News and Articles
05/10/2007
New Jail Medical Staff
Four members of the new medical team at the Santa Fe County Corrections
Department have begun their tenure by attending conferences and receiving training in Florida and California.
Dr. Eli Fresquez (Mental Health and Program Administrator), Capt. Dean Woodard (Security Coordinator), Artis
Thomas (Medical Administrator) were in Santa Ana, California, on May 7 – 8, visiting with their counterparts in
Orange County, renowned for their ability to prevent suicide, to learn about suicide prevention in confinement.
Dr. Steven Rolig (Medical Director) was in Orlando, Florida, on May 5 – 8, attending the Updates in
Correctional Health Care conference presented by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and
the Academy of Correctional Health Care Professionals.
Dr. Fresquez, Capt. Woodard, and Ms. Thomas, who have been in their new roles less than 2 months, spent
two days immersed in the zero-suicide-tolerance culture of the Central Jail Complex. “We’re committed to
corrections facilities that that are safe and secure” said Annabelle Romero, Santa Fe County Corrections
Department Director, “We’re excited about the expertise and new perspectives our talented new staff bring to
the table. Bringing in quality people and then having them go out and learning from the best, striving for
excellence – it’s how we want to do things.”
“Of all the things that create a suicide-free environment” said Dr. Fresquez “it is the multi-disciplinary approach
that is key - mental health, security, and medical. It’s a mindset; they even call their intake area where people
are booked receiving. From the moment someone is booked into their facility, mental health, security and
medical staff are on hand doing assessments and deciding what services are going to be needed for each
inmate. These are the kinds of things we want to implement.”
At the Updates conference, Dr. Rolig, who became Medical Director in April, heard some of most respected
practioners in the country discuss best practices for improving the quality of health care in jails, prisons and
juvenile confinement facilities. “Health care in our correctional facilities is a public health issue” Dr. Rolig says
“Those who populate our institutions are usually high risk in communicable and infectious diseases. If they
don’t receive quality health care while in confinement, they will go out the same way they came in or worse and interact with all of us – we’re all connected.”
Department have begun their tenure by attending conferences and receiving training in Florida and California.
Dr. Eli Fresquez (Mental Health and Program Administrator), Capt. Dean Woodard (Security Coordinator), Artis
Thomas (Medical Administrator) were in Santa Ana, California, on May 7 – 8, visiting with their counterparts in
Orange County, renowned for their ability to prevent suicide, to learn about suicide prevention in confinement.
Dr. Steven Rolig (Medical Director) was in Orlando, Florida, on May 5 – 8, attending the Updates in
Correctional Health Care conference presented by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and
the Academy of Correctional Health Care Professionals.
Dr. Fresquez, Capt. Woodard, and Ms. Thomas, who have been in their new roles less than 2 months, spent
two days immersed in the zero-suicide-tolerance culture of the Central Jail Complex. “We’re committed to
corrections facilities that that are safe and secure” said Annabelle Romero, Santa Fe County Corrections
Department Director, “We’re excited about the expertise and new perspectives our talented new staff bring to
the table. Bringing in quality people and then having them go out and learning from the best, striving for
excellence – it’s how we want to do things.”
“Of all the things that create a suicide-free environment” said Dr. Fresquez “it is the multi-disciplinary approach
that is key - mental health, security, and medical. It’s a mindset; they even call their intake area where people
are booked receiving. From the moment someone is booked into their facility, mental health, security and
medical staff are on hand doing assessments and deciding what services are going to be needed for each
inmate. These are the kinds of things we want to implement.”
At the Updates conference, Dr. Rolig, who became Medical Director in April, heard some of most respected
practioners in the country discuss best practices for improving the quality of health care in jails, prisons and
juvenile confinement facilities. “Health care in our correctional facilities is a public health issue” Dr. Rolig says
“Those who populate our institutions are usually high risk in communicable and infectious diseases. If they
don’t receive quality health care while in confinement, they will go out the same way they came in or worse and interact with all of us – we’re all connected.”