The 2004 annual Conference of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care took place on November 13-17 2004 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This meeting is one of the most important gatherings of correctional health care providers that take place every year. Prior to the conference, IDCR hosted a pre-conference seminar and the Society for Correctional Physicians held its annual meeting. The conference sessions featured eight simultaneous tracks over three days, to the desperation of some attendees, who had too many quality presentations to choose from. Fortunately, audiotapes and handouts from are still available for sale (to obtain copies visit https://www.nrstaping.com/ncchc/ncchc2004fall.php).

Over 200 correctional healthcare workers attended IDCR's pre-conference seminar, which was made possible again this year with the generous support of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Karl Brown MD (Infectious Disease Supervisor at Riker's Island Jail) provided a great number of detailed slides that illustrated the manifestations of syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and chancroid in correctional settings. Joseph Bick MD, (IDCR Co-chief editor and Director of the California Medical Facility, California Department of Corrections) spoke on infection control within the correctional setting, illuminating a number of barriers to cleanliness that impact on the transmission of infections in prisons and jail. Annie De Groot MD (IDCR Co-chief editor, Brown University) provided an update on HIV treatment recommendations for pregnant women. She pointed out a number of medications that are contraindicated and suggested that participants keep up with changes in the guidelines by accessing the Health and Human Services website on (http://hab.hrsa.gov/womencare.htm). Neil Fisher MD (Medical Director at Martin Correctional Institute) concluded the IDCR pre-conference seminar with a discussion on new 2004 HIV medications and guidelines, which will be the focus of the January 2005 issue of IDCR.

IDCR board members also presented seminars during the conference proper. Jody Rich MD discussed methadone maintenance and harm reduction in state and federal prisons. Joe Paris MD, PhD presided over a symposium on hepatitis C virus (HCV) that discussed HCV screening and testing, the role of liver biopsy, and treatment guidelines. David Paar MD delivered a rousing seminar on HIV treatment guidelines from his perspective as a correctional HIV provider in the Texas Department of Corrections.

Disclosures:
*Nothing to disclose
**Consultant and Speaker's Bureau: Abbott Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuicals, GlaxoSmithKline, Gilead Sciences, Merck, Roche Pharmaceuticals, and Schering-Plough
^Nothing to disclose

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