Case Studies in Correctional Tuberculosis - Lessons from the Frontline

This interactive, case-based session brings tuberculosis (TB) management in correctional settings to life by exploring real-world examples of outbreaks and individual patient cases. Participants will analyze scenarios that highlight the complexities of balancing patient care, institutional safety, and public health responsibilities. The session emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration across custody, clinical, and public health domains, while grappling with the ethical and operational challenges unique to correctional environments. Building on knowledge gained from previous sessions on latent and active TB, attendees will reinforce practical strategies for prevention, containment, and patient-centered care.

Key Points:

1. Case-based learning: Participants will engage with real-world examples of TB outbreaks and individual patient cases.
2. Collaboration is critical: Effective TB management requires coordination among custody staff, healthcare providers, and public health partners.
3. Beyond medicine: Ethical dilemmas and operational considerations play a central role in decision-making for TB care in correctional facilities.

Takeaways:

1. Practical application: Learners will reinforce and apply knowledge from earlier sessions to real-world TB scenarios.
2. Stronger strategies: Case studies will highlight tested approaches for prevention, containment, and treatment success.
3. Systems thinking: Participants will leave with a deeper appreciation for multidisciplinary teamwork and its role in achieving both institutional safety and public health protection.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Examine real-world TB case studies in correctional facilities to identify effective and ineffective management practices.
2. Demonstrate how multidisciplinary collaboration improves outcomes in TB prevention and control.
3. Analyze ethical and operational challenges in managing TB in incarcerated populations.
4. Apply lessons from case examples to strengthen TB prevention, containment, and patient management strategies in their own facilities.

Who Should Attend?

• Correctional health professionals (physicians, nurses, mid-level providers, pharmacists)
• Public health and infection prevention specialists
• Correctional administrators and policy leaders
• Custody and operational staff engaged in health and safety practices

Presented by

Tara Rhodes, MSN, RN, CAPT, USPHS
Quality Improvement Program Manager
Surveillance and Epidemiology Section
Population and Correctional Health Branch
Federal Bureau of Prisons