The UTMB Center for Correctional Healthcare Excellence welcomes registered attendees to the Inaugural National Symposium on Correctional Healthcare. The symposium brings together healthcare leaders, clinicians, educators, researchers, administrators and correctional professionals to examine the future of correctional healthcare.
Review the schedule below before the symposium to plan for keynote presentations, multidisciplinary sessions and networking opportunities throughout the day.
Friday, Aug. 7, 2026
7:30 a.m.–7 p.m.
The San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center
5222 Seawall Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77551
Symposium theme
Redefining Correctional Healthcare: Advancing Excellence, Research, Innovation, and Human Dignity Across Carceral Systems
Registration opens before the program begins. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early for check-in, continental breakfast and networking.
Morning program
7:30–8:30 a.m.
Registration, continental breakfast and networking
- Attendee registration and welcome reception
- Exhibitor and sponsor engagement
- Networking opportunities
8:30–9 a.m.
Opening ceremony and welcome address
The Future of Correctional Healthcare Begins Now
Opening remarks
- Dr. Olugbenga Ojo, Director, Center for Correctional Healthcare Excellence
- Dr. Jochen Reiser, President, UTMB, and CEO, UTMB Health System
- Wayne Keathley, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, UTMB Health System
- Dr. Owen Murray, Senior Vice President, UTMB Correctional Managed Care
- Dr. Lannette Linthicum, Director, Health Services Division, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Discussion areas
- The national importance of correctional healthcare
- Healthcare for justice-involved populations
- UTMB’s vision for correctional healthcare delivery
- Collaboration in care, research and education
9–10 a.m.
Session I on the CCHE pillars
Presented by Dr. Olugbenga Ojo, Dr. Jeff Farroni, Dr. Patricia Blair and Dr. Jacques Baillargeon
- Clinical care
- Ethics
- Education
- Research
10–10:30 a.m.
Morning networking break
10:30–11 a.m.
Session II on correctional healthcare leadership and care delivery
Leadership from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care
Presented by Deborah Ross and Richard Forbus
- The history and role of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care
- Current challenges and trends in correctional healthcare
- The future of correctional healthcare
- NCCHC services and client demographics
Transformative Innovations in Correctional Healthcare Delivery: Redefining Care for an Underserved Population
Presented by Dr. Johnny Wu
- The evolution of correctional healthcare in the United States
- National quality and accreditation standards
- Operational and regulatory challenges
- Future trends and opportunities for systems improvement
11 a.m.–noon
Session III on mental health, substance use and suicide prevention
- Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars, presented by Dr. Joseph Penn
- From Screening to Interventions; Reimagining Suicide Risk, presented by Andrew Barbee
- Reducing Overdose, Recidivism, and Mortality Through MOUD, presented by Dr. Jennifer Clarke
- From Adolescence to Adulthood: Mental Health Epidemiology Across Texas Correctional Systems, presented by Dr. Jacques Baillargeon
Afternoon and evening program
Noon–1:15 p.m.
Distinguished keynote and luncheon
Keynote speaker Dr. Sarah Y. Vinson, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Morehouse School of Medicine
Intentionally and Sustainably Working at the Health-Legal Interface
- Structural inequities and justice involvement
- Mental health, incarceration and public policy
- Sustainable systems of compassionate care
- Dignity-centered healthcare delivery
1:15–1:30 p.m.
Afternoon networking break
1:30–3 p.m.
Session IV on chronic disease and aging
- Acute Myocardial Infarction in Incarcerated Populations: Epidemiology, Outcomes, and Opportunities, presented by Dr. Melissa Victory Brodman
- The Greying of the Prison Population: The UK Perspective, presented by Dr. John McAllister
- Effective Understanding, Assessment, and Treatment of Trauma-Related Brain States to Achieve Successful Clinical Outcomes With Incarcerated Youth, presented by Dr. Scott LePor and Dr. Evan Norton
3–3:30 p.m.
Afternoon networking break
3:30–4:45 p.m.
Session V on infectious disease and population health
- Towards Elimination 2030: The Texas Corrections HCV Program, presented by Dr. Jessica Khan
- A Legacy of “Seeing” Issues Through to Their Finale, presented by Dr. Anne Spalding
- Burden of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Texas State Correctional System, presented by Dr. Mahnur Haider
4:45–5 p.m.
Correctional Health Is Public Health
Presented by Dr. Kristen Peek, Senior Vice President and Dean, UTMB School of Public and Population Health
5–7 p.m.
Distinguished closing address, dinner and evening reception
Keynote speaker Dr. Seena Fazel, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry and Director of the Centre for Suicide Research, University of Oxford
Mental Health and Suicide in Correctional Settings: Building an Evidence Base
What attendees can expect
- Presentations from national and international specialists in correctional healthcare
- Clinical practices, quality-improvement initiatives and current research
- Discussion of challenges and opportunities in correctional medicine
- Time to connect with colleagues working to improve health outcomes for justice-involved populations
Symposium sponsors
The UTMB Center for Correctional Healthcare Excellence recognizes Gilead, Institutional Eye Care, NUZYRA (omadacycline), OSAIC and ZOLL for their support of the symposium.
If you have questions before the symposium, email Kirsty Foss.