BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Today, Jeffrey Alvarez, MD, CCHP, Chief Medical Officer of NaphCare, Inc., a leading correctional healthcare company, received the Bernard P. Harrison Merit Award, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care’s (NCCHC) highest honor award. The award was presented to Dr. Alvarez during the 2024 National Conference on Correctional Health Care, hosted by NCCHC, in Las Vegas.
This lifetime achievement award honors Dr. Alvarez as a leader and innovator who has enriched the correctional healthcare field. He is recognized for his longstanding contributions, exceptional leadership skills and participation in NCCHC programs. The award is a capstone to a career dedicated to quality correctional healthcare and is given to leaders within the correctional healthcare space.
"Dr. Jeff Alvarez exemplifies the excellence and dedication that define the Bernard Harrison Award for lifetime achievement,” said Deborah Ross, CEO of the NCCHC. “His steadfast commitment to enhancing correctional health care, along with his pioneering work as a physician and his extensive service, has elevated standards in the field. Through his relentless efforts, he has not only improved the quality of care but also inspired many to pursue similar paths. We are profoundly grateful for his leadership and proud to present him with this esteemed award."
“We’re incredibly proud of Dr. Alvarez,” said Brad McLane, Chief Executive Officer of NaphCare. “He has been pivotal to advancing our mission to improve and save lives. This award is well deserved and a testament to his extraordinary impact and visionary leadership in the field of correctional healthcare.”
Dr. Alvarez’s career is built upon a desire to treat the underserved population. From his first residency after completing medical school, he has consistently chosen to practice in environments that serve the underserved – county hospitals, county health clinics, and eventually, correctional systems. As his career has evolved and led to leadership roles, he has welcomed the opportunity to affect the care of many people in a positive way by being part of the conversation and contributing toward change.
One major area of change is the growing need for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. As he saw the growing need, Dr. Alvarez started working at a methadone clinic and continued for two years in order to gain experience in SUD treatment and learn first-hand what patients go through during treatment. This experience directly helped him as NaphCare began developing and expanding its SUD treatment protocols because he had seen both the need and the benefits for patients.
Dr. Alvarez has worked with NCCHC since 2014 as a surveyor and physician trainer. In addition, he is a member of the Accreditation and Standards Committee and has assisted with writing and revising NCCHC standards for correctional healthcare.
Dr. Alvarez uses his NCCHC expertise to help NaphCare partners follow NCCHC standards and recommends correctional facilities to obtain accreditation, earning NaphCare a 100% success rate in acquiring and maintaining accreditation for its partners.
