CRANSTON, R.I. – December 14, 2006 – Colleen Capezza, B.S., M.A., CCHP of Wakefield, RI., Director of General Nursing Services, and Michael T. Poshkus, M.D., CCHP of Cranston, Medical Program Director, have met eligibility requirements and passed a national exam to earn professional certification in the field of correctional health care, effective January 1, 2007. Ms. Capezza has been with the Department since 1988 and Dr. Poshkus since 2003. To become a Certified Correctional Health Professional (CCHP), Dr. Poshkus and Ms. Capezza had to demonstrate mastery of national standards and the knowledge expected of leaders working in the field. Of the nearly 2,000 certified correctional healthcare managers worldwide, six are employed in the Health Services Unit of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
CCHP is regarded as a symbol of accomplishment and self improvement and provides many benefits. It promotes correctional health care professionals’ knowledge, understanding, and application of standards and guidelines essential to the delivery of appropriate health care in the correctional environment; their role in delivering that care; the basic legal principles underlying their practice; and their ethical obligations. The CCHP certification program was established in 1989 by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and is the first program to recognize professionalism and excellence among individuals employed in correctional health care.