A Unified Voice for Correctional Healthcare
We support evidenced-based policies and programs that give health care providers the tools and resources they need to treat a complex patient population in a challenging setting.
Founded in Excellence
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Secure Healthcare Quality Alliance (SHQA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association dedicated to elevating the national standards of correctional healthcare.
Our coalition of industry leaders established the Alliance in late 2025 to serve as the unified voice for the public and private organizations operating at the critical intersection of care and custody.
We represent the clinicians and administrators dedicated to treating highly complex patients within uniquely challenging environments. By bridging the gap between clinical necessity and operational reality, SHQA ensures that high-quality, evidence-based care is a fundamental standard across every secure setting in the nation.
Our Mission
We advance high-quality care for incarcerated patients and educate lawmakers on the vital role our members play in carceral care. We advocate for improving the quality and integrity of care through fairness, visibility and continuous improvement, and we correct misinformation to ensure patients receive safe, ethical care in any setting.
Our Vision
We envision a future where correctional healthcare workers receive the same respect as community doctors and nurses. We want a system where decisions are driven by quality, access and improved outcomes, one that ensures the dedication and diligence of carceral care providers isn't overshadowed by the complexities of the legal system.
Get Answers About Correctional Healthcare
Take a look at our FAQ and if you still have questions, feel free to reach out via email to info@shqateam.org.
-
The Secure Healthcare Quality Alliance (SHQA) is a trade association for correctional healthcare leaders dedicated to treating highly complex patients in uniquely challenging environments. We offer a unified voice for the public and private organizations that deliver high-quality healthcare in jails, prisons, and other justice-involved settings.
-
Correctional healthcare — sometimes called carceral medicine — is the clinical care provided to people in jails, prisons, immigration detention centers, and other custodial settings. It spans primary care, chronic disease management, mental health, addiction treatment, dental, pharmacy, and emergency response, all delivered inside high-security environments.
-
SHQA has been created to represent both public agencies and private providers that operate high-quality correctional health programs. Our mission is to speak for the physicians, nurses, behavioral health clinicians, dentists, and pharmacists who choose this work as a public service, unified by the understanding that quality and integrity are essential for the wellbeing of patients, staff, and the community at large.
-
Carceral clinicians treat a uniquely complex patient population inside facilities designed for security rather than for medicine. Care plans must coordinate with custody operations, traverse multiple locked portals, and account for safety considerations that do not exist in community clinics. Despite those constraints, members deliver care that meets nationally recognized quality standards.
-
Many enter custody with chronic and severe health issues that were previously undiagnosed or untreated, and they disproportionately experience addiction and mental health conditions. For many, incarceration is the first sustained access to medical care they have ever had.
-
Member organizations are evaluated by independent accrediting bodies, and many maintain accreditation from up to three separate quality organizations simultaneously. Accreditation reviews cover clinical protocols, infection control, medication administration, behavioral health, and continuity of care.
-
SHQA advocates for improving the quality and integrity of care through fairness, visibility and continuous improvement, and we correct misinformation to ensure patients receive safe, ethical care in any setting.
-
Lawmakers, journalists, members, and the public can reach the alliance at info@shqateam.org to request a briefing, an expert source, or coalition statements.
The Mandate for Parity
High-quality care is a constitutional right; protecting the providers who deliver it is a policy necessity. Connect with our leadership team to request a briefing or discuss our legislative priorities.