County
Medical Records Department.
D. Pro-Per/Pro-Se inmates reques t for medical records will be g ranted within
5-10 business days. The medical re cords will not be released to t h e
inmate. The medical records will be given to the respective cou rt for the
defendant or the law library so th at the inmate may review them .
E. The responsible physician, heal thcare authority or designee may
communicate information obtained in the course of medical or me ntal
health care screening or treatment to custody personnel when ne cessary
for the protection of the welfar e of prisoner or others, or for maintenance
of facility security and order.
Correctional Services P age 2 of 2 10/11 (REV 12/11)
MJ/RCCC III. Collection and Recording of Health Data
A. Health records shall minimally contain all information requi red by Title 15
Section 1205.
B. Only qualified medical or ment al health personnel can collec t and enter
health history, vital signs, and other health care appraisal da ta into the
health record.
IV. Storage of Records
A. CHS and JPS records staff will maintain a system of identifi cation and
filing which ensures access to, and confidentialit y of each pri soner’s
medical and mental health records.
B. Health records not in use by health care staff will be maint ained in locked
storage by the Health Records Unit.
1. Inactive health records may be archived and may be submitted for
microfilming or compu terized imaging.
2. Inactive health records will be stored in a secured area, se parate
from active records, and accessi ble only to health care staff.
C. Active health records of pr isoners being treated by JPS will be secured in
locked storage in an area desig nated for this purpose.
D. Health and mental health record s will be removed from the st orage area
only upon an intra-facility transfer (FATRN) or the transfer of a prisoner to
another health care facility or provider.
E. Health and mental health records must be stored, or must be available for
retrieval from microfilm or com puterized storage, for seven (7) years.
1. Hard copies of health and mental health records, which have been
microfilmed or scanned for comput er storage, may be disposed of
as classified waste.
F. Once prisoners are released f rom JPS treatment, whether or n ot they are
released from custody, his/her h ealth records are considered in active.
Appendices: None
Related Orders: Operations Order 10/01, Health Care Services
References: Title 15, Section 1205, 1206