Andrea Knittel, MD, PhD from UNC Health’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has joined the multidisciplinary board of representatives for
the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC).
Dr. Knittel has been appointed as a NCCHC board liaison for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Knittel currently serves as the medical director for Incarcerated Women’s Health at UNC Health. In her role, Dr. Knittel coordinates obstetric and gynecologic services offered to people incarcerated through the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections. “I am a general obstetrician/gynecologist with over a decade of experience providing reproductive health care in jails and prisons,” said Dr. Knittel. “I look forward to contributing my expertise to advance NCCHC’s mission with a particular focus on ensuring access to high-quality obstetric and gynecologic care across the life course.”
Dr. Knittel has published extensively on women’s health issues in incarceration. “As a trainee, I was horrified by the health disparities that resulted from or were exacerbated by mass incarceration,” said Dr. Knittel. “I knew then that my career would be dedicated to illuminating and mitigating these inequities.”
Dr. Andrea Knittel is an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UNC Health in Chapel Hill. She joined the department in 2018 after completing a research fellowship in general obstetrics and gynecology. In addition to her role as the medical director for Incarcerated Women’s Health, Dr. Knittel also directs the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s General Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Fellowship. Her practice includes office gynecology, gynecologic surgery, prenatal care, and labor and delivery.
The NCCHC was formed in the early 1970’s after an American Medical Association study of jails found inadequate, disorganized health services and a lack of national standards. The NCCHC’s mission is to improve the quality of health care in jails, prisons, and juvenile confinement facilities. The NCCHC is supported by the major national organizations representing fields of health, mental health, law, and corrections. Each supporting organization has named a liaison to the board of representatives to create a robust, multidisciplinary governing structure that reflects the complexities of correctional health care.