Chair Farías questions CHS on collecting racial demographic data
Farías asks whether CHS collects racial demographic data given the predominantly Black and Latina population. Merrill says race is not on the intake screening and historically has not informed treatment plans, though providers can ask if clinically indicated.
On the questions that Chair Brooks-Powers asked regarding
the racial demographic breakdowns of pregnant people in DOC custody, I understand that CHS's intake, from what I heard in response, doesn't collect that data.
My question is around comprehensive health care.
If we know consistently that the folks coming in for intake are going to be predominantly black women, Latinas, people of color,
when we're looking at comprehensive care, a continuity of comprehensive care, wouldn't that be helpful demographic information, helpful information to look at how we're holistically caring for a person within our custody?
So we can always ask on an individual patient level if that's indicated.
I think, as you said, the vast majority of women in our care are black and brown women, and we treat really every woman as
is requiring is a vulnerable population by virtue of being incarcerated.
So that historically just hasn't been information that's informed treatment plans.
And there's no like intake form that you folks do where people self-identify?
It's not one of the questions on our intake screening.
Okay, so there is an intake screening form that we're checking off different questions, but that just isn't a part of it.
Okay.